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Carbon Storage TRS

We report flow in fractures is of critical importance to fluid flow in low-permeability shales, particularly when they restrict vertical migration from reservoirs. The Mt. Simon Sandstone is a target for geologic CO₂ sequestration and the overlying Eau Claire Formation is the sealing formation capping this reservoir. The lower Eau Claire, a primary barrier to upward migration of CO₂ from the Mt. Simon, is lithologically heterogenous with a mixture of sandstone and shale. We use a series of flow-through experiments on fractured samples from the Eau Claire to document the morphological changes taking place in the fracture and surrounding rockmore » as it is sheared in a stepwise fashion. The samples were imaged using computed tomography after each shearing episode and flow resistance was calculated based on the pressure differential across each core. We found that gouge accumulations in the fracture plane led to specific instances of self-sealing behavior despite the fact that most samples increased in average fracture aperture and transmissivity. Gouge limited the increase or, in some cases, decreased flow through these samples. Fractures adjacent to shale-rich zones and concordant with bedding were more likely to show evidence of self-sealing, while increased sandstone content and fracture orientation perpendicular to bedding planes was more likely to result in fracture dilation and fracture permeability increases. Reactivation and shearing of vertical fractures in lithologically heterogenous caprocks is more likely to pose risks to long term CO₂ storage scenarios.« less