Wellbore cement fracture evolution at the cement–basalt caprock interface during geologic carbon sequestration

Jung, Hwanyup; Kabilan, Senthil; Carson, James P.; Kuprat, Andrew P.; Um, Wooyong; Martin, Paul F.; Dahl, Michael E.; Kafentzis, Tyler A.; Varga, Tamás; Stephens, Sean A.; Arey, Bruce W.; Carroll, Kenneth C.; Bonneville, Alain; Fernández, Carlos A.

doi:10.1016/j.apgeochem.2014.04.010

Cited by 53 publications

(45 citation statements)

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“…Leakage pathways may also be created in the form of fractures in the wellbore cement and along wellbore-cement-rock interfaces influencing CO 2 injectivity, storage capacity, and seal integrity Walsh et al, 2014). Several experimental and numerical studies have shown that geochemical reactions may have an influence on fracture geometry and hydrodynamic properties of the reservoir and the overlying caprock material (Andreani et al, 2008;Dilmore et al, 2008;Doughty, 2010;Fang et al, 2010;Huerta et al, 2013;Jung et al, 2014;Liteanu and Spiers, 2011;Luquot et al, 2013;Noiriel et al, 2007Noiriel et al, , 2013. It has been reported in a previous study (Noiriel et al, 2007) that the development of microporous coatings on fracture surfaces due to mineral dissolution and the reorganization of clay minerals in the fractured zone can impact flow properties of leakage pathways by reducing fracture permeability.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Influence of geochemical processes on the geomechanical response of the overburden due to CO2 storage in saline aquifers

Varre

Siriwardane

Gondle

et al. 2015

International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control

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a b s t r a c tThe objective of the study is to investigate the influence of geochemical processes on the geomechanical response of overburden during and after CO 2 injection. In the current study, coupled multiphase fluid flow and geomechanical modeling with geochemical processes were performed to simulate large-scale injection of CO 2 (up to 10 million metric tonnes per year) into a deep saline aquifer over the long-term (up to 1000 years). The geochemical modeling results show that geochemical processes, such as mineral dissolution and precipitation, do not have a significant influence on reservoir rock porosity (about 2% reduction). Modeling results show that the inclusion of geochemical reactions in the coupled fluid flow and geomechanical models do not have any significant influence on the computed pressure and ground displacements due to CO 2 injection for the typical mineralogical composition considered in this study. In other words, a coupled single-phase fluid flow and geomechanical model would give similar results at a significantly lower computational effort.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Influence of geochemical processes on the geomechanical response of the overburden due to CO2 storage in saline aquifers

Varre

Siriwardane

Gondle

et al. 2015

International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control

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“…Fragments of basalt from the Grande Ronde Basalt Formation within the Columbia River Basalt Group in Washington State were used for preparing cement‐basalt interface samples. Major minerals in the basalt caprock are anorthite (plagioclase feldspar; CaAl 2 Si 2 O 8 ) and diopside (pyroxene; MgCaSi 2 O 6 ), and the porosity of the basalt caprock is lower than 10% . The cement samples were cured for 28 days under either ambient P‐T conditions (atmospheric pressure and 20°C) or high P‐T conditions (10 MPa and 50°C) to explore the effect of the cement‐curing P‐T conditions on the cement alteration by CO 2 ‐saturated groundwater (Table ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geochemical alteration of wellbore cement by CO₂ or CO₂ + H₂S reaction during long‐term carbon storage

Rod

Jung

et al. 2016

Greenhouse Gases

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Cement samples were reacted with CO2‐saturated synthetic groundwater, with or without added H2S (1 wt.%), at 50°C and 10 MPa for up to 13 months (CO2 only) or for up to 3.5 months (CO2 + H2S) under static conditions. After the reaction, X‐ray computed tomography (XCT) images revealed that calcium carbonate (CaCO3) precipitation occurred extensively within the fractures in the cement matrix, while micro‐fractures with aperture size <∼50 μm at the cement‐basalt interface were completely sealed by CaCO3 precipitation. Exposure of a fractured cement sample to CO2‐saturated groundwater (50°C and 10 MPa) over a period of 13 months demonstrated progressive healing of cement fractures by CaCO3 precipitation. After reaction with CO2 + H2S‐saturated groundwater, CaCO3 precipitation also occurred within the cement fracture as well as along the cement‐basalt caprock interfaces. X‐ray diffraction analysis showed that major cement carbonation products of the CO2 + H2S‐saturated groundwater were calcite, aragonite, and vaterite, all consistent with cement carbonation by CO2‐saturated groundwater. While pyrite is thermodynamically favored to form, due to the low H2S concentration it was not identified by XRD in this study. The cement alteration rate into neat Portland cement samples by CO2‐saturated groundwater was similar at ∼0.02 mm/d based on XCT images, regardless of the cement‐curing pressure and temperature (P‐T) conditions, or the presence of H2S in the groundwater. The experimental results imply that wellbore cement with micro‐fractures within the cement matrix or along the cement‐caprock interface (<∼200 μm aperture under current experimental conditions) is likely to be healed by CaCO3 precipitation during exposure to CO2‐ or CO2 + H2S‐saturated groundwater. Published 2016. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA

