Microscopic Insight into Kinetics of Inorganic Scale Deposition during Smart Water Injection Using Dynamic Quartz Crystal Microbalance and Molecular Dynamics Simulation

Abstract

Inorganic scale deposition has been found to affect many industrial processes, including water injection into the oil reservoirs. The incompatibility of high sulfate ion content of seawater with formation water containing calcium ion results in formation damage and production decline. In this study, several simultaneous techniques are utilized for qualitative and quantitative analysis of calcium sulfate scale to get more insight into the damage of formation during smart water flooding at micro and Nano scales. In the experimental section, calcium sulfate deposition due to the mixing of the formation water and seawater samples was investigated using the dynamic quartz crystal microbalance technique (DQCM). The effect of sulfate and magnesium ions existing in the seawater on the amount of calcium sulfate deposition were studied, individually. The results showed that the sulfate concentration of seawater could significantly change the mass deposition in a specific range. Also, at an optimal concentration of ...