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Title: Impact of layer thickness and well orientation on caprock integrity for geologic carbon storage

Journal Article · · Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering
 [1];  [1];  [2]
  1. Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Engineering Sciences Center
  2. Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States). Jackson School of Geosciences. Bureau of Economic Geology
+ Show Author Affiliations

Economic feasibility of geologic carbon storage demands sustaining large storage rates without damaging caprock seals. Reactivation of pre-existing or newly formed fractures may provide a leakage pathway across caprock layers. In this study, we apply an equivalent continuum approach within a finite element frame work to model the fluid-pressure induced reactivation of pre-existing fractures within the caprock during high-rate injection of super-critical CO2 into brine-saturated reservoir. We investigate the impact of reservoir to caprock layer thickness, wellbore orientation, and injection rate on overall performance of the system with respect to caprock failure and leakage. We find that vertical wells result in locally higher reservoir pressures relative to horizontal injection wells for the same injection rate, with higher pressure favoring caprock leakage along reactivated opening-mode fractures in the caprock. After prolonged injection, leakage along reactivated fractures in the caprock is similar for vertical and horizontal injection wells. Furthermore, we find that low ratios of reservoir to caprock thickness favor high excess pressure and thus fracture reactivation in the caprock. Injection into thick reservoir units thus lowers the risk associated with CO2 leakage.

Research Organization:
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). Center for Frontiers of Subsurface Energy Security (CFSES); Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Fossil Energy (FE), Oil & Natural Gas; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); USDOE Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM)
Contributing Organization:
Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC04-94AL85000; FE0023316; SC0001114
OSTI ID:
1340243
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1461959; OSTI ID: 1495815
Report Number(s):
SAND2016-3923J; PII: S092041051630300X
Journal Information:
Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, Vol. 155; ISSN 0920-4105
Publisher:
ElsevierCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 15 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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  • SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, All Days https://doi.org/10.2118/97255-MS
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Cited By (1)

Hydromechanical reactivation of natural discontinuities: mesoscale experimental observations and DEM modeling journal March 2019

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58 GEOSCIENCES
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