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Controls on Barite (BaSO 4 ) Precipitation in Unconventional Reservoirs.
- Source :
-
Environmental science & technology [Environ Sci Technol] 2023 Aug 29; Vol. 57 (34), pp. 12869-12878. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Aug 16. - Publication Year :
- 2023
-
Abstract
- Barite (BaSO <subscript>4</subscript> ) precipitation is one of the most ubiquitous examples of secondary sulfate mineral scaling in shale oil and gas reservoirs. Often, a suite of chemical additives is used during fracturing operations to inhibit the accumulation of mineral scales, though their efficacy is widely varied and poorly understood. This study combines experimental data and multi-component numerical reactive transport modeling to offer a more comprehensive understanding of the geochemical behavior of barite accumulation in shale matrices under conditions typical of fracturing operations. A variety of additives and conditions are individually tested in batch reactor experiments to identify the factors controlling barite precipitation. Our experimental results demonstrate a pH dependence in the rate of barite precipitation, which we use to develop a predictive model including a pH-dependent term that satisfactorily reproduces our observations. This model is then extended to consider the behavior of three major shale samples of highly variable mineralogy (Eagle Ford, Marcellus, and Barnett). This data-validated model offers a reliable tool to predict and ultimately mitigate against secondary mineral accumulation in unconventional shale reservoirs.
- Subjects :
- Sulfates
Minerals
Barium Sulfate
Oil and Gas Fields
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1520-5851
- Volume :
- 57
- Issue :
- 34
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Environmental science & technology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 37586073
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.3c02923