Coupled Effects of Reservoir Curvature, Thickness, and Well Configuration on Hydrogen Storage Efficiency in Saline Aquifers

Zihao Shi, Jiayu Qin (), Nengxiong Xu (), Yan Qin, Bin Zhang, Shuangxi Feng, Liuping Chen and Hao Wang
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Zihao Shi: School of Engineering and Technology, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Xueyuan Road 29, Beijing 100083, China
Jiayu Qin: School of Engineering and Technology, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Xueyuan Road 29, Beijing 100083, China
Nengxiong Xu: School of Engineering and Technology, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Xueyuan Road 29, Beijing 100083, China
Yan Qin: School of Engineering and Technology, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Xueyuan Road 29, Beijing 100083, China
Bin Zhang: School of Engineering and Technology, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Xueyuan Road 29, Beijing 100083, China
Shuangxi Feng: Department of Civil Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300354, China
Liuping Chen: China National Salt Industry Group Co., Ltd., Beijing 100055, China
Hao Wang: China National Salt Industry Group Co., Ltd., Beijing 100055, China

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 18, 1-21

Abstract: Site selection evaluation is a crucial step in the research of hydrogen storage in saline aquifers. Geometric characteristics of the reservoir are one of the key factors determining the site selection evaluation. However, for the anticlinal saline aquifers with effective trap capacity, the coupled effects of reservoir curvature, thickness, and well configuration on hydrogen storage efficiency remain unclear. Thus, based on the Ordos Basin, various 3D computational models with different curvatures, thicknesses, and well configurations are designed to conduct the simulation analysis. The results show that (1) the greater the curvature, the stronger the trap effect. Hydrogen recovery rises first and then declines, reaching a peak of 79.58% at 170° and dropping to 55.17% at 90°. (2) Increasing thickness suppresses lateral hydrogen migration. The maximum gas saturations in the caprock are 0.12, 0.08, and 0.05 for thicknesses of 100%, 200%, and 300%, respectively, indicating that greater thickness reduces gas diffusion into the caprock. (3) The coupling effect between curvature and thickness affects the recovery rate. Thin reservoirs are suitable for small curvatures, while thick reservoirs are more suitable for high curvatures. (4) Top hydrogen injection significantly reduces the sensitivity of the recovery rate to curvature and thickness. When the curvature is between 180° and 100°, lowering recovery differences across thicknesses are lowered from 16.20% under bottom injection to 2.51% under top injection. These results provide support for the site selection and design of hydrogen storage in saline aquifers.

Keywords: hydrogen storage; saline aquifers; reservoir geometry; well configuration; recovery rate (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: 2025
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