CO2 wettability of caprocks: Implications for structural storage capacity and containment security. Issue 21 (6th November 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Iglauer, Stefan; Al‐Yaseri, Ahmed Zarzor; Rezaee, Reza; Lebedev, Maxim
• Is Part Of: Geophysical research letters. Volume 42:Issue 21(2015:Nov.)
• Page Start: 9279
• Page End: 9284
• Publication Date: 2015-11-06
• Subjects: CO2 geosequestration -- structural trapping -- storage capacity -- wettability; Geophysics -- Periodicals; Planets -- Periodicals; Lunar geology -- Periodicals; 550
• DOI: 10.1002/2015GL065787
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0094-8276

Abstract

Abstract: Structural trapping, the most important CO2 geostorage mechanism during the first decades of a sequestration project, hinges on the traditional assumption that the caprock is strongly water wet. However, this assumption has not yet been verified; and it is indeed not generally true as we demonstrate here. Instead, caprock can be weakly water wet or intermediate wet at typical storage conditions; and water wettability decreases with increasing pressure or temperature. Consequently, a lower storage capacity can be inferred for structural trapping in such cases. Key Points: Caprocks are intermediate wet or weakly water wet at typical storage conditions CO2 wettability increases with pressure and thus depth Structural storage capacities are significantly lower than previously predicted