An experimental and numerical investigation into the impact of dissolution/precipitation mechanisms on CO2 injectivity in the wellbore and far field regions

Carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) technology is gaining credibility as the best short to medium term solution for significantly reducing net carbon emissions into the atmosphere. From a capacity point of view, deep saline aquifers offer the greatest potential for CO2 storage. In this respect, well injectivity is considered a key technical and economical issue. Rock/fluid interactions - dissolution/precipitation of minerals, in particular carbonates - are currently considered as one of the principal reasons for wellbore injectivity changes in aquifers. This research investigated the mechanisms involved in injectivity losses through experimental and theoretical methods. The impact on injectivity of permeability changes occurring at various distances from the wellbore was studied using an idealised CO2 injection well flow model. A new experimental set-up was used to investigate the effect on dissolution/precipitation mechanisms of the pressure and temperature changes that the fluid is subjected to as it advances from the wellbore. Numerical modelling of the injection wellbore has shown that changes in the petrophysical properties of the reservoir several metres away from the wellbore can still have a significant impact on injectivity. As indicated by the experimental research carried out, pressure and temperature gradients that exist inside the reservoirs may lead to re-precipitation in the far field, however no significant permeability and porosity changes were detected to suggest major losses of injectivity due to these effects. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.