Displacement and mass transfer of CO2/brine in sandstone

Abstract

The displacement and fluid/fluid mass transfer between CO2 and brine in Berea sandstone have been investigated by unsteady-state core-flood experiments combined with x-ray computed tomography. Relative permeability and capillary pressure saturation functions of primary drainage for mutually saturated fluid phases have been determined from production data and the saturation profiles by history matching and have been benchmarked against standard SCAL. The displacement stability of the CO2/brine drainage process has been investigated by numerical modeling, and the consequences for experimental procedures and for geological storage of CO2 are discussed. Aspects of mass transfer during drainage and imbibition that are relevant for nonequilibrated fluid phases were studied by core flooding with unsaturated CO2 and brine phases. © 2012 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.