Production chemistry is an important field in the petroleum industry to study the physicochemical changes in the production system and associated impact on production fluid flow from reservoir to topsides facilities. Mineral scale deposition and metal corrosion are among the top three water-related production chemistry threats in the petroleum industry, particularly for offshore deepwater and shale operations. Mineral scale deposition is mainly driven by local supersaturation due to operational condition change and/or mixing of incompatible waters. Corrosion, in contrast, is an electrochemical oxidation–reduction process with local cathodic and anodic reactions taking place on metal surfaces. Both mineral scaling and metal corrosion can lead to severe operational risk and financial loss. The most common engineering solution for oilfield scale and corrosion control is to deploy chemical inhibitors, including scale inhibitors and corrosion inhibitors. In the past few decades, various chemical inhibitors have been prepared and applied for scaling and corrosion control. Phosphorus-based polymers are an important class of chemical inhibitors commonly adopted in oilfield operations. Due to the versatile molecular structures of these chemicals, phosphorus-based polymeric inhibitors have the advantage of a higher calcium tolerance, a higher thermal stability, and a wider pH tolerance range compared with other types of inhibitors. However, there are limited review articles to cover these polymeric chemicals for oilfield scale and corrosion control. To address this gap, this review article systematically reviews the synthesis, laboratory testing, and field applications of various phosphorus-based polymeric inhibitors in the oil and gas industry. Future research directions in terms of optimizing inhibitor design are also discussed. The objective is to keep the readers abreast of the latest development in the synthesis and application of these materials and to bridge chemistry knowledge with oilfield scale and corrosion control practice.

Graphene oxide (GO), derived from the two-dimensional nanosheet graphene, has received unprecedented attention in the field of metal corrosion protection owing to its excellent barrier performance and various active functional groups. In this review, the protection mechanism “labyrinth effect” of composite coatings against metal corrosion was demonstrated systematically. The origination, structure and properties of GO were also analyzed. Their poor dispersion in polymer and tendency to aggregate as nanofillers in composite coatings are the main limitations during application of the coating fillers. In addition, a comprehensive overview on the perspectives of the surface modification of GO and the multi-functionalization of the composite coatings based on GO were given in particular. Green modification methods, reasonable arrangement of GO sheets in composites and development of multi-functional coatings remain challenges in current studies and should be a focus in the future development of GO-based anticorrosive coatings. This review is of value to researchers interested in the design and application of GO in corrosion protection coatings.