Mineral Reactions in Shale Gas Reservoirs: Barite Scale Formation from Reusing Produced Water As Hydraulic Fracturing Fluid

Paukert Vankeuren, Amelia N.; Hakala, J. Alexandra; Jarvis, Karl; Moore, Johnathan E.

doi:10.1021/acs.est.7b01979

Mineral Reactions in Shale Gas Reservoirs: Barite Scale Formation from Reusing Produced Water As Hydraulic Fracturing Fluid

Journal Article · Wed Jul 19 00:00:00 EDT 2017 · Environmental Science and Technology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.7b01979· OSTI ID:1471386

^[1]; Hakala, J. Alexandra ^[2]; Jarvis, Karl ^[3]; Moore, Johnathan E. ^[3]

California State Univ. Sacramento, Sacramento, CA (United States); National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA, (United States)
National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA, (United States)
National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Morgantown, WV (United States); AECOM, Morgantown, WV (United States)

Hydraulic fracturing for gas production is now ubiquitous in shale plays, but relatively little is known about shale-hydraulic fracturing fluid (HFF) reactions within the reservoir. To investigate reactions during the shut-in period of hydraulic fracturing, experiments were conducted flowing different HFFs through fractured Marcellus shale cores at reservoir temperature and pressure (66 °C, 20 MPa) for one week. Results indicate HFFs with hydrochloric acid cause substantial dissolution of carbonate minerals, as expected, increasing effective fracture volume (fracture volume + nearfracture matrix porosity) by 56-65%. HFFs with reused produced water composition cause precipitation of secondary minerals, particularly barite, decreasing effective fracture volume by 1-3%. Barite precipitation occurs despite the presence of antiscalants in experiments with and without shale contact and is driven in part by addition of dissolved sulfate from the decomposition of persulfate breakers in HFF at reservoir conditions. The overall effect of mineral changes on the reservoir has yet to be quantified, but the significant amount of barite scale formed by HFFs with reused produced water composition could reduce effective fracture volume. In conclusion, further study is required to extrapolate experimental results to reservoir-scale and to explore the effect that mineral changes from HFF interaction with shale might have on gas production.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA, Morgantown, WV, and Albany, OR (United States); National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA, and Morgantown, WV (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Fossil Energy (FE)

OSTI ID:: 1471386

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1480845

Report Number(s):: NETL-PUB--20921

Journal Information:: Environmental Science and Technology, Journal Name: Environmental Science and Technology Journal Issue: 16 Vol. 51; ISSN 0013-936X

Publisher:: American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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