Exploring Wellbore and Reservoir Processes for Geological Storage of CO2

Our collaboration will focus on technical issues associated with CO2 injection stream impurity and well integrity impacts associated with CO2 storage projects. Our project on CO2 injection stream impurities will require enhancement of the experimental capacity in GeoREF (Geomechanical Reservoir Experimental Facility) in order to compare the results of geophysical testing in core samples, which were either used, or similar to those used, in the testing undertaken at Tsinghua University. In the longer term, experimental studies at both institutions will be conducted on different classes of materials. The potential for cost savings by delivering less pure CO2 streams to a storage reservoir or for enhanced hydrocarbon recovery (CO2-EOR) are substantial if it can be shown that these impurities do not adversely impact injectivity, conformance or containment for storage operations and critical fluid system properties for CO2-EOR such as minimum miscibility pressure. Our second project will build and calibrate a model based on well modeling approach described at Tsinghua Univesrity to try to duplicate temperature data being collected by fibre-optic distributed temperatures system installed on the CO2 injection well within the Aquistore Project. In the longer term, a validated model of the thermal evolution of a CO2-injector borehole system, thermal stresses and their impact on wellbore integrity can be better assessed.