Corrosion Inhibitors and Lubricants Characterization using the Rock-Eval® Shale Play™ Method : Case Studies to Determine the Origin of Geothermal Scales

Maria-Fernanda Romero-Sarmiento (1) , Herman Ravelojaona (1) , Nicolas Maubec (2)

1 IFPEN - IFP Energies nouvelles
2 BRGM - Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières (BRGM)

The main idea of this work is to propose an alternative analytical methodology to determine the origin of geothermal scales via thermal degradation experiments using the Rock-Eval® Shale Play™ method. The methodology consists of recording the specific Sh0, Sh1 and Sh2 parameters measured during both the vaporization and pyrolysis steps between 100 and 650 °C. Measurements are first performed on solid geothermal scales to better quantify the bulk total hydrocarbon compounds released during the thermal degradation, and then analyses are performed on both corrosion inhibitor and lubricant samples. Rock-Eval® Shale Play™ parameters obtained for each investigated sample are then compared to determine if the corrosion inhibitor or the lubricant can be also considered as the main cause of the scale formation in the investigated geothermal power plants. Results indicate that there is no apparent correlation between the corrosion inhibitor and the solid scale (case study 1). However, it seems that the use of lubricants could be associated to scale formation processes in the surface installations of geothermal power stations (case study 2).

Mots clés: Geothermal scales; Corrosion inhibitors; Lubricants; Geothermal energy; Rock-Eval® Shale PlayTM; Rock-Eval

Domaines: Chimie; Sciences de l'environnement; Sciences de la Terre

Maria-Fernanda Romero-Sarmiento, Herman Ravelojaona, Nicolas Maubec. Corrosion Inhibitors and Lubricants Characterization using the Rock-Eval® Shale Play™ Method : Case Studies to Determine the Origin of Geothermal Scales. Geothermics, 2022, 101, pp.102357. ⟨10.1016/j.geothermics.2022.102357⟩. ⟨hal-03586012⟩