A Model of Buoyancy-Driven Two-Phase Countercurrent Fluid Flow

Silin, Dmitriy; Patzek, Tadeusz W; Benson, Sally M.

doi:10.1007/s11242-008-9257-1

Cited by 43 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Rather, the gas spreads upward until it hits a seal or reaches a uniform immobile gas saturation. The simplified model discussed here predicts the same plume propagation velocity estimates as the model studied by Silin et al (2007).…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 53%

“…We estimate the velocity of plume propagation taking into account the density and viscosity contrast between the injected CO 2 and formation water. This work follows previous studies (Silin et al, 2006(Silin et al, , 2007 where a more general model of two-phase vertical countercurrent flow has been discussed. Here, we simplify that model by neglecting capillary forces.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 71%

“…A simple formula requiring no complex numerical calculations describes the velocity of plume propagation. This solution is a simplification of a more comprehensive theory of countercurrent plume migration (Silin et al, 2007). In a layered reservoir, the simplified solution predicts a slower plume front propagation relative to a homogeneous formation with the same harmonic mean permeability.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

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A one-dimensional model of vertical gas plume migration through a heterogeneous porous medium

Silin

Patzek

Benson

2009

International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control

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This work is motivated by the growing interest in injecting carbon dioxide into deep geological formations as a means of avoiding its atmospheric emissions and consequent global warming.Ideally, the injected greenhouse gas stays in the injection zone for a geologic time, eventually dissolves in the formation brine and remains trapped by mineralization. However, one of the potential problems associated with the geologic method of sequestration is that naturally present or inadvertently created conduits in the cap rock may result in a gas leakage from primary storage. Even in a supercritical state, the carbon dioxide viscosity and density are lower than those of the formation brine. Buoyancy tends to drive the leaked CO 2 plume upward. Theoretical and experimental studies of buoyancy-driven supercritical CO 2 flow, including estimation of time scales associated with plume evolution and migration, are critical for developing technology, monitoring policy, and regulations for safe carbon dioxide geologic sequestration.In this study, we obtain simple estimates of vertical plume propagation velocity taking into account the density and viscosity contrast between CO 2 and brine.We describe buoyancy-driven countercurrent flow of two immiscible phases by a Buckley-Leverett type model. The model predicts that a plume of supercritical carbon dioxide in a homogeneous water-saturated porous medium does not migrate upward like a bubble in bulk water. Rather, it spreads upward until it reaches a seal or until it becomes immobile. A simple formula requiring no complex numerical calculations describes the velocity of plume propagation. This solution is a simplification of a more comprehensive theory of countercurrent plume migration (Silin et al., 2007). In a layered reservoir, the simplified solution predicts a slower plume front propagation relative to a homogeneous formation with the same harmonic mean permeability. In contrast, the model yields much higher plume propagation estimates in a high-permeability conduit like a vertical fracture.

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 53%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 71%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

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A one-dimensional model of vertical gas plume migration through a heterogeneous porous medium

Silin

Patzek

Benson

2009

International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control

Self Cite

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“…Equation 16 can be solved to obtain S m = S m (η) on condition that the second derivative of the fractional-flow function does not change sign [31,41], i.e., in the absence of shocks.…”

Section: Rarefaction (Or Outer) Solutionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

An empirical theory for gravitationally unstable flow in porous media

et al. 2013

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In this paper, we follow a similar procedure as proposed by Koval (SPE J 3(2): [145][146][147][148][149][150][151][152][153][154] 1963) to analytically model CO 2 transfer between the overriding carbon dioxide layer and the brine layer below it. We show that a very thin diffusive layer on top separates the interface from a gravitationally unstable convective flow layer below it. Flow in the gravitationally unstable layer is described by the theory of Koval, a theory that is widely used and which describes miscible displacement as a pseudo two-phase flow problem. The pseudo two-phase flow problem provides the average concentration of CO 2 in the brine as a function of distance. We find that downstream of the diffusive layer, the solution of the convective part of the model, is a rarefaction solution that starts at the saturation corresponding to the highest value of the fractional-flow function. The model uses two free parameters, viz., a dilution factor and a gravity fingering index. A comparison of the Koval model with the horizontally averaged concentrations obtained from 2-D numerical simulations provides a correlation for the two parameters with the Rayleigh number. The obtained scaling relations can be used in numerical simulators to account for the density-driven natural convection, which cannot be currently captured because the grid cells are typically orders of magnitude

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“…Because SCC is less dense than water, some SCC migration is expected upward along the dip of the storage formation, up to a point when the SCC plume would become immobilized by a structural trap (e.g., low-permeability/porosity cap rock) and/or by capillary trapping as the SCC liquid saturation drops below the threshold residual saturation (e.g., Doughty and Pruess, 2005;Silin et al, 2009). Because SCC is a wellknown solvent for organics (e.g., Anitescu and Talvarides 2006), it is expected to dissolve organic compounds present in the storage formation and, to some extent, transport these compounds within the confined CO 2 reservoir.…”

Section: Relevant Processes and Conceptual Mobilization Scenariomentioning

confidence: 99%