Overview of CO2 Leakage Problems and Sealants for CO2 Leakage Remediation

Overview of CO2 Leakage Problems and Sealants for CO2 Leakage Remediation
Author: Shudai Peng
Publisher:
Total Pages: 88
Release: 2017
Genre:
ISBN:

"Excessive Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emission has become a serious issue and caused lots of environmental problems. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) program has been developed to reduce the CO2 content in the atmosphere. CO2 storage has been targeted mainly on depleted oil or gas reservoirs and deep saline aquifers. However, leakage could occur through wellbores, cap rocks, formation faults, and fractures during and after CO2 injection. To minimize the risk, different types of sealants have been investigated to prevent CO2 leaks. The aim of this thesis is to provide a comprehensive review of the materials which could be used as CO2 sealants. Based on the difference of materials components, this research has classified the sealants into seven types, including cements, geopolymers, foams, gel systems, resin systems, biofilm barriers, and nanoparticles. For each type of sealants, its chemical components, physical properties, stabilities, impact factors, applied environments, advantages and limitations were summarized. The most commonly used sealant for CO2 leakage control from wellbore is still cement, and the aluminate-calcium based cement has the best properties. It is very challenging to seal the fractures and faults, far from wellbore due to the difficulty to deliver plugging materials into the in-depth of a reservoir. The thermo-stability is also a great challenge for most materials and should be evaluated under supercritical CO2 condition"--Abstract, page iii.

Experimental Evaluations of Selected Sealants to Remediate CO2 Leakage

Experimental Evaluations of Selected Sealants to Remediate CO2 Leakage
Author: Aaron Jeffrey Blue
Publisher:
Total Pages: 67
Release: 2016
Genre: Geological carbon sequestration
ISBN:

"Carbon Dioxide (CO2) sequestration into porous and permeable brine-filled aquifers is seen as one of the most feasible solutions for reducing the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere from coal-fired power plants. To safely store the CO2, it must be trapped under an impermeable rock acting as a seal. One of the concerns with CO2 sequestration is the generation of new fractures or reopening of existing fractures caused by CO2 injection in the sealing formation. This project evaluates the potential of sealing these fractures by injecting sealing materials into them. These sealing materials need also to stay in place over long term. Therefore the long term thermo-stability of the sealing materials exposed to CO2 has to be addressed. Four sealing materials have been investigated, at subsurface conditions, to study their ability to effectively seal CO2 migration through fractures ranging in size from 250 [mu] up to 1 mm. The four sealant materials were: paraffin wax, silica-based gel, polymer-based gel, and calcium aluminate-based cement. All four materials significantly reduced the fracture permeability. However, the calcium aluminate-based cement was the most effective sealant agent and was the only sealant that was able to withstand the large differential pressure caused by CO2 or brine injection pressure. Based on the experiments conducted, gels cannot be expected to withstand large pressure differentials in a parallel fracture and therefore the calcium aluminate-based cement is recommended for sealing of fracture widths above half a millimeter. Since cement exposed to CO2 is subjected to the reaction of carbonation, a potential injection scenario is to inject cement first to create a barrier to differential pressures and then follow with a gel as a secondary seal to create a chemically stable sealing agent exposed to CO2"--Abstract, page iii.

Geological Carbon Storage

Geological Carbon Storage
Author: Stéphanie Vialle
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 372
Release: 2018-11-15
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1119118670

Geological Carbon Storage Subsurface Seals and Caprock Integrity Seals and caprocks are an essential component of subsurface hydrogeological systems, guiding the movement and entrapment of hydrocarbon and other fluids. Geological Carbon Storage: Subsurface Seals and Caprock Integrity offers a survey of the wealth of recent scientific work on caprock integrity with a focus on the geological controls of permanent and safe carbon dioxide storage, and the commercial deployment of geological carbon storage. Volume highlights include: Low-permeability rock characterization from the pore scale to the core scale Flow and transport properties of low-permeability rocks Fundamentals of fracture generation, self-healing, and permeability Coupled geochemical, transport and geomechanical processes in caprock Analysis of caprock behavior from natural analogues Geochemical and geophysical monitoring techniques of caprock failure and integrity Potential environmental impacts of carbon dioxide migration on groundwater resources Carbon dioxide leakage mitigation and remediation techniques Geological Carbon Storage: Subsurface Seals and Caprock Integrity is an invaluable resource for geoscientists from academic and research institutions with interests in energy and environment-related problems, as well as professionals in the field.

