This book is the latest in a series of respected volumes that provides an up-to-date review of some of the major chemistry topics related to the oil and gas industry. Divided into four sections, it looks in turn at the latest developments in environmental issues, new technology, applications and flow assurance. This reflects the increasingly important role for chemical technologies in offshore, deep water and challenging environments, allied to developments of low environmental impact chemistry. Regulatory strategies are also discussed, from both the governmental and operational perspective. Overall, Chemistry in the Oil Industry VII presents the latest information on developments in the modern oil industry, which will have an impact on future cost-effectiveness and efficiency. It will be a valuable resource for professionals and consultants within the industry, as well as government agencies and laboratory staff. "... a useful reference work for chemists working on oil-field chemicals ..." ― Chemistry & Industry, Issue 24, 16 December 2002, p 28 Chemistry in the Oil Industry VII Performance in a Challenging Environment By T. Balson, H.A. Craddock, J. Dunlop, H. Frampton, G. Payne, P. Reid The Royal Society of Chemistry Copyright © 2002 The Royal Society of Chemistry All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-0-85404-861-8 Contents Environmental Issues, An Overview of the Harmonised Mandatory Control System L. R. Henriquez, 3, Impact of the OSPAR Decision on the Harmonised Mandatory Control System on the Offshore Chemical Supply Industry M. Thatcher and G. Payne, 21, The Development and Introduction of Chemical Hazard Assessment and Risk Management (CHARM) into the Regulation of Offshore Chemicals in the OSPAR Convention Area; A Good Example of Government/Industry Co-operation or a Warning to Industry for the Future? I. Still, 31, Bioaccumulation Potential of Surfactants: A Review P. McWilliams and G. Payne, 44, Alkylphenol Based Demulsifier Resins and their Continued Use in the Offshore Oil and Gas Industry P. Jacques, I. Martin, C. Newbigging and T. Wardell, 56, New Technology, Use of Enzymes for the In-Situ Generation of Well Treatment Chemicals I. D. McKay and R. E. Harris, 67, Electrically Conductive Oil-based Mud M. A. Tehrani, C. A. Sawdon and S. J. M. Levey, 83, The Use of Surfactants to Generate Viscoelastic Fluids R. Franklin, M. Hoey and R. Premachandran, 96, Function and Application of Oilfield Chemistry in Open Hole Sand Control Completions L. George, L. Morris, S. Daniel, B. Lungwitz, M. E. Brady and P. Fletcher, 107, Effective Topside Chemical Detection via a Novel Antibody Engineering Technique K. A. Charlton, G. Strachan, A. J. Porter, S. M. Heath and H. M. Bourne, 122, Using Electrochemical Pre-treatment for the Protection of Metal Surfaces from the Formation and Growth of Calcium Carbonate Scale A. P. Morizot, S. Labille, A. Neville and G. M. Graham, 131, Applications, The Challenges Facing Chemical Management: A BP Perspective S. Webster and D. West, 143, The Development and Application of Dithiocarbamate (DTC) Chemistries for Use as Flocculants by North Sea Operators P. R. Hart, 149, Optimising Oilfield Oxygen Scavengers A. J. McMahon, A. Chalmers and H. Macdonald, 163, Enhancing Reliability, Performance and Environmental Acceptability of Subsea Hydraulic Production Control Fluids, a True Chemistry Challenge R. Rowntree and R. Dixon, 180, Reservoir Drilling Fluids: An Overview of Current Technology and New Potential Developments D. A. Ballard and C. A. Sawdon, 189, A Chemical Packer for Annular Isolation in Horizontal Wells B. Lungwitz, K. S. Chan, R. Rolovic, F. Wang and D. Ward, 202, Increased Oil Production from Wet Wells in Sandstone Reservoirs by Modifying the Relative Permeability R. J. R. Cairns, 213, Flow Assurance, Life Cycle Management of Scale Control within Subsea Fields and its Impact on Flow Assurance, Gulf of Mexico and the North Sea Basin M. M. Jordan, K. Sjuraether, I. R. Collins, N. D. Feasey and D. Emmons, 223, New Methods for the Selection of Asphaltene Inhibitors in the Field H.-J. Oschmann, 254, The Development of Advanced Kinetic Hydrate Inhibitors B. Fu, 264, Prediction and Solution of Asphaltene Related Problems in the Field S. Asomaning and A. Yen, 277, Subject Index, 287, CHAPTER 1 AN OVERVIEW OF THE HARMONISED MANDATORY CONTROL SYSTEM L.R. Henriquez State Supervision of Mines, Ministry of Economic Affairs, P.O. Box 8, 2270 AA Voorburg, The Netherlands 1 INTRODUCTION Since the 1970s there has been a major concern by the public in general regarding the potential pollution of the North Sea marine environment by discharges of chemicals used in the offshore Oil Exploration and Production Industry (E&P). In 1974 most of the North Sea countries experiencing these offshore activities signed the Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from land based sources (the so-called Paris Convention) which came into force in 1