Density-driven enhanced dissolution of injected CO2 during long-term CO2 geological storage

Abstract

Geological storage of CO2 in deep saline formations is increasingly seen as a viable strategy to reduce the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. However, possible leakage of injected CO2 from the storage formation through vertical pathways such as fractures, faults and abandoned wells is a huge challenge for CO2 geological storage projects. Thus, the density-driven fluid flow as a process that can accelerate the phase change of injected CO2 from supercritical phase into aqueous phase is receiving more and more attention. In this paper, we performed higher-resolution reactive transport simulations to investigate the possible density-driven fluid flow process under the 'real' condition of CO2 injection and storage. Simulation results indicated that during CO2 injection and geological storage in deep saline formations, the higher-density CO2-saturated aqueous phase within the lower CO2 gas plume migrates downward and moves horizontally along the bottom of the formation, and the higher-density fingers within the upper gas plume propagate downward. These density-driven fluid flow processes can significantly enhance the phase transition of injected CO2 from supercritical phase into aqueous phase, consequently enhancing the effective storage capacity and long-term storage security of injected CO2 in saline formations. © Indian Academy of Sciences.