Graphene Sensor for Scale Monitoring Applications in Oil Pipelines

In this paper we focus on the design and testing of a graphene based sensor for applications in oil industry. The sensor is designed to target the specific need of the oil industry related to monitoring and preventing scale formation in oil pipelines. The graphene sensor was setup for resistance measurements using four-probe technique. It was tested on deionized (DI) water as a standard reference and crude oil as a harch, mixed, and inhomogenious environment. After the calibration tests, the graphene sensor was used to monitor the concentration of strontium ions in DI water as one of the key elements responssible for scale formation in oil pipelines. We have successfully achieved a sensitivity of 68% to 0.02MoI/L of Sr. ions concentration in DI water. The results obtained were consistent for several hours of measurements and even after 2 days the sensitivity is still about 36%.