ABSTRACT
Organic carboxylate salt scaling and/or naphthenate salt scaling is not such a widespread problem in the oil production industry as inorganic or organic scaling (waxes and asphaltenes), but it has received considerable research attention in response to increased production in areas such as West Africa, where naphthenate deposits are particularly troublesome. These salts, formed when oil-soluble aliphatic carboxylic and naphthenic acids come in contact with metal cations in the produced water, cause tight emulsions, ragged interfaces, deposition, and, ultimately, separation difculties giving poor discharged water quality.1,22-25 It can also give downstream problems due to excessive calcium ions in the renery as the naphthenic acids in the crude oil will pick up these ions.
