Hydrochemistry as a tool for interpreting brine origin and chemical equilibrium in oilfields: Zubair reservoir southern Iraq case study

Abstract

Abstract The oil reservoir brines are very common geological fluids coexisting with hydrocarbons. The chemistry of brines is a powerful tool for determining the brine evolution and its origin, constraining fluid flow at the basin and predicting reservoir scales. This study targeted the Zubair brines in seven oilfields and investigated the geochemical evolution of brine compositions. The composition of the Zubair brine is characterized by the high average of TDS (219,408 mg/l). The contribution of cations as epm% are Na (73.7), Ca (17.32), Mg (7.45), and K (1.27), while anions contribute as Cl (99.6), SO4 (0.23), HCO3 (0.08), and CO3 (0.005). The Zubair brines are of Na–Ca–chloride type, whereas sodium content is 6.3 times greater than seawater; Ca and Mg contents are thirty-four and three times greater, respectively, while Cl is seven times greater. The SO4 ion is depleted to 0.16, due to a biodegradation. The salinity of the Zubair brine is six times more than that of seawater. The Zubair brines are characterized by an acidic pH (5.24–5.68) with a specific gravity of 1.1436, hydrocarbon saturation in pore spaces of 39%, and water saturation of 61%. The mineral saturation model indicates that Zubair brines are unsaturated. The predicted hypothetical salts are NaCl (76%), CaCl2 (15%), and MgCl2 (7.5%). The salts Ca(HCO3)2, CaSO4, and KCl together form only 1.6%. The Zubair brines are characterized by Cl/Br (305) in average, greater than that of seawater (289) confirming the fluids (brines and hydrocarbons) migrated upwards from Sargelu Formation to Zubair reservoir through fractures and cracks in Gotnia Formation.

Keywords

• Salinity
• Oilfield water
• Mineral saturation index
• Zubair brines
• Cl/Br