Water quality control and its importance in waterflooding operations
The term ''water quality'' has many meanings, most of which are defined by the end of the water in question. In oilfield waterflooding, water quality is usually defined in terms of the plugging tendency of the water. Ideally, the quality of the water should be such that is no reservoir plugging, and hence no loss of injectivity during the life of the flood. In addition, the injection system must be protected against corrosion to preserve its physical integrity and to prevent the generation of insoluble corrosion products. The contaminants primarily responsible for plugging fall into three categories: Present at the source. Some of the primary contaminants commonly present at the source include: in produced water - oil, corrosion products from the production system, bacteria; in water supply wells - formation solids, corrosion products, bacteria; and in surface waters - dissolved oxygen, bacteria, suspended inorganic solids, marine organisms. Generated within the injection system. Contaminants generated within the system may include corrosion products, bacterial masses, biogenic hydrogen sulfide, and scale; Added to the injection system. Sometimes, intentionally added materials ultimately contribute to plugging. For example, contaminants such as dissolved oxygen, bacteria, suspended solids, and usually oil are the inevitable results of pumping trucked water or pit water into an injection system. Improperly selected corrosion inhibitors that are not sufficiently soluble in the injection water can contribute to plugging. The difficulty of preserving water quality is essentially a direct function of the length and complexity of the injection system. The result is that the quality of the water reaching remote injection wells in long systems is often considerably worse than it was at the source.
- Research Organization:
- C.C. Patton and Assoc., Dallas, TX (US)
- OSTI ID:
- 6681500
- Journal Information:
- J. Pet. Technol.; (United States), Vol. 40:9
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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