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Title: Formation dry-out from CO2 injection into saline acquifers: Part 2, Analytical model for salt precipitation

Journal Article · · Water Resources Research

From a mass balance for water dissolved into the flowing CO{sub 2} stream, and a consideration of saturation profiles from the Buckley-Leverett (1942) fractional flow theory, we derive an equation that directly relates gas saturation S{sub g,d} at the dry-out front to temperature, pressure and salinity dependence of fluid properties. The equation is easily solved by iteration or interpolation. From gas saturation at the front we derive the average gas saturation in the dry-out region, from which we obtain the 'solid saturation' S{sub S}, i.e., the fraction of pore space filled with solid precipitate. Values of S{sub S} derived from this theory show excellent agreement with numerical simulations presented in the preceding companion paper ('Part 1'). Thus, from relative permeabilities and fluid properties at in situ conditions prior to CO{sub 2} injection, it is possible to directly make an accurate estimate of solids precipitation, without having to perform a numerical simulation of the injection process.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
Earth Sciences Division
DOE Contract Number:
DE-AC02-05CH11231
OSTI ID:
952852
Report Number(s):
LBNL-1584E-Pt2; WRERAQ; TRN: US200914%%124
Journal Information:
Water Resources Research, Journal Name: Water Resources Research; ISSN 0043-1397
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English