ABSTRACT
Scale is dened as deposits of insoluble inorganic minerals, such as calcium carbonate (CaCO3), barium sulfate (BaSO4), and calcium sulfates, that is, dehydrate, hemihydrate, and anhydrite. Oileld scale is a water-related problem, and it is often associated with the production of brine in the eld once wells start cutting water. The formation of mineral scale is a persistent and expensive problem in oil and gas production. It may create technical problems including pipe or valve blockage, under-deposit corrosion, and even more importantly, unscheduled equipment shutdown [1-3]. In the North Sea, typical scale problems are related to the formation of BaSO4, strontium sulfate (SrSO4), CaSO4, and CaCO3. The severity of the problems and the need of novel solutions are highly dependent on the eld operating conditions, which vary from mild scaling tendencies to the extreme.
