DOIAbstract
The problem of naphthenic acid corrosion is specific to certain crudes from India, Romania, Russia, Texas, Venezuela, Congo, Nigeria, etc. The nature of corrosion due to naphthenic acids is in the form of sharp-edged streamlined grooves. Detailed laboratory studies and some field data indicate that naphthenic acid corrosion increases beyond a specific neutralization number of crude, when the process temperature is between 220 and 400°C and when fluid velocities are high. The different factors responsible for naphthenic corrosion as well as the ways of fighting it are reviewed. Among them are predistillation, the blending of crudes, neutralization, the selection of construction materials and especially the mastery of fluid flow