ENAHPE 2013

V Encontro Nacional de Hidráulica de Poços de Petróleo e Gás

5 a 8 de Agosto de 2013, Teresópolis, RJ

THEORETICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF DISSOLUTION OF

SALT PARTICLES IN BRINE FLOW
Luis Augusto A. Martins1, Luís Américo Calçada1, Cláudia Míriam Scheid1
1
Departamento de Engenharia Química, PPGEQ, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, BR 465, km 7,
Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, CEP 23.890-000, calcadaufrural@ig.com.br.

Abstract
Drilling salt beds generates particulate material composed of mixtures of salts which tend to dissolve along the
annular section in the drilling fluids based on water. The dissolution can cause changes in drilling fluids,
consequently, change their properties and occasionally the enlargement of the well that can cause severe
operational problems. The objective of this work is the study of the dissolution of salt particles in brine. To obtain
experimental data of concentrated brine and salt particles along a flow system, an experimental unit was built
consisting essentially of a blend tank and gutters to suspensions flow. In order to estimate the overall coefficient of
mass transfer between the salt particles, solid phase and liquid phase, water and dissolved salt, it was proposed a
model based on the mass conservation equations for both phases and energy for mixing. Taken concentration of the
brine were made along the gutters system with the aim of raising concentration against position profiles under
different operational conditions of brine flow and solid particles fed into the system. The experimental concentration
profiles generated were used as input data for estimating the overall coefficient of mass transfer. The studied model
was able to predict the experimental values under different conditions from those used for parameter estimation,
showing that this model is able to predict experimental outputs in different operating conditions under the studied
range.

1. Introduction In the literature there are few studies about

During the drilling of salt beds, salt cuttings
are generated at the bottom of the column by the
action of the drill bit. These saline cuttings enter the
annular region of the well; it is dragged to the top of
the column by circulating drilling fluids and tends to
dissolve naturally in the water base drilling fluids.
Dissolution can cause changes in the fluid’s physical-
chemical and rheological properties. The salt
dissolution can cause salt gravel accumulation in the
bottom of the column that can complicate the drilling
and even stuck the column. Also, a common problem
in this scenario is the weakening of the well walls by
dissolving or leaching of the rock formation.
A method to minimize the effects of salt
dissolution is the use of synthetic fluids, but their
application is limited due to high costs and degree of
aggression of the environment. Although, the use of
saturated water base fluid could be another method to
minimize the problem, it become very difficult to
control the rheological properties and the drilling
parameters.
the dissolution of salt particles in saline flow. In fact,
the demand for this type of study has grown, in Brazil,
by the operation of oil reservoirs in the pre-salt areas
in the Campos Field. Some studies in this area focuses
on the leaching of salt in caverns [1] and model the
dissolution with time dependence only.
The aim of this work is to go beyond and
model the dissolution of salt with time and position
dependence. For this purpose, an experimental unit
was constructed and concentration profiles along the
flow were generated to allow the estimation of the
coefficient of mass transfer. By this coefficient it’s
allow to simulate dissolution properties.
2. Materials and methods
Figure 1 shows the experimental fluid flow
loop built to allow the pumping of brine to the eaves
system. Salt particles were added by a feeder at the
start of the system and salt particles were suspended
until the end. The flow loop was composed of a 2000-
liter mixing tank with a 1.5-hp mechanical stirrer. The
fluid was pumped using a 3-HP helical displacement
 ENAHPE 2013
V Encontro Nacional de Hidráulica de Poços de Petróleo e Gás
5 a 8 de Agosto de 2013, Teresópolis, RJ
positive pump. The eave system was composed of a
150-mm PVC tube, total length 29 m and inclination
5°. The tube was partially filled. Many windows were
set into the top to allow inspection of sample
collection and disposal. A solid-particle feeder Model
RD100/75Retsch was connected to the beginning of
the eaves, which permitted the feeding of salt particles
into the flow line. The flow loop also had a 500-liter
disposal tank, connected to a 3/4-HP centrifugal
pump. Further, the unit had strainers which gathered
salt particles, 2- and 3-inch tubes, valves and iron
structures for support.
Four concentration samples of the suspension
were collected at outlets arranged along the eave line
at positions 5.5, 13.0, 20.5, and 26.7 m, selected to
cover the entire length of the system while avoiding
the curves (Figure 1). The suspension concentration
profiles along the eave-line system are given.
Fluid samples were taken in with a 60 ml
device which prevented the suction of smaller
Figure 1. Cross-section of the experimental unit for salt disposal.
particles into a sample by a filter made of 100-mesh
metal screen. At the end of the eave line, the solid salt
particles were collected on a screen contention and
dried. The mass of the dissolved salt was determined
by a simple balance. The saline solution was collected
in a receiving tank from which it was pumped into a
storage tank for re-concentration into the solution. To
collect the salt particle dissolution data, an
experimental grid was performed and a maximum and
a minimum of three variables were set. Table 1 shows
the grid with a factorial design at 2 levels (number of
conditions proposed for each variable) and 2 factors
(number of variables) to 3 different initial
concentration of brine (15 experiments). The
experiments 5, 10 and 15 (Table 1) were added to
generate data to validate the modeling. Also, to ensure
the reliability of data, each test was performed in
triplicate.
 ENAHPE 2013
V Encontro Nacional de Hidráulica de Poços de Petróleo e Gás
5 a 8 de Agosto de 2013, Teresópolis, RJ

