Effect of depth and leakage-pathway flow properties on thermal response to leakage from CO2 storage zone

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

1-1-2015

Abstract

Temperature can be used as a tracer to detect leakage of fluids from a CO2 storage zone. Brine leakage from the injection zone to an above-zone interval will induce a temperature increase as a result of geothermal gradient. Leakage of CO2 can induce a temperature decrease owing to the Joule-Thompson effect associated with pressure drop toward shallow zones. A larger pressure drop at shallower depths is associated with more CO2 expansion upon leakage and could induce more cooling and, hence, a stronger temperature signal. We investigate the strength of the temperature signal as a function of depth for two scenarios in which either a well or a fault acts as leakage pathway. The hydraulic properties of the leakage pathway, modeled as a fractured medium or as a porous medium, also impact the results. Using dual-porosity and dual-permeability models for which CO2 relative permeability and average absolute permeability are modeled higher than in the simple porous medium case, we study the effect of fractures on the temperature signal. The leakage rate increases significantly for dual medium models. However, the temperature change in above-zone interval does not change much as it depends on the pressure gradient which is reduced compared to the single-porosity medium case.

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

Carbon Management Technology Conference 2015: Sustainable and Economical CCUS Options, CMTC 2015

First Page

1046

Last Page

1053

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS