Impact of well flow dynamics and formation characteristics on underground hydrogen storage in aquifers

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-14-2025

Abstract

Hydrogen is a promising solution as a clean fuel and underground hydrogen storage (UHS) can be implemented to meet energy demand while reducing carbon emissions. Extrapolating experience from carbon capture and storage (CCS) studies, wellbore flow dynamics are hypothesized to impact UHS performance. As there is a lack of wellbore flow modeling during UHS in aquifers, the effects of wellbore flow dynamics on UHS performance in aquifers are numerically demonstrated in this study, where two scenarios of source/sink and coupled wellbore modeling are simulated. Coupled wellbore-aquifer modeling predicted a higher hydrogen withdrawal when gas was injected/withdrawn from top perforations and a lower hydrogen withdrawal when gas was injected from bottom perforations and withdrawn from top perforations as the result of liquid loading than when the source/sink well model was used. Then, an individual and combination evaluation of boundary conditions, dip angles and aquifer thickness was investigated as initial screening criteria for hydrogen storage and withdrawal, utilizing the coupled wellbore model. Results suggest that for geometries considered, aquifers with lower thicknesses are better suited to hydrogen recovery and there is a higher hydrogen withdrawal in finite-acting aquifers compared to infinite-acting, which is more noticeable in aquifers with steeper dipping angles. It was also observed that hydrogen withdrawal is reduced in infinite-acting aquifers when the dip angle increases, whereas hydrogen withdrawal increases in finite-acting aquifers when the dip angle increases. Our results suggest that when screening for dip angle effects on UHS performance, the boundary condition should be considered as well.

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

International Journal of Hydrogen Energy

First Page

995

Last Page

1007

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