An experimental study on the permeability changes of anthracite reservoirs in different depths of Qinshui Basin induced by supercritical CO₂ injection

Abstract

Geological sequestration of supercritical CO2 (ScCO2) in deep coal seam has been considered as one of the most promising options for reducing greenhouse gas emission. The permeability of a coal seam, a key parameter estimating the CO2 injectivity, determines the success of ScCO2 storage in the deep coal seam. The deep coal seam has a low initial permeability and a further permeability loss induced by the adsorption‐swelling effects of coal during ScCO2 injection. This paper presents a set of measurements on the permeability changes of anthracite reservoirs in different depths of Qinshui Basin induced by ScCO2 injection. The results indicate that the change in anthracite permeability presents a negative exponential decrease with the buried depth increase. The depth of anthracite reservoir increases from 800 to 1400 m, and its permeability will decrease from 4.59 × 10−2 to 8.04 × 10−4 mD. The permeability change induced by ScCO2 injection is the combining effects of temperature, pressure, and adsorption‐swelling, and the permeability change can be described by a negative exponential model during ScCO2 injection to anthracite reservoir in different depths. The loss coefficient of permeability is up to three magnitudes induced by ScCO2 injection to the anthracite reservoir in the depth of 800 m, 2‐3 magnitudes in 1000‐1200 m, and 1‐2 magnitudes in 1400 m. Although the initial permeability of anthracite reservoirs in the same depth exists differences, the permeability loss coefficient almost has the same magnitudes induced by ScCO2 injection. Comparing with the permeability loss coefficient of the anthracite reservoir in different depths, the permeability variation of the shallow coal seam is more sensitive than the deep induced by ScCO2 injection. However, the deep coal seam has a relatively large fracture pressure, so the allowable ScCO2 injection pressure in the deep coal seam is greater than the shallow.