Chemical additives play an important role in oil production. Chemicals are used to enhance oil production, control corrosion, prevent wax or paraffin deposition, enhance the flow characteristics of the crude oils, aid in water separation, etc. However, oil field chemicals are often suspected of causing diverse problems in refining operations, including corrosion, fouling, desalting upsets, and loss of catalyst activity. One recent example is the appearance of "rogue chlorides" in certain crudes, which has led to severe corrosion problems in crude distillation units and naphtha hydrotreaters. This paper presents a review of the nature and function of chemical additives that are commonly used in oil production, and discusses examples of the type of problems encountered in refining that are caused by some of these chemicals. A clear understanding of the impact of oil field chemicals on refinery operations is critical to both refiners and producers, to avoid these problems and prevent the erosion of value of the crude. Better communications between producers and refiners is a first step to resolve these problems.
Keywords: corrosion, corrosion control, oil field, chemicals, refining, inhibitors, paraffin, hydrate, control