AP23489740 "Investigation of the effect of salt deposition on the intake capacity of CO2 injection wells and improvement of the salt deposition model for effective CO2 sequestration"

Relevance

The effectiveness of the project is to gain new fundamental knowledge about the processes of salt formation during injection of CO2 into saline aquifers, which helps to solve environmental problems and reduce the carbon footprint. The project is focused on improving models of salt deposition in porous media, which will improve the accuracy of forecasts for reducing the permeability and pick-up of wells. The results of the study are expected to be applicable to real-world conditions, providing valuable data for the development of efficient CO2 storage methods and improved geological carbon sequestration processes.

Purpose

The aim of this project is to develop fundamental insights into the dynamics of salt deposits during CO2 sequestration in saline aquifers, based on existing studies of brine drying processes and salt behavior in heterogeneous porous structures, with a focus on studying the complexities of real reservoirs designed for efficient carbon capture.

Expected and achieved results

The study showed that the heterogeneity of rocks significantly affects the distribution of salts and reduced permeability during CO₂ injection. In heterogeneous structures, before deposition, the average saturation with water was 45% versus 28% in homogeneous ones, and the final saturation with salt reached 9.5% versus 5.3% in homogeneous ones. Patterns of salt deposition have been identified depending on the heterogeneity of the porous medium, wettability conditions, and Co₂ flow direction, which contributes to a better understanding of the mechanisms of salt crystallization and accumulation.

Research team members with their identifiers (Scopus Author ID, Researcher ID, ORCID, if available) and links to relevant profiles