CO 2 breakthrough—Caprock sealing efficiency and integrity for carbon geological storage
Type
ArticleKAUST Department
Ali I. Al-Naimi Petroleum Engineering Research Center (ANPERC)Earth Science and Engineering Program
Energy Resources and Petroleum Engineering
Physical Science and Engineering (PSE) Division
Date
2017-10-23Online Publication Date
2017-10-23Print Publication Date
2017-11Permanent link to this record
http://hdl.handle.net/10754/625931
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Small pores in high specific surface clay-rich caprocks give rise to high capillary entry pressures and high viscous drag that hinder the migration of buoyant carbon dioxide CO2. We measured the breakthrough pressure and ensuing CO2 permeability through sediment plugs prepared with sand, silt, kaolinite and smectite, and monitored their volumetric deformation using high-pressure oedometer cells. The data show water expulsion and volumetric contraction prior to CO2 breakthrough, followed by preferential CO2 flow thereafter. Our experimental results and data gathered from previous studies highlight the inverse relationship between breakthrough pressure and pore size, as anticipated by Laplace’s equation. In terms of macro-scale parameters, the breakthrough pressure increases as the sediment specific surface increases and the porosity decreases. The breakthrough pressure is usually lower than the values predicted with average pore size estimations; it can reach ∼6.2MPa in argillaceous formations, and 11.2MPa in evaporites. The CO2 permeability after breakthrough is significantly lower than the absolute permeability, but it may increase in time due to water displacement and desiccation. Leakage will be advection-controlled once percolation takes place at most storage sites currently being considered. Diffusive and advective CO2 leaks through non-fractured caprocks will be minor and will not compromise the storage capacity at CO2 injection sites. The “sealing number” and the “stability number” combine the initial fluid pressure, the buoyant pressure caused by the CO2 plume, the capillary breakthrough pressure of the caprock, and the stress conditions at the reservoir depth; these two numbers provide a rapid assessment of potential storage sites. Unexpected CO2 migration patterns emerge due to the inherent spatial variability and structural discontinuities in geological formations; sites with redundant seal layers should be sought for the safe and long-term storage of CO2.Citation
Espinoza DN, Santamarina JC (2017) CO 2 breakthrough—Caprock sealing efficiency and integrity for carbon geological storage. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control 66: 218–229. Available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijggc.2017.09.019.Sponsors
This research was performed at the Georgia Institute of Technology with support from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under grant number DE-FE0001826. Complimentary work at The University of Texas at Austin was supported as part of the Center for Frontiers of Subsurface Energy Security (CFSES) funded by the U. S. Department of Energy under Award # DE-SC0001114. Additional support was provided by the The Goizueta Foundation and the KAUST Endowment. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of funding organizations.Publisher
Elsevier BVAdditional Links
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1750583617305601ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1016/j.ijggc.2017.09.019