Experimental observation of permeability changes in dolomite at CO2 sequestration conditions

Environ Sci Technol. 2014 Feb 18;48(4):2445-52. doi: 10.1021/es4036946. Epub 2014 Jan 30.

Abstract

Injection of cool CO2 into geothermally warm carbonate reservoirs for storage or geothermal energy production may lower near-well temperature and lead to mass transfer along flow paths leading away from the well. To investigate this process, a dolomite core was subjected to a 650 h, high pressure, CO2 saturated, flow-through experiment. Permeability increased from 10(-15.9) to 10(-15.2) m(2) over the initial 216 h at 21 °C, decreased to 10(-16.2) m(2) over 289 h at 50 °C, largely due to thermally driven CO2 exsolution, and reached a final value of 10(-16.4) m(2) after 145 h at 100 °C due to continued exsolution and the onset of dolomite precipitation. Theoretical calculations show that CO2 exsolution results in a maximum pore space CO2 saturation of 0.5, and steady state relative permeabilities of CO2 and water on the order of 0.0065 and 0.1, respectively. Post-experiment imagery reveals matrix dissolution at low temperatures, and subsequent filling-in of flow passages at elevated temperature. Geochemical calculations indicate that reservoir fluids subjected to a thermal gradient may exsolve and precipitate up to 200 cm(3) CO2 and 1.5 cm(3) dolomite per kg of water, respectively, resulting in substantial porosity and permeability redistribution.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Calcium Carbonate / chemistry*
  • Carbon Dioxide / chemistry*
  • Chemical Precipitation
  • Geologic Sediments / chemistry
  • Magnesium / chemistry*
  • Microscopy, Electron
  • Permeability
  • Solubility
  • Temperature
  • Time Factors
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Substances

  • Carbon Dioxide
  • Calcium Carbonate
  • Magnesium
  • calcium magnesium carbonate