Table 1. Experimental condition of the multiphase flow.

Experiment (g/L) Q(L/s) W(g/s)

1 32.0 1.00 24
2 32.0 1.00 48
3 32.0 2.00 24
4 32.0 2.00 48
5 32.0 1.50 36
6 90 1.00 24
7 90 1.00 48
8 90 2.00 24
9 90 2.00 48
10 90 1.50 36
11 180 1.00 24
12 180 1.00 48
13 180 2.00 24
14 180 2.00 48
15 180 1.50 36

The variable W is the mass flow rate of the 3. Mathematical modeling

solids; its minimum, maximum and intermediate
values were fixed respectively at 24, 48 and 36g/s.
The salt particles used in the experiments were
commercial NaCl purchased wholly homogenized and
stored in a dry environment. Each salt sample used in
the experiments weighed 3 kg. Before each
experiment, particle size distribution determined the
Sauter mean diameter—approximately 1.70 mm for all
samples. The variable Q is the volumetric brine flow;
the minimum, maximum and the intermediate rate was
fixed respectively at approximately 1.0, 2.0 and
1.5L/s. The minimum rate of the volumetric flow was
set to maintain the salt particles in suspension. The
concentrations of brine used were 32, 90 and 180g/L.
Concentrations were measured with WTW
conductivity at Lab Level 3 and by gravimetric
methods. The experimental flow unit was 29-m long
and the fluid flow loop operated at room temperature
close to 30° C.
The literature contains studies on dissolution
of salts in different flow sets. The mass transfer of
different salts suspended in a stream of liquid was
discussed by Aksel’ rud et al. (1992), where the flow
is in closed circuit and the decreased mass of salt is a
function of time, as demonstrated by equation 1. The
researchers used cylindrical particles of approximately
9mm height.
( ) (1)
where is the mass of salt that leaves the
crystalline phase; is the time is the mass transfer
coefficient , is the total area of the mass transfer;
is the concentration of saturation; is the
instantaneous concentration of the solution.
Although, others authors use different
equations to describe dissolution kinetics [2][3][4][5],
those equations have similar structures.
 ENAHPE 2013
V Encontro Nacional de Hidráulica de Poços de Petróleo e Gás
5 a 8 de Agosto de 2013, Teresópolis, RJ

