Table 1 Comparative summary of previous studies versus the present work.
From: Influence of inorganic scale formation on asphaltene behavior during water injection
Study | Focus | Key findings | Limitations | Present study (novelty) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Merdhah et al. (2008) | Scale deposition in sandstone cores | Permeability damage depends on ion concentration & T; higher T → more CaSO4 & SrSO4, less BaSO4 | Focused only on scaling, no oil–brine/asphaltene link | Extends beyond scaling: connects precipitation with molecular-level asphaltene transformations |
Abbasi et al. (2020) | Mixed-salt precipitation during smart water injection | Higher sulfate in smart water → enhanced SrSO4 & CaCO3 precipitation; affects wettability | Did not analyze asphaltene or IFT | Shows how sulfate threshold (4 × Na2SO4) triggers coupled scaling–IFT–asphaltene polarity changes |
Mohammadi and Riahi (2020) | Water incompatibility in carbonate reservoirs | Sulfate → CaSO4 & BaSO4 scaling; highlighted role of inhibitors | Focus only on inorganic scaling | Integrates inhibitors’ context with asphaltene–scale interactions using FTIR/EDS/XRD |
Al-Samhan et al. (2020) | Effluent water + seawater mixing | CaSO4 & SiO2 precipitates; minimal BaSO4; XRD/EDS used | No interfacial/asphaltene analysis | Demonstrates how mineralogy directly affects IFT and asphaltene sequestration |
Razavirad et al. (2024) | T & P effects on SW–FW compatibility | Higher T: ↓SO₄ in SW (CaSO4 ppt.), but ↑SO₄ in smart water; CaCO3 observed | Did not connect to oil chemistry | Bridges ionic/thermodynamic effects to molecular asphaltene changes |
Hussein et al. (2024) | BaSO4 scaling vs. T & injection rate | Higher T & q → more BaSO4; morphology shift (needle vs. spherical) affects damage | No crude oil/asphaltene consideration | Links morphology to FTIR/EDS evidence: dendritic surfaces capture polar asphaltenes |
Tokali et al. (2016) | Brine salinity & emulsions on asphaltenes | Emulsions destabilize asphaltenes; salinity threshold critical | Limited scaling view | Goes beyond emulsions: simultaneous scaling–IFT–asphaltene stability coupling |
Shojaati et al. (2017) | Effect of MgCl2 on asphaltenes | Mg2+ enhances precipitation (25–40 k ppm) | Single-ion focus | Multi-ion comparative framework (Mg2+, Ca2+, SO42-) in scaling–asphaltene context |
Alizadeh and Soulgani (2021) | Brine cations & asphaltene precipitation | Divalent cations ↑ precipitation; surface excess affected | No scale mineralogy considered | Incorporates divalent scaling with direct mineral–IFT–asphaltene correlations |
Doryani et al. (2018) | Connate water cations on asphaltenes | Divalent ions ↑ precipitation; higher connate saturation ↑ precipitation | No multi-ion/sulfate threshold | Identifies precise sulfate enrichment (4 × Na2SO4) as key threshold event |
Mokhtari et al. (2022) | Brine salinity & contact time | High salinity & Mg2+/SO42- nucleate asphaltenes; low salinity enhances adsorption | No direct scaling analysis | Links brine salinity to dual scaling + asphaltene destabilization |
Mahdavi and Dehaghani (2024) | Asphaltene–clay emulsions in smart water | Kaolinite promotes polar asphaltenes at interface; alters rheology | Focus on emulsions, no scaling | Coupled analysis: clay-assisted emulsions + inorganic scaling + IFT in one framework |
Present study | Scaling–asphaltene coupling under realistic brines | Identifies sulfate threshold (4 × Na2SO4) → polarity/IFT shift; Ba2+ vs. Sr2+ scaling linked to molecular changes (FTIR, XRD, EDS) | First systematic coupling | Provides predictive framework for designing injection water chemistry addressing both scaling and asphaltene instability |
