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Asset Integrity

• Biocides for Asset Integrity
• Oxygen Scavengers
• Iron Sulfide Dissolvers/Dispersants
• Corrosion Inhibitors
• Hydrogen Sulfide Scavengers
• Scale Inhibitors for Asset Integrity
• Multi-Functional Inhibitors

Biocide Developmental Program

Through highly developed people, processes, technology and chemical applications, Nalco aims to bring the most efficient biocide chemistries to the customer with the intent of maximizing production while minimizing losses. To accomplish these objectives we follow Nalco’s Biocide Developmental Program (NBDP). NBDP has a tripartite focus including development and evaluation of new biocidal/biostatic chemistries, implementation of new methods to monitor and quantify sessile organisms in real time, and deployment of new technology to optimize biocide applications in situ.

Nalco has continued to invest heavily in the technical aspects of developing, formulating, and evaluating new chemistries that demonstrate biocidal and biostatic capabilities. In spite of the high cost associated with registration of new biocides, Nalco is continuing to develop and evaluate new chemistries as well as modify existing chemistries with the goal of selecting those compounds that demonstrate superior biocidal or biostatic capabilities. In addition to new development, Nalco is actively evaluating registered biocides that our researchers have formulated with newly developed surface-active chemistries. The objectives of this research are to develop formulations that can be safely deployed worldwide, that are unique to each customer’s system, and that have demonstrated biocidal and/or biostatic synergisms against sessile organisms. Evaluation and analysis of these new chemistries is being performed in Nalco’s state of the art laboratory in order to evaluate each chemistry under truly field conditions such continuous flow, existing biofilm system, etc.

With the continued growth of deep and ultra-deep field applications, Nalco’s researchers are working hard to develop combo products that can be deployed in conjunction with other chemistries via umbilical systems and are compatible with MEG and Methanol. Our SurFlo Certified Program ensures that our biocides can deliver the desired outcome under umbilical applications, are effective at low concentrations to inhibit biofilm formation, and are stable over a large temperature range (-60oC to 120°C).

Creating and implementing new molecular methods to monitor and quantify sessile organisms in real time at the customer site is one of Nalco’s strengths. We have recently introduced two new methods to quantify biocide performance before, during, and after applications. The first is the measurement of Adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is considered the energy currency of life. ATP is found only in living cells and provides a direct measurement of total biological activity in a sample. Most importantly, this method can be implemented with very little extra equipment and results can be obtained within fifteen minutes. Nalco has also recently implemented bacterial identification by DNA extraction, PCR amplification, DGGE separation, DNA sequencing, and bioinformatics. The addition of these tools allow us to probe the specific bacterial species present in a given sample, which in turn allows us to recommend the optimal biocide. Using these two tools, Nalco is well positioned to:

1. Optimize field applications such as the concentration and frequency of chemical treatment to minimize under-deposit and pitting corrosion rates.
2. Tailor biocide treatment to the field by determining which bacteria are present, and which biocide is removing them from the system. This approach will use science to determine if biocides are continuing to be effective or if an alternate biocide might perform better.
3. Provide an asset-specific solution to an asset-specific problem by using a number of microbiological analyses including ATP quantification and DNA sequencing.
4. Compile a database system to track bacterial species and biocide effectiveness worldwide.


A second patented tool that had recently been deployed to the field, known as DepCon® (deposition control), allows Nalco to in-line monitor the performance of scale inhibitors in real time in nearly any aqueous process stream. We are actively researching the use of DepCon® to monitor performance of existing and newly developed biocide chemistries that can prevent and remove biofilms from the surface.

We are also actively collaborating with the University of Houston to develop and implement additional molecular tools to assist in the identification of bacteria responsible for Microbiological Influenced Corrosion (MIC) on metal surfaces. These new tools will allow Nalco to identify organisms that would not be detected by conventional culture media methods.

Nalco’s on-going research projects are critical to expedite deployment of new technology to optimize biocide applications in situ. The development of new chemistries, monitoring tools, as well as the addition of experienced personnel allow us to deploy and implement our biocide technology at the right location, concentration, frequency, and mode of action. Our Nalco Biocide Management Program allows us to continually improve the performance of our chemistries.

Nalco also provides the professional support structure, people and processes to solve biological performance issues rapidly through chemical solutions, process optimization, and proven problem solving ability. This structure is critical for decreasing production downtime due to corrosion, deposits, or separation issues, subsequently increasing process efficiency.


