Control of Cement Timing, Mineralogy, and Texture on Hydro-chemo-mechanical Coupling from CO 2 Injection into Sandstone: A Synthesis

Zhidi Wu (), Jason D. Simmons, Samuel Otu, Alex Rinehart, Andrew Luhmann, Jason Heath, Peter Mozley and Bhaskar S. Majumdar
Additional contact information
Zhidi Wu: Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
Jason D. Simmons: Petroleum Recovery Research Center, New Mexico Tech, Socorro, NM 87801, USA
Samuel Otu: Department of Earth and Environmental Science, New Mexico Tech, Socorro, NM 87801, USA
Alex Rinehart: Department of Earth and Environmental Science, New Mexico Tech, Socorro, NM 87801, USA
Andrew Luhmann: Department of Earth and Environmental Science, Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL 60187, USA
Jason Heath: Geomechanics, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87123, USA
Peter Mozley: Department of Earth and Environmental Science, New Mexico Tech, Socorro, NM 87801, USA
Bhaskar S. Majumdar: Department of Materials Engineering, New Mexico Tech, Socorro, NM 87801, USA

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 24, 1-27

Abstract: Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) has been widely applied to enhance oil recovery (CO 2 -EOR). A thorough investigation of the impact of injecting CO 2 into a heterogeneous reservoir is critical to understanding the overall reservoir robustness and storage performance. We conducted fifteen flow-through tests on Morrow B sandstone that allowed for chemical reactions between a CO 2 -rich brackish solution and the sandstones, and four creep/flow-through tests that simultaneously allowed for chemical reactions and stress monitoring. From fluid chemistry and X-ray computed tomography, we found that the dissolution of disseminated cements and the precipitation of iron-rich clays did not significantly affect the permeability and geomechanical properties. Minor changes in mechanical properties from Brazilian and creep tests indicated that the matrix structure was well-supported by early diagenetic quartz overgrowth cement and the reservoir’s compaction history at deep burial depths. However, one sample experienced a dissolution of poikilotopic calcite, leading to a permeability increase and significant tensile strength degradation due to pore opening, which overcame the effect of the early diagenetic cements. We concluded that the Morrow B sandstone reservoir is robust for CO 2 injection. Most importantly, cement timing, the abundance and texture of reactive minerals, and the reservoir’s burial history are critical in predicting reservoir robustness and storage capacity for CO 2 injection.

Keywords: fluid–rock interaction; Morrow B sandstone; CO 2 -rich brackish solution; flow-through experiment; creep test; cement diagenesis; tensile strength; elastic bulk modulus; reservoir robustness (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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