Enhancing the CO2 trapping capacity of Saudi Arabian basalt via nanofluid treatment: Implications for CO2 geo-storage

Muhammad Ali; Nurudeen Yekeen; Mirhasan Hosseini; Ghazanfer Raza Abbasi; Amer Alanazi; Alireza Keshavarz; Thomas Finkbeiner; Hussein Hoteit

doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.139135

Enhancing the CO₂ trapping capacity of Saudi Arabian basalt via nanofluid treatment: Implications for CO₂ geo-storage

Chemosphere. 2023 Sep:335:139135. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.139135. Epub 2023 Jun 5.

Authors

Muhammad Ali¹, Nurudeen Yekeen², Mirhasan Hosseini², Ghazanfer Raza Abbasi², Amer Alanazi³, Alireza Keshavarz², Thomas Finkbeiner³, Hussein Hoteit⁴

Affiliations

¹ Physical Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: Muhammad.ali.2@kaust.edu.sa.
² School of Engineering, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, 6027, Western Australia, Australia.
³ Physical Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955, Saudi Arabia.
⁴ Physical Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: Hussein.hoteit@kaust.edu.sa.

PMID: 37285975
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.139135

Abstract

Mineralization reactions in basaltic formations have gained recent interest as an effective method for CO₂ geo-storage in order to mitigate anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. The CO₂/rock interactions, including interfacial tension and wettability, are crucial factors in determining the CO₂ trapping capacity and the feasibility of CO₂ geological storage in these formations. The Red Sea geological coast in Saudi Arabia has many basaltic formations, and their wetting characteristics are rarely reported in the literature. Moreover, organic acid contamination is inherent in geo-storage formations and significantly impacts their CO₂ geo-storage capacities. Hence, to reverse the organic effect, the influence of various SiO₂ nanofluid concentrations (0.05-0.75 wt%) on the CO₂-wettability of organic-acid aged Saudi Arabian (SA) basalt is evaluated herein at 323 K and various pressures (0.1-20 MPa) via contact angle measurements. The SA basalt substrates are characterized via various techniques, including atomic force microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and others. In addition, the CO₂ column heights that correspond to the capillary entry pressure before and after nanofluid treatment are calculated. The results show that the organic acid-aged SA basalt substrates become intermediate-wet to CO₂-wet under reservoir pressure and temperature conditions. When treated with SiO₂ nanofluids, however, the SA basalt substrates become weakly water-wet, and the optimum performance is observed at an SiO₂ nanofluid concentration of 0.1 wt%. At 323 K and 20 MPa, the CO₂ column height corresponding to the capillary entry pressure increases from -957 m for the organic-aged SA basalt to 6253 m for the 0.1 wt% nano-treated SA basalt. The results suggest that the CO₂ containment security of organic-acid-contaminated SA basalt can be enhanced by SiO₂ nanofluid treatment. Thus, the results of this study may play a significant role in assessing the trapping of CO₂ in SA basaltic formations.

Keywords: CO(2) column heights; CO(2) geo-storage; CO(2) wettability; Organic acid; Saudi arabian basalt; SiO(2) nanofluids.

MeSH terms

Carbon Dioxide* / chemistry
Saudi Arabia
Silicates
Silicon Dioxide*

Substances

basalt
Silicon Dioxide
Carbon Dioxide
Silicates