TITLE:
Corrosion Behavior of L80 Steel in CO2 Saturated Brines: Effect of Electrolyte Composition and Temperature in Oilfield Conditions
AUTHORS:
Leonel Sylvain Wafen Chouola, Hyppolite Tchio Fothe, Martin Ruben Mouangue, Jerôme Dikwa
KEYWORDS:
L80 Steel, CO2 Corrosion, FeCO3 Layer, Chloride Brines, Surface Corrosion, Electrochemical Behavior
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering,
Vol.14 No.10,
October
21,
2026
ABSTRACT: The present work explores the corrosion behavior of L80 steel in chloride-based brines (NaCl, KCl, and CaCl2) under fluctuating temperature and pH conditions, with direct impact on CO2-containinf oilfield environments. The study is built on the KEM-23ST well operated by Perenco Rio del Rey (Cameroon). Electrochemical measurements, gravimetric analysis, and thermodynamic modeling were joined to clarify corrosion mechanism, with highlighting FeCO3 film formation. The findings reveal that the electrochemical response entails activation-controlled charge transfer near the corrosion potential coupled with cathodic mass-transport limits. Growing temperature quickens corrosion kinetics, whereas the gradual development of FeCO3 can rise the impact of diffusion through the corrosion-product layer. Corrosion effect is highly dependent on brine composition. KCl shows the minimum corrosion levels in the reported experimental results while CaCl2 displays the maximum corrosion levels and lower film stability. The thermodynamic results suggest an increased tendency for FeCO3 precipitation at elevated temperatures. Taken together, the results provide evidence of a transition from mainly activation-controlled behavior to varied activation-diffusion control as transport limitations and corrosion-product films grow.