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“…After curing, the sample was sequentially subjected to compressive loading and CO 2 -groundwater reaction [1][2][3]. A compressive load of 2.7 MPa was applied vertically to the flat surfaces of the cores at 1.8 MPa/min using servohydraulic test frames with load cells to form internal pressures.…”

Section: Preparation Of Cement-basalt Interface Samplementioning

confidence: 99%

Geochemical and Geomechanical Effects on Wellbore Cement Fractures

Jung

Kabilan

et al. 2014

Energy Procedia

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Experimental studies were conducted using batch reactors, X-ray microtomograpy (XMT), and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations to determine changes in cement fracture surfaces, fluid flow pathways, and permeability with geochemical and geomechanical processes. Composite Portland cement-basalt caprock core with artificial fractures was prepared and reacted with CO 2 -saturated groundwater at 50°C and 10 MPa for 3 to 3.5 months under static conditions to understand the geochemical and geomechanical effects on the integrity of wellbores that contain defects. Cement-basalt interface samples were subjected to mechanical stress at 2.7 MPa before the CO 2 reaction. XMT provided three-dimensional (3-D) visualization of the opening and interconnection of cement fractures due to mechanical stress. After the CO 2 reaction, XMT images revealed that calcium carbonate precipitation occurred extensively within the fractures in the cement matrix, but only partially along fractures located at the cement-basalt interface. The calculated permeability based on CFD simulation was in agreement with the experimentally measured permeability. The experimental results imply that the wellbore cement with fractures is likely to be healed during exposure to CO 2 -saturated groundwater under static conditions, whereas fractures along the cement-caprock interface are still likely to remain vulnerable to the leakage of CO 2 . CFD simulations for the flow of different fluids (CO 2 -saturated brine and supercritical CO 2 ) using a pressure difference of 20 kPa and 200 kPa along ~2 cm-long cement fractures showed that a pressure gradient increase resulted in an increase of CO 2 fluids flux by a factor of 3-9 because the friction of CO 2 fluids on cement fracture surfaces increased with higher flow rate as well. At the same pressure gradient, the simulated flow rate was higher for supercritical CO 2 than CO 2 -saturated brine by a factor of only 2-3, because the viscosity of supercritical CO 2 is much lower than that of CO 2 -saturated brine. The study suggests that in deep geological reservoirs the geochemical and geomechanical processes have coupled effects on the wellbore cement fracture evolution and fluid flow along the fracture surfaces.

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Wellbore cement fracture evolution at the cement–basalt caprock interface during geologic carbon sequestration

Cited by 53 publications

References 50 publications

Influence of geochemical processes on the geomechanical response of the overburden due to CO2 storage in saline aquifers

Influence of geochemical processes on the geomechanical response of the overburden due to CO2 storage in saline aquifers

Geochemical alteration of wellbore cement by CO₂ or CO₂ + H₂S reaction during long‐term carbon storage

Geochemical and Geomechanical Effects on Wellbore Cement Fractures

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Wellbore cement fracture evolution at the cement–basalt caprock interface during geologic carbon sequestration

Cited by 53 publications

References 50 publications

Influence of geochemical processes on the geomechanical response of the overburden due to CO2 storage in saline aquifers

Influence of geochemical processes on the geomechanical response of the overburden due to CO2 storage in saline aquifers

Geochemical alteration of wellbore cement by CO2 or CO2 + H2S reaction during long‐term carbon storage

Geochemical and Geomechanical Effects on Wellbore Cement Fractures

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Product

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Geochemical alteration of wellbore cement by CO₂ or CO₂ + H₂S reaction during long‐term carbon storage