From core-scale experiment to reservoir-scale modeling: A scale-up approach to investigate reaction-induced permeability evolution of CO2 storage reservoir and caprock at a U.S. CO2 storage site

Journal Article · Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 EDT 2019 · Computers and Geosciences

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cageo.2019.01.006· OSTI ID:1569819

Wang, Yan ^[1]; Zhang, Liwei ^[1]; Soong, Yee ^[2]; Dilmore, Robert ^[2]; Lei, Hongwu ^[1]; Li, Xiaochun ^[1]

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1. Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing (China). Inst. of Rock and Soil Mechanics (IRSM). State Key Laboratory of Geomechanics and Geotechnical Engineering
2. National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA, (United States)

Mineral dissolution and secondary mineral precipitation can cause porosity and permeability changes of CO₂ storage reservoirs and caprocks after injection of CO₂. In this paper, a 3-step approach (core-scale experiment →core-scale modeling →reservoir-scale modeling) is developed to simulate reservoir-scale porosity and permeability evolution of CO₂ storage formation and caprock at a model CO₂ storage site. The model site is based on characteristics of a real site in Mississippi, USA. Important chemical and permeability modeling parameters in the reservoir-scale model are validated by core-scale experimental and reactive transport modeling results. The reservoir-scale model predicts a maximum 3.2% permeability increase of the CO₂ storage formation and a maximum 1.1% permeability increase of the caprock after 1000 years of exposure to CO₂-rich brine, while the core-scale model predicts 7% permeability decrease for a small CO₂ storage formation core and 296% permeability increase for a small caprock core after 180-day exposure to CO₂-rich brine. The discrepancy between permeability results of reservoir-scale model and core-scale model is attributed to strong pH buffering effect of CO₂ storage formation with large mass of H+-consuming minerals. Therefore, using core-scale experiments/models only is not sufficient to elucidate reservoir-scale permeability evolution. Variations of key model parameters have a small effect on permeability evolution of both CO₂ storage formation and caprock, except for variations of K_eq (SiO₂ (am)) and the exponent n in permeability-porosity correlation. SiO₂ (am) is a key mineral that governs permeability evolution of CO₂ storage formation and caprock, given the characteristics of the model CO₂ storage site.

• Research Organization: National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA, Morgantown, WV, and Albany, OR (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Fossil Energy (FE)
• OSTI ID: 1569819
• Report Number(s): NETL-PUB-22264
• Journal Information: Computers and Geosciences, Vol. 125, Issue C; ISSN 0098-3004
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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