For investigating the wellbore flow process in CO 2 injection scenarios, coupled wellbore-reservoir (WR) and conventional equivalent porous media (EPM) models were compared with each other. In WR model, during the injection, conditions for the wellbore including pressure and temperature were dynamically changed from the initial pressure (7.45-8.33 MPa) and temperature (52.0-55.9∘ C) of the storage formation. After 3.35 days, the wellbore flow reached the steady state with adiabatic condition; temperature linearly increased from the well-head (35 ∘ C) to the well-bottom (52 ∘ C). In contrast, the EPM model neglecting the wellbore process revealed that CO 2 temperature was consistently 35∘ C at the screen interval. Differences in temperature from WR and EPM models resulted in density contrast of CO 2 that entered the storage formation (∼200 and ∼600 kg/m 3 , resp.). Subsequently, the WR model causing greater density difference between CO 2 and brine revealed more vertical CO 2 migration and counterflow of brine and also developed the localized salt-precipitation. Finally, a series of sensitivity analyses for the WR model was conducted to assess how the injection conditions influenced interplay between flow system and the localized salt-precipitation in the storage formation.
A baseline hydrochemistry of the above zone aquifer was examined for the potential of CO early detection monitoring. Among the major ionic components and stable isotope ratios of oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon, components with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of <10 % for the seasonal variation were selected as relatively stable. These components were tested for sensitivity to the introduction of 0.1 mol/L CO (g) using the PHREEQC simulation results. If the relatively stable components were sensitive to the introduction of CO, then they could be used as indicators of CO leakage into the above zone. As an analog to the zone above CO storage formation, we sampled deep groundwater, including geothermal groundwater from well depths of 400-700 m below the ground surface (bgs) and carbonated springs with a high CO content in Korea. Under the natural conditions of inland geothermal groundwater, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), bicarbonate (HCO), δO, δH, and δC were relatively stable as well as sensitive to the introduction of CO (g), thus showing good potential as monitoring parameters for early detection of CO leakage. In carbonated springs, the parameters identified were pH, δO, and δH. Baseline hydrochemistry monitoring could provide information on parameters useful for detecting anomalies caused by CO leakage as measures for early warning.
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