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Published on: October 25, 2017
Residual CO2 trapping in Indiana limestone
Rehab M El-Maghraby1, Martin J Blunt
1Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom. r.el-maghraby09@imperial.ac.uk
Supercritical CO(2) shows 23.7% residual trapping in Indiana limestone, slightly less than in sandstone. Gaseous CO(2) trapping was lower at 18.8%, suggesting capillary trapping in carbonate aquifers.
Area of Science:
- Geochemistry
- Petroleum Engineering
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is crucial for mitigating climate change.
- Understanding CO(2) behavior in geological formations is vital for effective storage.
- Indiana limestone and Berea sandstone are common reservoir rock types.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify supercritical CO(2) trapping in Indiana limestone.
- To compare CO(2) trapping in limestone versus sandstone.
- To investigate the influence of CO(2) phase (supercritical vs. gaseous) on trapping.
Main Methods:
- Core flooding experiments using the porous plate method at 50 °C and 4.2/9 MPa.
- Measurement of CO(2) trapping curves for supercritical and gaseous CO(2).
- Porosity and permeability tests before and after flooding to assess rock integrity.
Main Results:
- A supercritical CO(2) residual trapping endpoint of 23.7% was observed in Indiana limestone.
- Supercritical CO(2) trapping was slightly lower in Indiana limestone (23.7%) compared to Berea sandstone (at similar conditions).
- Gaseous CO(2) showed lower trapping (18.8% endpoint) than supercritical CO(2).
Conclusions:
- Capillary trapping of CO(2) is significant in carbonate aquifers.
- The water-wet nature of the system under supercritical CO(2) conditions may be influenced by brine chemistry.
- Results support the potential for CO(2) immobilization in geological formations through trapping mechanisms.
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