Chemical Production Chemistry Course

Introduction:

The Chemical Production Chemistry course equips participants with a deep theoretical understanding of chemicals used in upstream oil & gas production systems. In production chemistry, proper chemical use is crucial for ensuring safe, reliable, and optimized operations. This course addresses major operational challenges—corrosion, emulsions, foaming, scale, wax, asphaltenes, hydrates, H₂S, and water treatment—and links theory to field-scale application.

Attendees will learn about selection criteria, dosages, monitoring methods, and the design of remedial strategies. The Chemical Production Chemistry program emphasizes real-world case studies, software exercises, and the application of industry standards. Upon finishing, participants will be competent in designing chemical management programs across production, transport, and injection systems.

Targeted Groups:

This Chemical Production Chemistry training targets professionals seeking specialized knowledge and skills:

• Production engineers in upstream oil & gas.
• Flow assurance and corrosion control specialists.
• Surface facilities and process engineers.
• Field chemists and chemical treatment supervisors.
• Asset integrity and maintenance engineers.

Course Objectives:

Participants will achieve the following objectives by completing the Chemical Production Chemistry course:

• Understand and classify corrosion mechanisms and predict corrosion rates under oilfield conditions.
• Evaluate and select corrosion inhibitors and design appropriate application methods.
• Diagnose emulsion and foaming issues and choose effective breakers or antifoam chemistries.
• Predict scale tendency, select scale inhibitors, and design field-scale inhibition strategies to mitigate scale formation.
• Analyze risks associated with hydrate and paraffin deposition; apply chemical and operational controls.
• Assess asphaltene behavior and propose chemical/thermal/mechanical mitigation.
• Design schemes for H₂S scavenging, water clarification, and biocide/oxygen scavenger use.
• Specify and operate chemical injection systems (including pumps, controls, and associated hardware) safely.
• Incorporate environmental and regulatory constraints when selecting production chemicals.

Targeted Competencies:

Participants will gain the following competencies during the Chemical Production Chemistry program:

• Ability to interpret process and fluid data and correlate with chemical challenges.
• Capability to map operational risks (corrosion, scale, hydrates, wax, asphaltenes) to chemical solutions.
• Skill to design monitoring regimes (corrosion coupons, inhibitors residuals, scale detection).
• Competence to select appropriate chemical formulations tailored to system conditions.
• Confidence in drafting field-scale management plans that optimize cost, performance, and safety.
• Aptitude to size, specify, and troubleshoot chemical injection hardware and procedures.
• Sensitivity to environmental impact and the ability to integrate green chemical options.
• Analytical mindset for root-cause troubleshooting of complex, coupled production chemistry issues.

Studying Scenarios:

In this Chemical Production Chemistry training, participants will develop their skills through the analysis of the following scenarios:

• High-water-cut well exhibiting accelerated corrosion and internal erosion: participants propose a corrosion inhibitor program, a monitoring plan, and a mitigation path.
• Production train experiencing persistent emulsions and foaming: learners evaluate fluid properties, select demulsifier and antifoam chemistries, and determine injection points.
• Multiphase pipeline where scale deposition and wax deposition co-occur: participants forecast scaling risk, wax onset, and propose a combined chemical treatment schedule.
• Gas export line with hydrate risk under changing pressure/temperature: participants run hydrate prediction software, design injection protocols, and plan contingency controls.
• Oilfield personnel encounter asphaltene deposition along flowlines: learners assess solvent/chemical options, thermal versus mechanical mitigation, and integrate these into an operational plan.

Course Content:

Unit 1: Mastering Corrosion Control in Production Systems:

• Fundamentals of Corrosion:
  • Classification of corrosion types.
  • Detailed corrosion mechanisms in oil and gas environments.
  • Methods for determining and predicting corrosion rates.
• Corrosion Control Strategies:
  • Common methods for corrosion control.
  • In-depth study of corrosion inhibitors: fundamentals, guidelines, and selection criteria.
  • Application methods for corrosion inhibitors.
• Corrosion Monitoring and Testing:
  • Advanced corrosion monitoring techniques.
  • Overview of relevant corrosion tests and standards:
    • NACE TM0274: Dynamic corrosion testing of metals in high-temperature water.
    • NACE TM0169: Laboratory corrosion testing of metals for process industries.
    • ASTM G4: Method for conducting corrosion coupon tests for plant equipment.
    • ASTM G16: Guide for applying statistics to analysis of corrosion.
    • ASTM G71: Practice for conducting and evaluating galvanic corrosion tests in electrolytes.
• Case Study and Practical Application:
  • Comprehensive case study on corrosion management in a real-world scenario.

