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Updated: Aug 9, 2026
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Dynamic Pore-scale Reservoir-condition Imaging of Reaction in Carbonates Using Synchrotron Fast Tomography
Published on: February 21, 2017
Investigation of CO2 Mineralization under Dynamic Conditions in Carbonate Formations
Arshad Khan1, Saad Alafnan1,2, Arshad Raza1
1Petroleum Engineering Department, College of Petroleum Engineering and Geosciences, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia.
ACS Omega
|August 8, 2026
Summary
Accelerated carbon capture and storage (CCS) in carbonate rocks is achieved using chemical additives. This method promotes mineral trapping and preserves reservoir integrity, enhancing long-term CO2 storage security.
Area of Science:
- Geochemistry
- Reservoir Engineering
- Materials Science
Background:
- Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is crucial for mitigating climate change.
- Mineral trapping in carbonate formations offers permanent CO2 sequestration.
- Slow reaction kinetics in carbonates hinder efficient CCS.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate an accelerated mineralization strategy for CCS in carbonate reservoirs.
- Evaluate chemical additives to promote carbonate precipitation and preserve formation integrity.
- Understand CO2-rock interactions under dynamic flow conditions.
Main Methods:
- Core-flooding experiments with alternating supercritical CO2 and brine injections.
- Utilized chemical additives (Ba-(OH)2, SrCl2, GLDA) in dynamic flow.
- Characterized rock-fluid interactions using pressure monitoring, NMR relaxometry, CT imaging, and porosity measurements.
Main Results:
- Additive-free cores showed significant dissolution, porosity increase, and wormhole formation.
- Additives maintained stable pressure, negligible porosity change, and suppressed wormhole growth.
- Engineered brine chemistry shifted the system from dissolution to precipitation-dominated mineral trapping.
Conclusions:
- Chemical additives effectively accelerate mineral trapping in carbonate formations.
- The strategy enhances CO2 storage security by preserving rock fabric integrity.
- Engineered brine chemistry offers a viable pathway for efficient geological CO2 storage.
