This case study evaluates how reinjection water chemistry influences mineral precipitation and dissolution in geothermal reservoirs, suggesting improved scaling management.
The geochemical characteristics of reinjection fluids play a crucial role in controlling water–rock interactions and the long-term stability of geothermal reservoirs. This study aims to evaluate how different fluid chemistries affect mineral dissolution–precipitation behavior and ion migration during geothermal reinjection. Five types of reinjection water—including geothermal source water (i.e., formation water from the reservoir), primary and secondary treated waters, and their mixtures—were reacted with carbonate rocks from the Wumishan Formation of the Xiong’an New Area, North China Basin, under reservoir-like conditions (70 °C, 17 MPa). A combination of batch experiments, inverse modeling using PHREEQC, and one-dimensional reactive transport simulations was employed. Results show that fluid pH, ionic strength, and saturation state significantly influence reaction pathways. Alkaline-treated waters enhanced silicate dissolution, increasing Na+, K+, and Si concentrations, while source water and its mixtures promoted carbonate precipitation, increasing the risk of clogging. Simulations revealed that the early injection stage is the most reactive, with rapid ion front advancement and strong mineral transformations. Reaction-controlled ions such as Ca2+ and SO42− formed enrichment zones, while conservative ions like Na+ and Cl− propagated more uniformly. Moderate alkaline regulation was found to mitigate carbonate scaling and improve silicate reactivity, thereby reducing permeability loss. This integrated approach provides mechanistic understanding and practical guidance for reinjection fluid design in medium-to-deep geothermal systems.
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Liu et al. (2025) studied this question.
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