Unit 2: Managing Emulsion, Foam, and Scale Challenges:

• Emulsion and Foam Management:
  • Understanding crude oil natural surfactants: composition and structure.
  • Emulsion Theory and Factors Affecting Emulsion Stability.
  • Effective emulsion control and destabilization techniques.
  • Chemical selection and optimal injection points for emulsion breakers.
  • Foam formation, stability, and use of foam breakers.
  • Chemical selection for foam control.
• Oilfield Scale Control:
  • Introduction to oilfield scale: types and characteristics.
  • Principles and Fundamentals of Scale Deposition Mechanisms.
  • Causes of scale formation and prediction of scaling tendency.
  • Control and remediation strategies for scale.
  • Selection of appropriate scale inhibitors.
  • Designing effective field-scale management programs.
• Case Study:
  • Practical case study on managing emulsion, foam, and scale issues.

Unit 3: Hydrate and Paraffin Management:

• Gas Hydrate Control:
  • Understanding gas hydrates and their deposition sites.
  • Impact of hydrate formation on production systems.
  • Hydrate composition and structure.
  • Conditions for hydrate formation and detection methods.
  • Control and Remediation Strategies for Gas Hydrates.
  • Detailed discussion on hydrate mechanisms.
  • Exercises using specialized software for hydrate prediction and control.
• Paraffin (Wax) Deposition Control:
  • Characteristics of paraffins: composition, structure, and properties.
  • Mechanisms of paraffin deposition.
  • Testing methods for paraffin content.
  • Factors affecting paraffin deposition and associated operational problems.
  • Control, remediation, and monitoring techniques for paraffin deposition.
  • Exercises using specialized software for paraffin management.
• Case Study:
  • Comprehensive case study on managing hydrate and paraffin challenges.

Unit 4: Asphaltene Management and Water Treatment Chemicals:

• Asphaltene Control:
  • Key properties of asphaltenes.
  • Deposition mechanisms and models.
  • Effect of variables on asphaltene deposition.
  • Identification of deposition sites and their impact on operations.
  • Causes of asphaltene deposition and related operational problems.
  • Prevention and remediation strategies:
    • Mechanical methods.
    • Thermal methods.
    • Chemical treatments.
• Chemicals in Water Treatment:
  • Introduction to polyelectrolytes in water treatment.
  • Coagulants and clarifiers for water purification.
  • Antifoam agents in water systems.
  • Oxygen scavengers for corrosion prevention.
  • Biocides for microbial control.

Unit 5: Chemical Applications in Transport, Processing, and Injection Systems:

• Chemicals in Oil Transport, Processing, and Treatment:
  • Advanced emulsion breakers.
  • Drag reducers for pipeline efficiency.
  • Viscosity reducers for heavy oil transport.
  • H₂S scavengers for gas sweetening.
• Recent Developments and Environmental Considerations:
  • Overview of recent developments in environmentally friendly chemicals.
• Chemical Injection Systems:
  • Documentation requirements for chemical injection systems.
  • Types of pumps used in chemical injection.
  • Associated hardware and components.
  • Operational procedures for chemical injection systems.
  • Criteria for selecting proper chemical injection methods.
  • Characteristics of various chemical treatments.
• Chemical Safety and Best Practices:
  • Comprehensive review of chemical safety protocols and best practices in the oil and gas industry.

Final Insights & Key Takeaways:

A proper chemical strategy underpins reliability and efficiency in upstream operations, minimizing downtime. A robust chemical program—grounded in theory, guided by field data, and constrained by environmental best practice—becomes a strategic asset.