Two-Phase Flow Mechanisms Controlling CO2 Intrusion into Shaly Caprock

Two-Phase Flow Mechanisms Controlling CO2 Intrusion into Shaly Caprock

Iman Rahimzadeh Kivi, Roman Makhnenko, Victor Vilarrasa

The efficiency of the Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology is tightly associated with the sealing capacity of the caprock(s) overlying the storage formation. We combined laboratory experiments and numerical simulations to foster an improved understanding of the governing mechanisms of CO2 intrusion and flow through shaly caprock representative – Opalinus Clay. We find that the sealing capacity of intact shale is unlikely to be compromised by capillary breakthrough and viscous flow through the pore network. Potential leakage would be dominated by the intrinsically slow molecular diffusion, favoring safe storage of CO2 underground over geological time scales.

Transport in Porous Media volume 141, 771–798 (2022)
Corresponding Author: Iman Rahimzadeh Kivi

InterPore Members can promote their publications to the community via the InterPore In Journals Section of the Newsletter. If you wish to do so, please submit your publication highlight to newsletter@InterPore.org. Clearly indicate which of the authors is an InterPore member (or the institute with an Institutional Membership). Note that we will not review the entries nor does InterPore endorse the published work. Furthermore, we publish on a “submitted first, published first” basis. The highlighted publication should be no older than 6 months (available online).

The highlight should be short (max 100 words) and contain an illustration. Please note that we offer this opportunity exclusively to InterPore members. If you would like to become a member, please have a look here.