Injection of CO2-saturated brine in geological reservoir : A way to enhanced storage safety

• Injection of free-phase supercritical CO2 into deep geological reservoirs is associated with risk of considerable return flows towards the land surface due to the buoyancy of CO2, which is lighter than the resident brine in the reservoir. Such upward movements can be avoided if CO2 is injected in the dissolved phase (CO2aq). In this work, injection of CO2-saturated brine in a subsurface carbonate reservoir was modelled. Physical and geochemical interactions of injected low-pH CO2-saturated brine with the carbonate minerals (calcite, dolomite and siderite) were investigated in the reactive transport modelling. CO2-saturated brine, being low in pH, showed high reactivity with the reservoir minerals, resulting in a significant mineral dissolution and CO2 conversion in reactions. Over the injection period of 10 yr, up to 16% of the injected CO2 was found consumed in geochemical reactions. Sorption included in the transport analysis resulted in additional quantities of CO2 mass stored. However, for the considered carbonate minerals, the consumption of injected CO2aq was found mainly in the form of ionic trapping.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Geovetenskap och miljövetenskap (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Earth and Related Environmental Sciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Carbonate mineral reactions

Carbonate reservoir

Enhanced storage safety

Geological storage

Injection of CO2-saturated brine

Ionic trapping

Carbonate minerals

Carbonation

Geochemistry

Geology

Minerals

Petroleum reservoirs

Safety engineering

Enhanced storage

Saturated brines

Carbon dioxide

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)