Sleipner is a commercial CO2 storage site in the North Sea with good constraints from monitoring data, but also with some significant uncertainties regarding temperature, pressure and gas/brine behavior. At Sleipner, we have used high-quality repeated seismic and gravimetric surveys for monitoring and calibrating the reservoir uncertainties. To model the CO2 behavior we have used two main approaches: a) traditional reservoir simulations, using black oil and compositional fluid descriptions; and b) invasion percolation simulations, using threshold pressure and fluid density descriptions that assume the dominance of capillary and gravity forces. The key findings from the study are: The invasion percolation simulation gave the best initial match to observed data, leading us to reassess the input assumptions for the black oil and compositional simulations. By taking into account gravity segregation and modifying the reservoir simulation input data, we were able to get a much better match for the black oil and compositional simulations. There is still scope for further optimization and history matching, however, this study has reduced the range of domain variables leading to an improved understanding of the flow processes involved in geological storage of CO2 in saline formations. The study has led us to conclude that we can make realistic and predictive CO2 storage models provided that the site-specific conditions are honored, including reservoir and fluid property characterization. The necessary tight constraints on input parameters are achieved by calibration against monitoring data. Our study illustrates both a rather novel approach to modeling CO2 storage and the need for improved input to conventional simulators. Application of our approach to other CO2 storage sites will help in achieving more realistic understanding of CO2 storage, thereby contributing to the maturation of CO2 storage technology worldwide.

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CO 2 injection implies displacement of water, and thus aquifer pressure build-up or displacement of water to other rocks. Both may be problematic. Pressure build-up may result in seal failure and / or restrict injection rates, whereas displacement of brine to other rocks may have undesired effects on the environment, such as contamination of potable drinking water. CO 2 storage capacity also depends on pressure management, especially in closed systems where displaced water cannot be adequately displaced in the subsurface or vented to the surface. OTC 23961The Snøhvit pressure build-up and subsequent analyses demonstrated the importance of assessment of the maximum safe injection pressure, honouring the fact that the injected CO 2 resulted in thermal stress in the formation close to the wellbore. The work also highlighted the importance of knowing the accuracy of the present day stress and fracture propagation dynamics. Furthermore, the injection demonstrated the importance of having good reservoir analogues for flow modelling in formations with sparse well data.