Abstract:
This paper presents a thermodynamic and kinetic model for simulating calcium carbonate scaling in a tubularreactor under varying saline composition, temperature, and flow rate. Simulation results are compared withexperimental data obtained from a tubular reactor developed by the IPT and Petrobras. A mathematicalmodel based on thermodynamics and crystallization kinetics is developed using experimental data from acustom-designed tubular reactor. This reactor enables the direct measurement of deposited mass along itslength, as well as particle size distribution and polymorphic composition, with or without CO₂ addition.The model calculates the solubility of three carbonate polymorphs to determine their sequential appearancefollowing Ostwald’s step rule, and its crystallization kinetics are modeled using a population balanceapproach that accounts for nucleation, growth, agglomeration, and polymorphic transformation. A series ofexperiments were performed under diverse conditions—including two distinct water compositions, varyingtest durations, and different flow rates—to validate the model. Overall, the simulation yielded averagerelative errors of approximately 8% for total deposited mass, 12% for deposition percentage, and 5% fordeposit particle size predictions. These results indicate that the model effectively captures the influence ofkey operational parameters—such as temperature, residence time, CO₂ addition, and flow rate—on calciumcarbonate scaling behavior. Consequently, the proposed model demonstrates robustness and reliability as apredictive tool for designing effective scaling mitigation strategies in downhole applications. These findingsunderscore the importance of incorporating operational variables into the design of oil and gas equipment.The novelty of this work is twofold: it introduces an experimental system that enables direct measurementof scaling variables along a tubular reactor, and it presents a thermodynamic and kinetic model capable ofaccurately simulating calcium carbonate precipitation and scaling under conditions relevant to the oil andgas industry.
Referência:
NEUBAUER, T.M.; MAZUROSKI, M.E.; DALLA, C.E.R.; DE LAI, F.C.; JUNQUEIRA, S.L.; ALDEIA, Wagner; LOURENÇO, Vitoria Silva; MENEZES, M.F.de S.; MATTOS, Caique Marques; NUNES, Gabriel Rodrigues; SHLUTER, H.E.P.; CASTRO, B.B.; MARTINS, A.L. Predicitng calcium carbonate scaling in tubular reaztors: a thermodynamic and kinetic model with experimental data validation. In: OFFSHORE TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE, OTC-36171-MS, 2025, Rio de Janeiro. Proceedings… 17p.
Acesso ao trabalho apresentado no site do Evento:
https://onepetro.org/OTCBRASIL/proceedings-abstract/25OTCB/25OTCB/D021S017R003/792349