Opportunity crudes are generally defined as petroleum crudes bearing a high level of sulfur, metals, or total acid number (TAN).  These crudes are typically offered at a discounted value.  Thus, refining such crudes carries with it a lucrative incentive.  However, due to the above-mentioned characteristics, processing such crudes presents numerous operational challenges as well, such as naphthenic acid corrosion, which is commonly associated with the high TAN content in these crudes.  In refinery units such as the crude distillation tower, these carboxylic acids react with the iron atoms of the metal surfaces to produce oil soluble iron carboxylates.^1,2  The continued formation of such complexes would then erode the metal surface.  Equipment failure due to such corrosion results in shutting down a large segment or the entire refinery.  Therefore, establishing a means for mitigating this type of corrosion is paramount for processing crude oils with an elevated TAN due to naphthenic acids.