Chemo‐mechanical Alterations Induced From CO ₂ Injection in Carbonate‐Cemented Sandstone: An Experimental Study at 71 °C and 29 MPa

Journal Article · Thu Mar 05 00:00:00 EST 2020 · Journal of Geophysical Research. Solid Earth

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JB019096· OSTI ID:1603219

Wu, Z. ^[1]; Luhmann, A. J. ^[2]; Rinehart, A. J. ^[3]; Mozley, P. S. ^[4]; Dewers, T. A. ^[5]; Heath, J. E. ^[6]; Majumdar, B. S. ^[7]

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1. Department of Earth and Environmental Science New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Socorro NM USA, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering University of Utah Salt Lake City UT USA
2. Department of Earth and Environmental Science New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Socorro NM USA, Department of Geology and Environmental Science Wheaton College Wheaton IL USA
3. Department of Earth and Environmental Science New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Socorro NM USA, New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Socorro NM USA
4. Department of Earth and Environmental Science New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Socorro NM USA
5. Department of Nuclear Waste Disposal Research and Analysis Sandia National Laboratories Albuquerque NM USA
6. Department of Geomechanics Sandia National Laboratories Albuquerque NM USA
7. Department of Material Engineering New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Socorro NM USA

Abstract

Carbon capture, utilization, and storage may lead to mechanical degradation of the subsurface reservoir from fluid‐rock interaction, which could lead to wellbore instability or reservoir compaction. To better understand potential relationship between mechanical degradation with various carbonate cement textures and compositions in sandstone reservoirs, six flow‐through experiments were conducted. Formation water (TDS = 5,390 mg/L) enriched with CO ₂ flowed through two types of Pennsylvanian Morrow B Sandstone: an ankerite‐siderite‐cemented sandstone (disseminated cement texture) and a calcite‐cemented sandstone (poikilotopic cement texture). The experiments produced little change in permeability in the ankerite‐siderite‐cemented sandstone, but permeability increased up to more than 1 order of magnitude in the calcite‐cemented sandstone. Ultrasonic measurements and cylinder‐splitting tests (also known as Brazilian tests) suggested negligible mechanical degradation of the ankerite‐siderite‐cemented sandstone. Variable changes, with significant mechanical degradation in the static moduli, were observed in the calcite‐cemented sandstone. Thus, dissolution of the disseminated ankerite‐siderite cement (0.28–0.30%) had minimal impact on modifying the flow network and the mechanical integrity of the sandstone, whereas dissolution of the poikilotopic calcite cement (0.89–1.13%, quantified with fluid chemistry and visualized with X‐ray microcomputed tomography) impacted the mechanical strength of the sandstone by disconnecting framework grains. With the high water‐to‐rock mass ratios (7.3–8.2) and number of pore volumes (147–675) employed in these experiments, potential risks are most relevant to regions near injection wells. Ultimately, the chemo‐mechanical effects induced by CO ₂ injection are strongly influenced by the cement texture and composition and the burial history of the reservoir rock.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• Grant/Contract Number: FC26-05NT42591; NA0003525
• OSTI ID: 1603219
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research. Solid Earth, Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research. Solid Earth Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 125; ISSN 2169-9313
• Publisher: American Geophysical Union (AGU)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English