Gel Reaction and Permeability Modification for CO2 Leakage Remediation and Flood Conformance

Gel Reaction and Permeability Modification for CO2 Leakage Remediation and Flood Conformance
Author: Kenechukwu Moneke
Publisher:
Total Pages: 230
Release: 2020
Genre:
ISBN:

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) program, also known as CO2 sequestration, has been proposed as a long-term process to mitigate emissions of greenhouse gases such as CO2 in the atmosphere. One of the biggest challenges associated with the CO2 sequestration process is the migration and leakage of the CO2 due to the formation of leakage pathways which weakens the integrity of the reservoir caprock. To ensure the CO2 storage effectiveness and minimize the environmental and economic risk, it is important to monitor the subsurface CO2 migration and apply a treatment method if leakage is detected. One of the potential treatment methods to mitigate the leakage challenge in the CCS program is the use of chemical sealants such as silicate gel. The concentrated potassium silicate solution (i.e. silicate gel) reacts with the dissolved CO2 species to form a silica gel barrier which prevents the captured CO2 from escaping into the atmosphere and reduces the reservoir permeability. This thesis aims to evaluate the potential of silica gel as leakage prevention and remediation measure during the CO2 sequestration process. The use of the silica gel as a permeability modifier, conformance control agent and an effective cap rock sealant was also investigated. The mother solution used in these experiments is Betol K28T diluted with deionized water (50 wt.%) which acts as the silicate gel being investigated. Bulk gelation experiments were initially performed to measure the gel time at different silicate content, acid concentrations, salinities, and temperatures. The results were then fit to an existing model for gelation time and then used as a predictive tool for the core flood experiments. Core flood experiments were then performed to investigate the reaction transport of silicate gel in porous media, compare the results obtained from gelation in porous media to the gelation results from the earlier bulk experiments and finally, investigate the capability of the gel in permeability reduction and sealing of the core. These core flood experiments were conducted in two conditions: ambient condition with an acetic acid solution as a CO2 substitute and the High-Pressure High-Temperature (1500 psi, 600C, 30,000ppm) condition with CO2 saturated brine. From the core flood experiments, it is shown that using potassium silicate reagents (Betol K28T) to form a silica gel barrier is an applicable strategy for mitigating the risk of CO2 leakage Reduction in the core permeability (up to 90%) of the Benthemier sandstone core was observed during barrier formation. However, to further validate the use of the silica gel to form a chemical barrier under CO2 storage conditions, additional modeling and experiments using micromodel chips and field-scale conditions are recommended

Vadose Zone Remediation of CO2 Leakage from Geologic CO2 Storage Sites

Vadose Zone Remediation of CO2 Leakage from Geologic CO2 Storage Sites
Author:
Publisher:
Total Pages: 5
Release: 2004
Genre:
ISBN:

In the unlikely event that CO2 leakage from deep geologic CO2 sequestration sites reaches the vadose zone, remediation measures for removing the CO2 gas plume may have to be undertaken. Carbon dioxide leakage plumes are similar in many ways to volatile organic compound (VOC) vapor plumes, and the same remediation approaches are applicable. We present here numerical simulation results of passive and active remediation strategies for CO2 leakage plumes in the vadose zone. The starting time for the remediation scenarios is assumed to be after a steady-state CO2 leakage plume is established in the vadose zone, and the source of this plume has been cut off. We consider first passive remediation, both with and without barometric pumping. Next, we consider active methods involving extraction wells in both vertical and horizontal configurations. To compare the effectiveness of the various remediation strategies, we define a half-life of the CO2 plume as a convenient measure of the CO2 removal rate. For CO2 removal by passive remediation approaches such as barometric pumping, thicker vadose zones generally require longer remediation times. However, for the case of a thin vadose zone where a significant fraction of the CO2 plume mass resides within the high liquid saturation region near the water table, the half-life of the CO2 plume without barometric pumping is longer than for somewhat thicker vadose zones. As for active strategies, results show that a combination of horizontal and vertical wells is the most effective among the strategies investigated, as the performance of commonly used multiple vertical wells was not investigated.

