Paper: Scale Prediction From Analysis

The anticipation of scaling conditions before they have commenced or before the deposits have become excessive is a vital prerequisite to the preventative maintenance of any oil field equipment handling water. The author's current procedures and means of using water analyses for the prediction of scaling are reviewed. Other methods that are also available, and some of which have been proposed, are also briefly reviewed. In view of their appearing more prevalent in the oil field, the attention is focused on calcium sulfate, calcium carbonate, and barium sulfate.