Chelating agents for diluted geothermal brine reinjection

“Blue energy” could be produced by exploiting the large salinity gradient between geothermal fluids and freshwater through a SaltPower system. This study is an attempt to select the most favorable chemicals to avoid injectivity issues when a diluted geothermal fluid resulting from the SaltPower system is returned to the reservoir. Three synthetic chelating agents (oxalic acid, EDTA, and EDDS) and one natural (humic acid) were evaluated through speciation simulations and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) experiments. The speciation simulation results indicate that the degree of complexing is highly dependent on pH and chelating agent type. The ITC experiments show that the total heat for the formation of soluble metal–ligand complexes in the rock + geothermal brine system follows: EDTA > EDDS > oxalic acid > humic acid. The simulations and calorimetry results suggest that EDTA could be used to avoid the precipitation of Fe(III) oxides and other minerals (e.g., calcite and dolomite) inside the porous media upon the reinjection of diluted geothermal brine coming from SaltPower electricity production.publishedVersio

A geothermal plant from a time-scale perspective

In recent years, geothermal energy use from low-temperature sandstone reservoirs has sharply increased. Nonetheless, the injection of heat-depleted geothermal fluids has not been an easy task because of well/formation damage and operational/economic issues. Sønderborg geothermal plant is a case example of heat-mining from a low-temperature reservoir. It is in the northeast of Sønderborg towards Augustenborg Fjord. The present work takes into consideration the regional and local geology of the Sønderborg area, construction of the wells, field experience and water chemistry. The main issues of the geothermal plant appear to be related to the construction of the wells and reinjection of the heat-depleted brine. Our water chemistry analysis and PHREEQC simulations indicate that geothermal brine was saturated with respect to carbonate and barite minerals. The excess of Ca2+ and SO42− ions could have led to the formation and precipitation of carbonate and sulfate scales. Moreover, the increment of iron concentration over time could suggest the ingress of oxygen and pitting corrosion due to the presence of halide ions

Microscopic and macroscopic assessment of carbonate dissolution for geologic CO2 storage

Carbon capture and storage in underground formations might be considered as a relevant technology to curb anthropogenic climate gas emissions. However, carbon dioxide (CO2) injection can lead to severe rock-fluid interactions depending on the thermodynamic conditions, rock and fluids composition. The progressive dissolution of CO2 in the formation brine results in mineral dissolution/precipitation processes that may drastically change the properties of the reservoir. This study is an attempt to get a deeper understanding of the dissolution/precipitation processes in a heterogeneous limestone at microscopic and macroscopic levels by a synergy between Isothermal Titration Calorimetry (ITC) and core flooding experiments with in-situ imaging to quantify uneven displacement fronts and understand the influence of reactions on a larger scale. Rock-fluid and fluid-fluid interactions, evaluated by ITC experiments, indicate that the carbonate dissolution is unfavorable with respect to enthalpy change but thermodynamically favorable with respect to entropy change (cations and hydrogen carbonate increase in the brine). Core flooding experiments with in-situ imaging by PET/CT show that complex pore structures cause a variation in the availability and ratio of the reactive fluid throughout the porous medium, hence, non-uniform dissolution was confirmed at core scale. The synergy between microcalorimetry and core flooding provides relevant insights into the dissolution of heterogeneous carbonate rocks at both microscopic and macroscopic scales.publishedVersio

Centrality evolution of the charged-particle pseudorapidity density over a broad pseudorapidity range in Pb-Pb collisions at root s(NN)=2.76TeV

Peer reviewe

Impact of Reservoir Heterogeneity on Diluted Geothermal Brine Reinjection

Many geothermal plants have been shut down due to reinjection problems with the heat-depleted brine. In Denmark, only one out of three plants that extract heat from a geothermal fluid distributed to the district heating system is still working. In general, the large salinity of heat-depleted geothermal brines can be used to produce electricity with the help of turbines and generators through an osmotic power unit known as a SaltPower plant. Harnessing more energy out of the reinjection of geothermal brines is feasible without compromising the overall reservoir assurance when the iron is kept under control. This study is an attempt to determine the feasibility of the reinjection of a diluted geothermal brine with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) into homogeneous and heterogeneous sandstone rocks. The results from the coreflooding experiments show an improvement in the rock properties both in porosity and permeability for homogeneous and heterogeneous rocks. EDTA not only avoids the precipitation of Fe(III) oxides inside the porous media but can also be used for scale removal and matrix acidizing in geothermal reservoirs