Investigation of CO
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            storage in a saline formation with an angular unconformity at the caprock interface

Shariatipour, Seyed M.; Pickup, Gillian Elizabeth; Mackay, Eric James

doi:10.1144/petgeo2015-039

Cited by 15 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…Their simulation study, as well as those from aforementioned examples, overlooked the likely importance the interpretation of this parameter, m, will have on fluid dynamics in sedimentary formations. In a recent study, Shariatipour et al (2016a) showed that a highly permeable layer at the reservoir-seal interface can contribute to pressure diffusion across the reservoir. The authors indicated that such permeability usually results from weathering, particularly at the unconformity surface, and the reservoir-seal interface could be regarded as a continuing unit of the reservoir's top or the caprock's base.…”

Section: 1mentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of sedimentary heterogeneities in the sealing formation on predictive analysis of geological CO2 storage

Onoja

Williams

Vosper

et al. 2019

International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control

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Numerical models of geologic carbon sequestration (GCS) in saline aquifers use multiphase fluid flow-characteristic curves (relative permeability and capillary pressure) to represent the interactions of the non-wetting CO2 and the wetting brine. Relative permeability data for many sedimentary formations is very scarce, resulting in the utilisation of mathematical correlations to generate the fluid flow characteristics in these formations. The flow models are essential for the prediction of CO2 storage capacity and trapping mechanisms in the geological media. The observation of pressure dissipation across the storage and sealing formations is relevant for storage capacity and geomechanical analysis during CO2 injection. This paper evaluates the relevance of representing relative permeability variations in the sealing formation when modelling geological CO2 sequestration processes. Here we concentrate on gradational changes in the lower part of the caprock, particularly how they affect pressure evolution within the entire sealing formation when duly represented by relative permeability functions. The results demonstrate the importance of accounting for pore size variations in the mathematical model adopted to generate the characteristic curves for GCS analysis. Gradational changes at the base of the caprock influence the magnitude of pressure that propagates vertically into the caprock from the aquifer, especially at the critical zone (i.e. the region overlying the CO2 plume accumulating at the reservoir-seal interface). A higher degree of overpressure and CO2 storage capacity was observed at the base of caprocks that showed gradation. These results illustrate the need to obtain reliable relative permeability functions for GCS, beyond just permeability and porosity data. The study provides a formative principle for geomechanical simulations that study the possibility of pressure-induced caprock failure during CO2 sequestration.

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Section: 1mentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of sedimentary heterogeneities in the sealing formation on predictive analysis of geological CO2 storage

Onoja

Williams

Vosper

et al. 2019

International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control

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“…Several researchers investigated the impact of caprock morphology on the CO 2 plume migration through numerical and analytical methods using realistic 31,47 and synthetic 38,48‐51 models. The impacts of the top surface morphology and geological heterogeneities on CO 2 storage capacity were investigated in a previous study 47 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysing the role of caprock morphology on history matching of Sleipner CO₂ plume using an optimisation method

Ahmadinia

Shariatipour

2020

Greenhouse Gases

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Geological carbon storage is a promising solution to reduce the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere to ameliorate the effects of global warming from the greenhouse effect. Among feasible storage options, deep saline aquifers are believed to have the largest storage capacity for the gas collected from industrial processes. The first CO2 storage project at a commercial scale in a saline aquifer is in the Sleipner field of the Utsira storage formation in Norway. The long ongoing storage operation in the Sleipner field has been the subject of several past studies attempting to recreate the observed injected CO2 plume migration behaviour. History matching is a method to adjust the input parameters of the model in a way to minimise the mismatch between the simulated and the actual production data in reservoir engineering and applicable to carbon sequestration. Typical parameters adjusted in history matching are porosity, absolute and relative permeability data. In this study, we used an adjoint‐based optimisation tool and showed the importance of caprock morphology in finding an accurate plume match. Using a set of synthetic models, we initially minimised the mismatch between the observed and simulated CO2 plume outline by modifying the caprock topographical details. After testing the optimisation tool on the synthetic models, we applied the methodology to the Sleipner benchmark 2019 model and improved the plume match by locally adjusting caprock elevation within seismic detection limits. We subsequently improved the match by calibrating porosity, permeability, CO2 density and injection rate together in an experiment in which we calibrated all the parameters, including the caprock morphology, to find a better match. The results showed an improvement of around 8% (compared with the original model) in the plume match resulting from an average absolute elevation change of 3.23 m in the model while keeping the other parameters constant. Calibrating the porosity, permeability, CO2 density and injection rate resulted in a 5% improvement in the match, and once caprock morphology was included in the optimisation process, the match improvement increased by 16%. We changed the caprock elevation within a range lower than the seismic detection limit, and results showed that even a few metres variations in the elevation have significant impacts on the plume migration and trapping mechanism in the Sleipner model. The method presented in this work results in a better match than the original seismic data for the Sleipner model. © 2020 The Authors. Greenhouse Gases: Science and Technology published by Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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“…The morphology between the aquifer and the caprock is determined by sedimentological setting and structural deformation. It has a significant effect on the migration paths and the storage of CO2 (Shariatipour et al 2016b). An unconformity surface is a type of interface between the aquifer and caprock which refers to a buried erosional or non-depositional surface separating two strata of different ages.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The highpermeability layer could be the result of the weathering and erosion of the older layer of the unconformity surface or the deposition of coarse-grained sediments on top of the unconformity surface (Swierczek 2012). Shariatipour et al (2016b) investigated the effects of the unconformity surface on the storage capacity and security of CO2. They showed that an unconformity model with a high-permeability layer at the caprock and aquifer interface can contribute to pressure diffusion through the reservoir.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dependence on Temperature and Salinity Gradients and the Injection Rate of Co2 Storage in Saline Aquifers With an Angular Unconformity

Pourmalek

Shariatipour

2019

J Por Media

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Investigation of CO ₂ storage in a saline formation with an angular unconformity at the caprock interface

Abstract: This document is the author's post-print version, incorporating any revisions agreed during the peer-review process. Some differences between the published version and this version may remain and you are advised to consult the published version if you wish to cite from it.

Cited by 15 publications

References 21 publications

Effect of sedimentary heterogeneities in the sealing formation on predictive analysis of geological CO2 storage

Effect of sedimentary heterogeneities in the sealing formation on predictive analysis of geological CO2 storage

Analysing the role of caprock morphology on history matching of Sleipner CO₂ plume using an optimisation method

Dependence on Temperature and Salinity Gradients and the Injection Rate of Co2 Storage in Saline Aquifers With an Angular Unconformity

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Investigation of CO 2 storage in a saline formation with an angular unconformity at the caprock interface

Abstract: This document is the author's post-print version, incorporating any revisions agreed during the peer-review process. Some differences between the published version and this version may remain and you are advised to consult the published version if you wish to cite from it.

Cited by 15 publications

References 21 publications

Effect of sedimentary heterogeneities in the sealing formation on predictive analysis of geological CO2 storage

Effect of sedimentary heterogeneities in the sealing formation on predictive analysis of geological CO2 storage

Analysing the role of caprock morphology on history matching of Sleipner CO2 plume using an optimisation method

Dependence on Temperature and Salinity Gradients and the Injection Rate of Co2 Storage in Saline Aquifers With an Angular Unconformity

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Investigation of CO ₂ storage in a saline formation with an angular unconformity at the caprock interface

Analysing the role of caprock morphology on history matching of Sleipner CO₂ plume using an optimisation method