A Review of Key Challenges and Evaluation of Well Integrity in CO 2 Storage: Insights from Texas Potential CCS Fields

Bassel Eissa (), Marshall Watson, Nachiket Arbad, Hossein Emadi (), Sugan Thiyagarajan, Abdel Rehman Baig, Abdulrahman Shahin and Mahmoud Abdellatif
Additional contact information
Bassel Eissa: Bob L. Herd Department of Petroleum Engineering, Texas Tech University, 807 Boston Avenue, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
Marshall Watson: Bob L. Herd Department of Petroleum Engineering, Texas Tech University, 807 Boston Avenue, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
Nachiket Arbad: TRC Services of Texas, 2810 S County Road 1208, Midland, TX 79706, USA
Hossein Emadi: Bob L. Herd Department of Petroleum Engineering, Texas Tech University, 807 Boston Avenue, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
Sugan Thiyagarajan: Bob L. Herd Department of Petroleum Engineering, Texas Tech University, 807 Boston Avenue, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
Abdel Rehman Baig: Bob L. Herd Department of Petroleum Engineering, Texas Tech University, 807 Boston Avenue, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
Abdulrahman Shahin: Bob L. Herd Department of Petroleum Engineering, Texas Tech University, 807 Boston Avenue, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
Mahmoud Abdellatif: Bob L. Herd Department of Petroleum Engineering, Texas Tech University, 807 Boston Avenue, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 13, 1-31

Abstract: Increasing concern over climate change has made Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) an important tool. Operators use deep geologic reservoirs as a form of favorable geological storage for long-term CO 2 sequestration. However, the success of CCS hinges on the integrity of wells penetrating these formations, particularly legacy wells, which often exhibit significant uncertainties regarding cement tops in the annular space between the casing and formation, especially around or below the primary seal. Misalignment of cement plugs with the primary seal increases the risk of CO 2 migrating beyond the seal, potentially creating pathways for fluid flow into upper formations, including underground sources of drinking water (USDW). These wells may not be leaking but might fail to meet the legal requirements of some federal and state agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC), California CalGEM, and Pennsylvania DEP. This review evaluates the impact of CO 2 exposure on cement and casing integrity including the fluid transport mechanisms, fracture behaviors, and operational stresses such as cyclic loading. Findings revealed that slow fluid circulation and confining pressure, primarily from overburden stress, promote self-sealing through mineral precipitation and elastic crack closure, enhancing well integrity. Sustained casing pressure can be a good indicator of well integrity status. While full-physics models provide accurate leakage prediction, surrogate models offer faster results as risk assessment tools. Comprehensive data collection on wellbore conditions, cement and casing properties, and environmental factors is essential to enhance predictive models, refine risk assessments, and develop effective remediation strategies for the long-term success of CCS projects.

Keywords: legacy wells; well integrity; sustained casing pressure; completion; carbon storage; self-sealing; casing corrosion; cement degradation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/13/5911/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/13/5911/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:13:p:5911-:d:1688567

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().