Simulating Remediation of CO2 Leakage from Geological Storage Sites

Simulating Remediation of CO2 Leakage from Geological Storage Sites
Author:
Publisher:
Total Pages: 1
Release: 2003
Genre:
ISBN:

One strategy to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions is to inject carbon dioxide (CO2) deep into subsurface formations where presumably it would be stored indefinitely. Although geologic storage formations will be carefully selected, CO2 injected into a target formation may unexpectedly migrate upwards and ultimately seep out at the ground surface, creating a potential hazard to human beings and ecosystems. In this case, CO2 that has leaked from the geologic storage site is considered a contaminant, and remediation strategies such as passive venting and active pumping are needed. The purpose of this study is to investigate remediation strategies for CO2 leakage from geologic storage sites. We use the integral finite-difference code TOUGH2 to simulate the remediation of CO2 in subsurface systems. We consider the components of water, CO2 and air, and model flow and transport in aqueous and gas phases subject to a variety of initial and boundary conditions including passive venting and active pumping. We have investigated the time it takes for a gas plume of CO2 to be removed from the vadose zone both by natural attenuation processes and by active extraction wells. The time for removal is parameterized in terms of a CO2 plume half-life, defined as the time required for one-half of the CO2 mass to be removed. Initial simulations show that barometric pressure fluctuations enhance the removal of CO2 from the vadose zone, but that CO2 trapped near the water table is difficult to remove by either passive or active remediation approaches.

Geomechanical Simulation of CO{sub 2} Leakage and Cap Rock Remediation

Geomechanical Simulation of CO{sub 2} Leakage and Cap Rock Remediation
Author:
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 2012
Genre:
ISBN:

CO2 sequestration into porous and permeable brine filled aquifers is seen as one of the most likely near-term solutions for reducing greenhouse gases. Safely storing injected CO2, which is less dense than water, requires trapping the CO2 under an impermeable rock which would act as a seal. One of the concerns with CO2 sequestration is the generation of new fractures or reactivation of existing fractures and faults caused by CO2 injection into the sealing formation. Mitigation strategies must be developed to remediate potentially leaking faults or fractures. This project evaluated potential storage scenarios in the state of Missouri and developed coupled reservoir and geomechanic simulations to identify storage potential and leakage risks. Further, several injectable materials used to seal discontinuities were evaluated under subsurface conditions. The four sealant materials investigated were paraffin wax, silica based gel, polymer based gel, and micro-cement, which all significantly reduced the fracture permeability. However, the micro-cement was the most effective sealing agent and the only sealant able to withstand the large differential pressure caused by CO2 or brine injection and create a strong seal to prevent further fracturing.

Geological Carbon Storage

Geological Carbon Storage
Author: Stéphanie Vialle
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 368
Release: 2018-11-12
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1119118662

Geological Carbon Storage Subsurface Seals and Caprock Integrity Seals and caprocks are an essential component of subsurface hydrogeological systems, guiding the movement and entrapment of hydrocarbon and other fluids. Geological Carbon Storage: Subsurface Seals and Caprock Integrity offers a survey of the wealth of recent scientific work on caprock integrity with a focus on the geological controls of permanent and safe carbon dioxide storage, and the commercial deployment of geological carbon storage. Volume highlights include: Low-permeability rock characterization from the pore scale to the core scale Flow and transport properties of low-permeability rocks Fundamentals of fracture generation, self-healing, and permeability Coupled geochemical, transport and geomechanical processes in caprock Analysis of caprock behavior from natural analogues Geochemical and geophysical monitoring techniques of caprock failure and integrity Potential environmental impacts of carbon dioxide migration on groundwater resources Carbon dioxide leakage mitigation and remediation techniques Geological Carbon Storage: Subsurface Seals and Caprock Integrity is an invaluable resource for geoscientists from academic and research institutions with interests in energy and environment-related problems, as well as professionals in the field.

Geologic Carbon Sequestration

Geologic Carbon Sequestration
Author: V. Vishal
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 336
Release: 2016-05-11
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3319270192

This exclusive compilation written by eminent experts from more than ten countries, outlines the processes and methods for geologic sequestration in different sinks. It discusses and highlights the details of individual storage types, including recent advances in the science and technology of carbon storage. The topic is of immense interest to geoscientists, reservoir engineers, environmentalists and researchers from the scientific and industrial communities working on the methodologies for carbon dioxide storage. Increasing concentrations of anthropogenic carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are often held responsible for the rising temperature of the globe. Geologic sequestration prevents atmospheric release of the waste greenhouse gases by storing them underground for geologically significant periods of time. The book addresses the need for an understanding of carbon reservoir characteristics and behavior. Other book volumes on carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) attempt to cover the entire process of CCUS, but the topic of geologic sequestration is not discussed in detail. This book focuses on the recent trends and up-to-date information on different storage rock types, ranging from deep saline aquifers to coal to basaltic formations.