Nalco MIC Management Program

Nalco Company differentiates itself from other players in MIC control by offering a comprehensive biocide management program that is much more than just chemicals. At the heart of the Nalco program is a continuous improvement loop, comprised of four interconnected components or stages. Each stage is necessary to produce an effective MIC management program that evolves to meet the changing needs of individual assets. As the name implies, with each rotation through the loop, the program improves, providing more efficient treatment. The four stages of the continuous improvement loop are:

Process Inputs
The most critical part of the process for any field treatment is the thorough collection of process inputs. Nalco field representatives interview operators and review historical field data to obtain information on:

• Production layout
• Oil, water, and gas flow rates
• Water chemistry
• MIC history
• Historical treatment locations
• Well performance

Acquiring this information is the first step in ensuring that Nalco microbiologists can accurately interpret field conditions and find the optimal biocide solution.

Data Interpretation
Data interpretation involves more than just examining the process inputs at face value. Nalco’s highly qualified subject matter experts (SMEs) have experience analyzing process data from fields around the world. The SMEs build on this information by incorporating other process inputs, such as field layout and their own experience with other fields, to provide the probability and consequences of biofilm formation at specific locations within the reservoir and production equipment. Nalco’s SMEs then work with you to develop an MIC control strategy, tailored to suppress the specific biofilm forming factors in your field.

Mitigation Biofilm Strategy
Once an accurate picture of the field’s biofilm formation tendency is obtained, a mitigation MIC strategy is initiated, which includes a field-personalized risk-based MIC assessment. The MIC assessment provides the consequences if no mitigation program is initiated, as well as how this risk is minimized through the implementation of key biocide inhibitor dosing and application protocols. Within this mitigation strategy, Nalco SMEs also provide detailed guidance on:

• Product selection
• Appropriate application protocols such as continuous, batch, or formation squeezes.
• Biocide enhancement contingency options.

The operator will have confidence in the mitigation strategy only if the strategy’s effectiveness is carefully monitored. This leads naturally to the last critical step in the loop, monitoring.


Monitoring
Nalco field technicians employ a range of traditional and non-traditional monitoring methods designed to give the operator confidence in the mitigation program and pinpoint locations where the program needs to be adjusted. Many conventional monitoring tools are used, including analysis of water chemistry, measurement of chemical residuals, changes to production temperature and pressure, and well performance. While these tools provide useful qualitative information, they are at best indirect measurements that require sampling and may take significant time to complete. The heart of Nalco’s monitoring program consists of three novel methods that provide more efficient evaluation of the mitigation program and allow operators to make informed decisions based on the actual conditions in their process. These methods are biological enumeration by ATP quantification, bacterial identification by DNA analysis, and real time in-line monitoring using Nalco’s DepCon® system. All three systems are described in more detail below.

ATP
ATP, or Adenosine triphosphate, is a tool used to determine intracellular ATP concentrations. ATP levels are highest in metabolically active cells and lowest in dormant or dying cells. ATP detection is accomplished by lysing all cells present in a sample and measuring the oxidation of luciferin by the enzyme luciferase in the presence of ATP using a hand-held luminometer. This provides the basis for a sensitive non-radioactive ATP assay system that is more convenient than conventional HPLC.

DNA
Molecular techniques have opened the door for a more in-depth analysis of the bacterial species that actually make up a biofilm. Nalco has utilized this technology to lyse bacterial cells and extract their DNA. Following extraction, a small section of bacterial DNA is amplified millions of times using a technique called polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The amplified section of DNA is unique for each bacterial species, each of which is separated using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. Following separation, PCR amplicons are sequenced and bioinformatics analysis performed. The information obtained by these methods is critical for a complete understanding of each unique biofilm community.

DepCon®
DepCon®, or Deposit Control, is a patented, in-line monitoring system that directly measures deposits, in real time, in nearly any aqueous process stream. Within the DepCon® unit, an electrical potential applied across a thin piezoelectric wafer creates shear deformation at a characteristic frequency. As an aqueous stream flows through the unit, it comes into direct contact with the sensing wafer. When a deposit begins to form, it will adsorb onto the wafer, immediately altering the resonance frequency and alerting the operator to a deposit problem, at levels much more sensitive than can be detected by conventional monitoring methods.
DepCon is monitoring onshore and offshore assets around the world, including in the North Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, Latin America, and the UAE. The features and benefits of DepCon® include:

• Portable design requiring no external power or data transmission, allowing for easy installation near potential fouling locations.
• Improved troubleshooting capabilities, allowing users to intervene immediately to minimize deposit-related operational costs.
• Access to precise, real-time information on deposit control, allowing for optimization of biocide concentrations or selection of the best biocide for a process system.
• Operation independent of the type of biocide present in the system.
• Availability in an explosion-proof design for NEC Class I, Groups B, C, D environments as well as CENELEC EN 50.014 and 50.018 Eexd IIB + H2IP66 environments.

These powerful monitoring methods provide vital process data that is fed back to Nalco SMEs as process inputs, thus completing the continuous improvement loop and allowing your MIC management program to be further refined, resulting in cost savings and more efficient operations.

Today’s operators need to have continual confidence that their wellbore and production equipment will provide optimal production at all times. Rely on Nalco’s MIC Management Program to give you the confidence you need.