An analytical model to predict the effects of suspended solids in injected water on the oil displacement efficiency during waterflooding

Suspended solids in the injection water cause impairment of water injectivity during waterflooding operations. Suspended solids affect reservoir properties and decrease the permeability of reservoir rocks causing an increase of injection pressure and a decrease in water injectivity. Removal of all suspended solids from injection water is an expensive and economically unfeasible process. To minimize the effects of suspended solids to the formation, it is necessary to determine an impairment mechanism of suspended solids on oil displacement and, therefore, optimize the water treatment process. In this paper, an analytical model that describes the relationship between injection water quality and impairment mechanisms on oil displacement is presented. A formation impairment was calculated, introducing the parameter called impairment ratio, which represents the ratio between suspended solids and pore size distribution of reservoir rock. Based on the impairment ratio, decreases in porosity and permeability were calculated with changes in capillary pressure, relative permeability, and displacement efficiency. The model was tested for three different types of injection water. Results indicated the presence of formation impairment even with the smallest particles. Suspended solids had the greatest influence on porosity and permeability impairment. The model could be used as input for reservoir modelling studies for monitoring and controlling displacement efficiency during waterflooding as well as for planning and modification of water treatment units

Experimental and Discrete Element Model Investigation of Limestone Aggregate Blending Process in Vertical Static and/or Conveyor Mixer for Application in the Concrete Mixture

The numerical model of the granular flow within an aggregate mixture, conducted in the vertical static and/or the conveyor blender, was explored using the discrete element method (DEM) approach. The blending quality of limestone fine aggregate fractions binary mixture for application in self-compacting concrete was studied. The potential of augmenting the conveyor mixer working efficiency by joining its operation to a Komax-type vertical static mixer, to increase the blending conduct was investigated. In addition the impact of the feed height on the flow field in the cone-shaped conveyor mixer was examined using the DEM simulation. Applying the numerical approach enabled a deeper insight into the quality of blending actions, while the relative standard deviation criteria ranked the uniformity of the mixture. The primary objective of this investigation was to examine the behavior of mixture for two types of blenders and to estimate the combined blending action of these two mixers, to explore the potential to augment the homogeneity of the aggregate fractions binary mixture, i.e., mixing quality, reduce the blending time and to abbreviate the energy-consuming

Aridity in the central and southern Pannonian basin

For the investigation of geographical, monthly, seasonal, and annual distributions of aridity and its annual trend in the region of the Central and Southern Pannonian Basin (CSPB), which includes the territories of Hungary and Vojvodina (Northern Serbia), the De Martonne Aridity Index (DMAI) was used. The DMAI was originally calculated from a total of 78 meteorological stations with the maximum available time series of climatological data in three cases: 1931–2017 for Hungary; 1949–2017 for Vojvodina; and 1949–2017 for Hungary and Vojvodina jointly. The Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) was used to control the DMAI results. Temperature and precipitation trends were also investigated to understand their effects on the aridity trend. Three aridity types are distinguished on the annual level, five on the seasonal level, and four on the monthly level. The annual aridity had no trends in all three periods. It seems that aridity can be considered a more stable climate indicator of climate change than the temperature, at least in the CSPB. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Internal corrosion of carbon steel piping in hot aquifers service

Internal corrosion of carbon steel pipelines is a major problem encountered in water service. In terms of prediction of the remaining lifetime for water pipelines based on the corrosion allowance, the three main approaches are corrosion modelling, corrosion inhibitor availability, and corrosion monitoring. In this study we used two theoretical corrosion models, CASSANDRA and NORSOK M-506 of quite different origin in order to predict uniform corrosivity of hot aquifers in eight different pipelines. Because of the varying calculation criteria for the different models, these can give very different corrosion rate predictions for the same data input. This is especially true under conditions where the formation of protective films may occur, such as at elevated temperatures. The evaluation of models was conducted by comparison using weight-loss coupons and three corrosion inhibitors were obtained from commercial suppliers. The tests were performed during the 60-day period. Even though inhibitors’ efficiencies of 98% had been achieved in laboratory testing, inhibitors’ availabilities of 85% have been used due to logistics problems and other issues. The results, given in mmpy, i.e. millimeter per year, are very consistent with NORSOK M-506 prediction. This is presumably because the model considers the effect of the formation of a passive iron carbonate film at temperatures above 80 °C and significant reduction in corrosion rate. Corrosion inhibitor A showed a better performance than inhibitors B and C in all cases but the target corrosion rates of less than 0.1 mmpy were achieved for all inhibitors. The chemical type of corrosion inhibitor A is based on quaternary amines mixed with methanol, isopropyl alcohol, xylene and ethylbenzene. Based on the obtained results the carbon steel lifetime of 30 years, provided proper inhibitors are present and 3mm corrosion allowance, can be achieved for hot aquifers service with presented water compositions