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Hydrogeochemical factors effecting the scaling problem in Balçova geothermal field, İzmir, Turkey

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Environmental Geology

Abstract

Reservoir fluid compositions have been assessed from analytical data on water samples collected from thermal and cold waters in Balçova geothermal field. The results of mineral equilibrium modelling indicate that the waters, with some exceptions, are systematically supersaturated with respect to calcite, aragonite, dolomite, chalcedony and quartz, but undersaturated with respect to amorphous silica, celestite, anhydrite and gypsum and undersaturated or supersaturated with respect to barite, low-albite, K-feldspar, gibbsite and Fe(OH)3(a). Calculation of mineral saturation states and geochemical analyses of scale and field observations show that carbonate minerals (calcite, aragonite and dolomite) are most likely to be precipitated as a scale type. Besides carbonates, scale formation risk of amorphous silica, Fe(OH)3(a), anhydrite, barite and celestite minerals should be taken into account in some wells and surface equipment. Most of the waters, with some exceptions, have carbonate scaling risk at all temperatures, whereas the other scaling risks only exist over a limited temperature range. While silica, Fe(OH)3(a) and barite show a scaling tendency at low temperatures, anhydrite and celestite scaling occurs at higher temperatures.

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the financial supports of TÜBİTAK Research Fund (project number YDABAG 102Y039) and Balçova Jeotermal Limited Company. Critical reviews by Dr. Dror Avisar (Tel-Aviv University) in an earlier version of this manuscript are gratefully appreciated.

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Correspondence to Gültekin Tarcan.

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Tarcan, G., Gemici, Ü. & Aksoy, N. Hydrogeochemical factors effecting the scaling problem in Balçova geothermal field, İzmir, Turkey. Environ Geol 58, 1375–1386 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-008-1640-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-008-1640-2

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