Title: Coupled geomechanical and reactive geochemical model for fluid, heat flow and convective mixing: application for CO₂ geological sequestration into saline aquifer with heterogeneity

Authors: Ronglei Zhang; Philip H. Winterfeld; Xiaolong Yin; Yu-Shu Wu; Yi Xiong

Addresses: Energy Modelling Group, Petroleum Engineering Department, Colorado School of Mines, Room 114, 1600 Arapahoe Street, Golden, CO 80401, USA ' Energy Modelling Group, Petroleum Engineering Department, Colorado School of Mines, Room 114, 1600 Arapahoe Street, Golden, CO 80401, USA ' Energy Modelling Group, Petroleum Engineering Department, Colorado School of Mines, Room 114, 1600 Arapahoe Street, Golden, CO 80401, USA ' Energy Modelling Group, Petroleum Engineering Department, Colorado School of Mines, Room 114, 1600 Arapahoe Street, Golden, CO 80401, USA ' Energy Modelling Group, Petroleum Engineering Department, Colorado School of Mines, Room 114, 1600 Arapahoe Street, Golden, CO 80401, USA

Abstract: The significance of thermal-hydrological-mechanical-chemical (THMC) processes is well-identified in the operation of CO₂ geo-sequestration. Geomechanical and geochemical effects may significantly affect aqueous phase composition, porosity and permeability of the formation, which in turn influence fluid advection, convection and transport. A sequentially coupled mathematical algorithm is employed to simulate reactive transport of water, CO₂ gas and species in subsurface formation with geomechanics, which is bale to model the THMC processes of the fluid advection and convection, heat and solute transport in aqueous and gaseous phase, mean stress, and geochemical reactions under both equilibrium and kinetic conditions. A 2D model with complex chemical compositions is presented to analyse the THMC processes quantitatively, including geomechamical effect due to CO₂ injection, dispersion and convective mixing due to CO₂ dissolution, mineral alteration due to chemical reaction of water, CO₂ and rock minerals, coupled effects of geochemical reaction and geomechanics.

Keywords: THMC processes; sequentially coupled method; CO₂ geo-sequestration; numerical simulation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJGW.2017.086290

International Journal of Global Warming, 2017 Vol.13 No.2, pp.197 - 236

Received: 17 Sep 2015
Accepted: 02 Nov 2015
Published online: 04 Sep 2017 *

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