In current assay, the incompressible heat flow rate from the forced convection; is heat
approaches were deemed reasonable, the experiments flow rate from the endothermic dissolution; is the
were carried out at room temperature and the fluids heat flow rate from the conduction; is the
consisted basically of water. The flow loop was set to specific mass of the solution; is the specific heat of
operate in a turbulent regime and permanent flow. The the solution; T f is the temperature of the fluid fed; T o
conservation equations were simplified by assuming is the fluid temperature before feeding the salt
an average velocity for the radial direction, turbulent particles. The mass transfer coefficient k was defined
regime, incompressible fluid, and permanent flow. In as the rate at which ions leave the crystals and migrate
this case, the mathematical model for the dissolution to the brine. In current study, this coefficient was an
of NaCl particles in brine flow consisted of a system estimated parameter from the set of performed
having three partial differential equations (PDE). The experiments, whose value is dependent of brine
equations were based on the mass conservation in the concentration. The specific area is defined as the total
liquid and solid phases and the energy conservation of surface area for mass transfer per unit of volume,
the mixture. which may be represented by equation 5.
The phenomena involved in diffusion were
considered less significant than the convection ones. ( )
̅̅̅̅
(5)
In fact, the transport speeds of the mixture (solid /
liquid) were high. Thus, the flow of saline suspension
caused a system of full turbulence, reflected in the where ̅̅̅̅ is the Sauter mean diameter,
high Reynolds number. The equations 2, 3 and 4 defined by equation 6 (BRENNEN, 2005).
describe the dissolution by, respectively, the mass
conservation equations for the salt solution, for the salt ̅̅̅̅ (6)
particles in the solid phase and the energy balance of ∫ ∑

the whole system.

The heat flow rate from the forced convection
( ) ̅ ( ( )) ( ( )) (2) ( ) is defined by equation 7 (Incropera et al., 2007).

( ( ) ) (7)
( ( ) ̅ ( ( ))) ( ( )) (3)
where is the heat transfer coefficient; is
the heat transfer area per unit of volume by
( )
( ) ̅ ( ( )) (4) convection; T is the fluid temperature; is the
temperature of the environment.
Equation 8 calculates the heat flow rate
The initial and boundary conditions for the caused by endothermic dissolution as heat lost per
above equation are given by mole
( )=C0
( ) C0 ( ( ))
(8)
( )
( )
where is the mass transfer coefficient; is
( )=Tf
the specific area; is the salt concentration at
( ) 0
saturation in the studied solutions; is the
concentration of salt in the fluid; is the heat of
where (kg/m3) is the concentration of salt in
dissolution lost per mole of salt; is the molar mass
the fluid; ̅ (m/s) is the average velocity of the
of the salt. To calculate the heat flow rate caused by
solution, (m/s) is the mass transfer coefficient; (m-
1 contact between solution and the tube wall, equation 9
) the specific area; (kg/m3) is the salt concentration
was used (INCROPERA et al., 2007).
at saturation; (kg/m3) is the specific mass of the
salt; is the volumetric fraction of solids; is the
 ENAHPE 2013
V Encontro Nacional de Hidráulica de Poços de Petróleo e Gás
5 a 8 de Agosto de 2013, Teresópolis, RJ

( ( ) )
(9) ( ) (11)

