Impact of chemical clogging on de-watering well productivity: numerical assessment

Among the processes leading to a decrease in productivity, chemical clogging is often mentioned as one of the major features. De-watering of a confined aquifer caused by an unsuitable pumping scheme produces a phenomenon involving the diffusion of oxygen in the aquifer which disturbs the geochemical conditions in the initial system. Coupled chemical and transport processes are proposed in an assessment of the impact of de-watering on the precipitation of carbonate and iron oxide. The reactions are studied for waters showing low dissolved iron concentrations such as commonly observed in drinking water supplies. The quantity and distribution of precipitated iron oxide and calcium carbonate are used in a permeability model to calculate the productivity loss. For the conditions used in the simulations, the carbonate precipitate can be neglected compared to iron deposits which remain weak. The spatial distribution is heterogeneous and quite similar to the patterns observed in the field. This shape is mainly caused by a competition between the diffusion of oxygen due to the de-watering process and the rate of precipitation of iron oxide. However, the loss of well productivity remains moderate. It is clearly shown that de-watering of the well and the associated chemical incrustations that this induces cannot alone explain field data. More complex processes involving biological clogging and accurate hydrodynamic behaviour in the closest part of the well remain to be included in the modelling approach in order to provide valuable insights into the problem of well ageing.