Abstract
Studies of the causes of corrosion of oil well tubular goods by the produced fluids require a knowledge of the pH of the well water at the point in the well where corrosion occurs. The well head pH of such water is not necessarily the pH of the water within the well because of the loss of acid gases, such as carbon dioxide, through pressure reduction on the fluid during the course of production. It is necessary, therefore, to recombine into the brine the amount of volatile acidic material to determine the pH at the point in question.
This study has developed a technique for calculating the down hole pH through such recombination. The technique covers three types of well waters: (1) Oil well brines, the pH of which is controlled by the carbonic acid-bicarbonate ratio, (2) Oil well brines containing top hole acidity as the result of hydrolysis of calcium and magnesium salts or organic acids, and (3) Condensate waters. 4.6.9
