An Experimental and Numerical Study of CO2–Brine-Synthetic Sandstone Interactions under High-Pressure (P)–Temperature (T) Reservoir Conditions

Abstract

The interaction between CO2 and rock during the process of CO2 capture and storage was investigated via reactions of CO2, formation water, and synthetic sandstone cores in a stainless-steel reactor under high pressure and temperature. Numerical modelling was also undertaken, with results consistent with experimental outcomes. Both methods indicate that carbonates such as calcite and dolomite readily dissolve, whereas silicates such as quartz, K-feldspar, and albite do not. Core porosity did not change significantly after CO2 injection. No new minerals associated with CO2 injection were observed experimentally, although some quartz and kaolinite precipitated in the numerical modelling. Mineral dissolution is the dominant reaction at the beginning of CO2 injection. Results of experiments have verified the numerical outcomes, with experimentally derived kinetic parameters making the numerical modelling more reliable. The combination of experimental simulations and numerical modelling provides new insights into CO2 dissolution mechanisms in high-pressure/temperature reservoirs and improves understanding of geochemical reactions in CO2-brine-rock systems, with particular relevance to CO2 entry of the reservoir.