Chlorides
contribute to the likelihood of an increase in corrosion related
sucker rod failures. The corrosivity of water increases as
the concentration of chlorides increase. Corrosion inhibitors
have more difficulty reaching and protecting the steel surface
of sucker rods in wells with high concentrations of chlorides.
Corrosion, from waters with high concentrations of chlorides,
has the tendency to be more aggressive to carbon steel sucker
rods than to alloy steel sucker rods. Chloride corrosion tends
to evenly pit the entire surface area of the sucker rod with
shallow, flat-bottomed, irregular shaped pits. Pit shape characteristics
include steep walls and sharp pit edges.
