Impact of Injected Water Chemistry on Mineral Precipitation and Dissolution in Medium–Deep Geothermal Systems: A Case Study of the Wumishan Formation Dolomite Reservoir

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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Publication Details

Journal
Water
Published
2025-10-29
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/w17213099
Primary Topic
CO2 Sequestration and Geologic Interactions
Type
article
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article

Impact of Injected Water Chemistry on Mineral Precipitation and Dissolution in Medium–Deep Geothermal Systems: A Case Study of the Wumishan Formation Dolomite Reservoir

A. V. Kiryukhin, Jian Shen, Yilong Yuan, Bo Feng et al.
Water
CO2 Sequestration and Geologic Interactions
article

Impact of Injected Water Chemistry on Mineral Precipitation and Dissolution in Medium–Deep Geothermal Systems: A Case Study of the Wumishan Formation Dolomite Reservoir

A. V. Kiryukhin, Jian Shen, Yilong Yuan, Bo Feng, Zheng Liu, Siqing He
article en

Abstract

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.

WaterVol. 17(21)
Jilin University (CN), Ministry of Natural Resources (CN), Tianjin Geothermal Exploration, Development and Design Institute (China) (CN), Yibin University (CN), Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (RU)
Openalex Percentile: Top 71%
CO2 Sequestration and Geologic Interactions
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