where is the thermal conductivity of the
tube; is the contact area between the solution;
is the temperature of the tube; is the thickness
of tube. The specific mass of the solution is given by
equation 10.
( )
( )
where is the specific mass of the
solution; is the specific mass of the solvent; C
is the concentration of salt in the fluid.
4. Results and discussion.
Initially, four experiments were conducted,
each in triplicate in order to evaluate the experimental
unit and check the repeatability of the same. The
initial concentration of brine ( ) chosen for these
experiments was 32g/L. Table 2 shows the dissolution
factor medium for each experiment. The factor is
calculated from the dissolution of the salt particles
which was not dissolved by the unit and is collected
by a 100 mesh sieve before the mixture flow reaching
the collection tank. The Dissolution factor (FD) is
calculated by equation 11.
Table 2. Results for the Dissolution factor (FD) for
32g/L of brine concentration.
Q (L/s) W (g/s)
Experiments
± 0,03 ± 0,50
where, is the residual mass of salt
collected, is the mass flow of fed salt in the unit
and t is the time in seconds.
In the table above we can identify that the
end of the process more than 94% of the salt was
dissolved in all experiments at 32g/L of . The
deviations found for this parameter show good
(10)
repeatability, since the deviations were low. In this
initial concentration of brine the variation of
volumetric brine flow and salt mass fed not
substantially influence the dissolution factor.
The results of the dissolution factor for the initial brine
concentration of 90g/L (table 3) have values lower
than the values shown in table 2. The difference
between the saturation concentration and the
instantaneous concentration is the driving force for the
dissolution of salt as shown in equation 1, therefore,
using a higher initial concentration of brine the
dissolution is hindered. In this table we can already
see some influence of Q on FD. Experiments with the
highest volume flow of brine tend to have the lowest
dissolution factors as the residence time decrease in
high flow rates.
Table 3. Results for the Dissolution factor (FD) for
90g/L of brine concentration.
Qmédio (L/s) Wmédio (g/s) FDmédio (%)
Experiments
± 0,03 ± 0,50 ±0,52
FD (%) 6 1,00 25,30 96,57
± 0,52

1 0.99 23.49 97.83 7 1,00 47,00 96,39

2 1.01 47.44 98.53 8 2,00 23,90 85,16

3 1.96 23.86 95.30 9 2,00 49,10 89,85

4 2.03 48.35 94.87 10 1,50 35,59 90,84

5 1.46 35.90 96.01 In table 4 one can see FD values even lower
than in table 3 by having an greater initial
concentration of brine. One can identify the same
trend occurred in table 2, but at lower values. Thus,
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V Encontro Nacional de Hidráulica de Poços de Petróleo e Gás
5 a 8 de Agosto de 2013, Teresópolis, RJ

one can understand that the FD will fall as the fluid 100
flow increases, however this behavior is not clear in 95
90
all experiments. 85
80

Concentration (g/L)
75

Table 4. Results for the Dissolution factor (FD) for 70

65

180g/L of brine concentration. 60

55
50
Qmédio (L/s) Wmédio (g/s) FDmédio (%) 45
Experiments 40
± 0,03 ± 0,50 ±0,52 35
30
25
20
11 1,00 24,50 85,67 15
0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Position (m)
12 1,00 48,70 89,95 Figure 2- Experimental data and simulated of
concentration against position to experiments with
initial brine concentration of 32g/L.
13 2,00 24,80 80,32
135
130
14 2,00 48,00 81,84
Concentration (g/L)

125
120
15 1,50 36,13 80,97 115
110
105
The dissolution factor is preliminary variable 100
to the study of this phenomenon. This variable is 95
difficult to understand, since it involves various 90
effects not discussed in this paper. For further 0 5 10 15 20 25 30

evaluation we analyzed the concentration profiles Position (m)

versus position in continuous operation. These profiles Figure 3- Experimental data and simulated of
were generated by measuring the salt concentration of concentration against position to experiments with
the samples taken from four points in the flow line via initial brine concentration of 90g/L.
syringe.
220
Evaluation of parameter k
210
Concentration (g/L)

