Experimental study on interaction between simulated sandstone and acidic fluid

Abstract

In order to investigate the controlling mechanism of temperature, fluid and other factors on water-rock interaction in the diagenetic process, we performed a series of simulated experiments on the interaction between two kinds of fluids with different salinity and a composite mineral system (simulated sandstone), which contains albite, K-feldspar and other minerals. The experimental results showed that acidity was the most important factor that affected the dissolution of minerals in the composite mineral system. The lower the pH value, the more easily the minerals dissolved. At the same pH value, the dissolution abilities of different acids for various mineral components were also different. Compared to hydrochloric acid (inorganic acid), oxalic acid (organic acid) was more able to dissolve aluminosilicate minerals. However, the dissolution ability of oxalic acid for carbonate minerals was lower than that of hydrochloric acid. In the process of fluid-rock interaction, dissolution of feldspar was relatively complicated. Increase of temperature would accelerate the dissolution of feldspar. Under acidic conditions, albite had a higher dissolution rate than K-feldspar. K-feldspar could dissolve and convert into montmorillonite and kaolinite, while albite could dissolve and convert into kaolinite both at 40°C and 80°C. Presence of organic acid, and decrease of pH value and water salinity were all favorable for the dissolution of feldspar, but weakened the ability to form clay minerals. © China University of Petroleum (Beijing) and Springer-Verlag GmbH 2009.