CO2 Injectivity in Deep Saline Formations: The Impact of Salt Precipitation and Fines Mobilization

Abstract

Climate change is now considered the greatest threat to global health and security. Greenhouse effect, which results in global warming, is considered the main driver of climate change. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emission has been identified as the largest contributor to global warming. The Paris Agreement, which is the biggest international treaty on Climate Change, has an ambitious goal to reach Net Zero CO2 emission by 2050. Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) is the most promising approach in the portfolio of options to reduce CO2 emission. A good geological CCUS facility must have a high storage potential and robust containment efficiency. Storage potential depends on the storage capacity and well injectivity. The major target geological facilities for CO2 storage include deep saline reservoirs, depleted oil and gas reservoirs, Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) wells, and unmineable coal seams. Deep saline formations have the highest storage potential but challenging well injectivity. Mineral dissolution, salt precipitation, and fines mobilization are the main mechanisms responsible for CO2 injectivity impairment in saline reservoirs. This chapter reviews literature spanning several decades of work on CO2 injectivity impairment mechanisms especially in deep saline formations and their technical and economic impact on CCUS projects.