Alkalinity as carbonate and bicarbonate of saline water is very important in chemical waterflooding or tertiary recovery processes for recovering petroleum. Alkaline waters offer better wetting to the formation rock and improve oil release. As an additional benefit, ions that provide alkalinity adsorb on rock surfaces occupying adsorption sites and decrease the loss of recovery chemical by adsorption. Determination of alkalinity in waters used in tertiary recovery processes is therefore very important.

An alkalinity value is necessary in the calculation of carbonate scaling tendencies of saline waters. It is also necessary to determine the alkalinity if the ionic balance of a water analysis is to be used as a check of the reliability of the analysis.

1. Scope

1.1 This test method covers the determination of alkalinity in brackish water, seawater, and brines.

1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.

1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

2. Referenced Documents (purchase separately) The documents listed below are referenced within the subject standard but are not provided as part of the standard.

ASTM Standards

D1129 Terminology Relating to Water

D1193 Specification for Reagent Water

D2777 Practice for Determination of Precision and Bias of Applicable Test Methods of Committee D19 on Water

D3370 Practices for Sampling Water from Closed Conduits

D5847 Practice for Writing Quality Control Specifications for Standard Test Methods for Water Analysis

E200 Practice for Preparation, Standardization, and Storage of Standard and Reagent Solutions for Chemical Analysis

Keywords

alkalinity; brackish; brine; seawater; Acidity, alkalinity, pH--water; Brackish water/brines; Seawater (natural/synthetic) ;

ICS Code

ICS Number Code 13.060.50 (Examination of water for chemical substances)

Citing ASTM Standards

[Back to Top]