Having these profiles in hands, the parameter

200
k is estimated. The experimental values of
concentration and the simulated curves built after the 190
estimation are shown in figures 2, 3 and 4. Also, in
180
these figures, there are experiments values and
simulated curves for experiments 5, 10 and 15, that are 170
used solely to validate the modeling. Figures 2, 3 and
4 shows that the model exhibits similar behavior to the 160
0 10 20 30
experimental data.
Position (m)
Figure 4- Experimental data and simulated of
concentration against position to experiments with
initial brine concentration of 180g/L.
 ENAHPE 2013
V Encontro Nacional de Hidráulica de Poços de Petróleo e Gás
5 a 8 de Agosto de 2013, Teresópolis, RJ
The solid lines are the simulated curves and
dot lines represent the experimental values. The black
colors, red, green, blue and light blue respectively
represents experiments 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 in figure 1;
experiments 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 in figure 2 and
experiments 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 in figure 3.
The simulated curves presented above show
that the mathematical model used is capable of
predicting the experimental performance, since
simulated curves for experiments 5, 10 and 15 (used to
validate the model) reached well the experimental
points. The increase of initial concentration of the
brine in general promotes less accurate. The
characteristic of highly non-Newtonian fluid from
high concentration brine solution and the high
dependence of k to the concentration of this solution
are the biggest promoter of error this simplified
model. The estimated k is given by equation 12.
Simulation of temperature and solid fraction
Forward, Figure 5 and 6 shows that, it is
possible to simulate temperature and volume fraction
of particles in the mixture. Although it is necessary a
data set to evaluate those simulations, figure 5 and 6
represents some preliminary results.
40
35
30
Temperature (ºC)
25
20
15
10
5 dependence of the parameter k with the concentration
0 of brine.
0 5 10 15 20
Position (m)
Figure 5- Simulated curves of temperature against
position to the initial brine concentration of 32g/L.
Volume fraction of particles (%)
0,024
0,022
0,020
0,018
0,016
0,014
0,012
0,010
0,008
0,006
0,004
0,002
0,000
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Position (m)
Figure 6- Simulated curves of volume fraction of
particles to the initial brine concentration of 32g/L.
Where, the lines are the simulated curves for
the experiments 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. The colors black, red,
green, blue and light blue respectively represents
(12)
experiments 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.
Figure 5 shows that the temperature decays in
the course of the flow. This is due to the endothermic
dissolution of NaCl in water. Although it represents a
expected behavior, the whole heat transfer need to be
evaluated by comparison with experimental data.
Figure 6 shows that de volume fraction of
particles decays rapidly in the first 10m of mixture
flow and tent to zero up to the end of the flow (29m).
It reinforce what was seen in table 2.
5. Conclusion
The simulated curves against the experiments
data show that the model is capable of predicting the
dissolution behavior of salt in brine. At higher
concentrations of brine the model shows less accurate.
It can be explained by the high non-Newtonian
behavior of high concentration brines and the high
25 30
The curves simulated for operating conditions
of validation experiments generate values close to
those obtained experimentally. The model is valid for
the entire operating range crafted with errors close to
those recorded in the validation experiments.
It is possible to simulate brine and particle
concentration and temperature for the mixture.
 ENAHPE 2013
V Encontro Nacional de Hidráulica de Poços de Petróleo e Gás
5 a 8 de Agosto de 2013, Teresópolis, RJ

6. References

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KASHCHEEV, A.E. “Kinects of the solution of
mineral salts suspended in a liquid flow”. UDC
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1992.
[2]Alkattan M., Oelkers E.H., Dandurand J.L., Schott
J.. Elsevier, “Chemical Geology”, 137, pp. 201-
219, 1997.
[3] MORSE, J. W. & ARVIDSON R. S., “The
dissolution kinetics of major sedimentary
carbonate minerals”. Elsevier, Earth-science
reviews 58, pp. 51-84, 2002.
[4] MAGALHÃES, S. C.; FONSECA, T. F.;
DEMAUIR, M.; PINTO, J. C.; CALÇADA, L. A.;
SCHEID, C. M. “Determinação do Coeficiente de
Transferência de Massa do Cloreto de Sódio em
Água em Sistemas Agitados”. ENEMP, 2011.
[5] BIRD, R.B., STEWART, W.E. & LIGHTFOOT,
E.N. Transport Phenomena. Second Edition.
Chemical Engineering Department. University of
Wisconsin-Madison, 2002.
[6] Brennen, C. E., “Fundamentals of Multiphase
flow”. Cambridge University Press, 2005.
[7] MASSARANI, G., “Fluidodinâmica em Sistemas
Particulados”, Vol. 1, 2ª Edição, 2002.
[8] INCROPERA, DEWITT, BERGMAN, LAVINE.
“Fundamentals of Heat and Mass Transfer”. Sixth
edition, 2007, Wiley Editor.