Carbonate and carbon isotopic evolution of groundwater contaminated by produced water brine with hydrocarbons

Abstract

The major ionic and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentrations and the stable carbon isotope composition of DIC (δ13CDIC) were measured in a freshwater aquifer contaminated by produced water brine with petroleum hydrocarbons. Our aim was to determine the effects of produced water brine contamination on the carbonate evolution of groundwater. The groundwater was characterized by three distinct anion facies: HCO3−-rich, SO42−-rich and Cl−-rich. The HCO3−-rich groundwater is undergoing closed system carbonate evolution from soil CO2(g) and weathering of aquifer carbonates. The SO42−-rich groundwater evolves from gypsum induced dedolomitization and pyrite oxidation. The Cl−-rich groundwater is contaminated by produced water brine and undergoes common ion induced carbonate precipitation. The δ13CDIC of the HCO3−-rich groundwater was controlled by nearly equal contribution of carbon from soil CO2(g) and the aquifer carbonates, such that the δ13C of carbon added to the groundwater was −11.6‰. In the SO42−-rich groundwater, gypsum induced dedolomitization increased the 13C such that the δ13C of carbon added to the groundwater was −9.4‰. In the produced water brine contaminated Cl−-rich groundwater, common ion induced precipitation of calcite depleted the 13C such that the δ13C of carbon added to the groundwater was −12.7‰. The results of this study demonstrate that produced water brine contamination of fresh groundwater in carbonate aquifers alters the carbonate and carbon isotopic evolution.