Experimental and Numerical Evaluation of CO 2 -Induced Wettability Alteration in Carbonate Reservoir CCUS

Mohammad Al-Ghnemi (), Erdal Ozkan and Hossein Kazemi
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Mohammad Al-Ghnemi: Petroleum Department, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401, USA
Erdal Ozkan: Petroleum Department, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401, USA
Hossein Kazemi: Petroleum Department, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401, USA

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 20, 1-23

Abstract: This study presents both laboratory measurements and numerical modeling of wettability alterations following carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) injection in limestone carbonate reservoirs. Both synthetic and crude oil systems were evaluated using a Drop Shape Analyzer (DSA-100) to quantitatively measure the contact angle and interfacial tension (IFT) on limestone core samples under ambient and reservoir conditions. The results demonstrated that carbonated brine significantly reduced the IFT (2.0–4.1 dynes/cm) and contact angle (11.9–16.0°), indicating a shift toward more water-wet conditions, compared with the modest reductions in contact angle achieved with standard brine (1.6–6.7°). Synthetic fluid systems containing naphthenic acid initially exhibited stronger oil-wet behavior but also experienced wettability alterations when exposed to CO 2 . A previously developed compositional reservoir simulation model, which was based on assumed relative permeability endpoints, was revised to incorporate the experimental findings of this study as a supporting tool. Incorporating the experimental wettability alteration effect of CO 2 in the numerical model by a 5.2% reduction in the residual oil saturation (the relative permeability endpoint) caused 2% increase in the oil recovery factor and 12% improvement in the CO 2 utilization efficiency (9780 standard cubic feet per stock tank barrel (SCF/STB) vs. 8620 SCF/STB). Overall, this work provides critical laboratory validation and supports by numerical simulation that CO 2 -induced wettability alteration is a key mechanism underpinning CO 2 -based enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) deployment in limestone carbonate formations.

Keywords: interfacial tension (IFT); wettability alteration; EOR; CCUS; CO 2 emissions; contact angle (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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