On the Flow of CO<sub>2</sub>-Saturated Water in a Cement Fracture
Cement fractures represent preferential leakage pathways in abandoned wells upon exposure to a CO<sub>2</sub>-rich fluid. Understanding fracture alteration resulting from geochemical reactions is critical for assessing well integrity in CO<sub>2</sub> storage. This paper desc...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-10-01
|
| Series: | Geosciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/13/10/312 |
| _version_ | 1797573740919259136 |
|---|---|
| author | De Nyago Tafen Barbara Kutchko Mehrdad Massoudi |
| author_facet | De Nyago Tafen Barbara Kutchko Mehrdad Massoudi |
| author_sort | De Nyago Tafen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Cement fractures represent preferential leakage pathways in abandoned wells upon exposure to a CO<sub>2</sub>-rich fluid. Understanding fracture alteration resulting from geochemical reactions is critical for assessing well integrity in CO<sub>2</sub> storage. This paper describes a mathematical model used to investigate the physical and the chemical changes in cement properties when CO<sub>2</sub>-saturated water is injected into a wellbore. This study examines the flow of a solution of CO<sub>2</sub>-saturated water in a two-dimensional fractured cement. In this approach, a micro-continuum equation based on the Darcy–Brinkman–Stokes (DBS) equation is used as the momentum balance equation; in addition, reactive transport equations are used to study the coupled processes of reactant transport and geochemical reactions, and the model for cement porosity alteration and fracture enhancement. This paper focuses on the effects of cement porosity, fracture aperture size, and surface roughness. Mineral dissolution and precipitation mechanisms are also considered. Our simulations show that smaller initial fracture apertures tend to a high mineral precipitation self-sealing. However, a complete sealing of the fracture is not observed due to the continuous flow of CO<sub>2</sub>-saturated water. The calcite precipitation mechanism of a rough fracture (random zigzag shape) differs from that of a smooth/flat fracture surface. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T21:13:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0ff70c4b98b3402086c7363a2ac4db46 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3263 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T21:13:21Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geosciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-0ff70c4b98b3402086c7363a2ac4db462023-11-19T16:36:30ZengMDPI AGGeosciences2076-32632023-10-01131031210.3390/geosciences13100312On the Flow of CO<sub>2</sub>-Saturated Water in a Cement FractureDe Nyago Tafen0Barbara Kutchko1Mehrdad Massoudi2U.S. Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory, 1450 Queen Avenue SW, Albany, OR 97321, USAU.S. Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory, 626 Cochrans Mill Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15236, USAU.S. Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory, 626 Cochrans Mill Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15236, USACement fractures represent preferential leakage pathways in abandoned wells upon exposure to a CO<sub>2</sub>-rich fluid. Understanding fracture alteration resulting from geochemical reactions is critical for assessing well integrity in CO<sub>2</sub> storage. This paper describes a mathematical model used to investigate the physical and the chemical changes in cement properties when CO<sub>2</sub>-saturated water is injected into a wellbore. This study examines the flow of a solution of CO<sub>2</sub>-saturated water in a two-dimensional fractured cement. In this approach, a micro-continuum equation based on the Darcy–Brinkman–Stokes (DBS) equation is used as the momentum balance equation; in addition, reactive transport equations are used to study the coupled processes of reactant transport and geochemical reactions, and the model for cement porosity alteration and fracture enhancement. This paper focuses on the effects of cement porosity, fracture aperture size, and surface roughness. Mineral dissolution and precipitation mechanisms are also considered. Our simulations show that smaller initial fracture apertures tend to a high mineral precipitation self-sealing. However, a complete sealing of the fracture is not observed due to the continuous flow of CO<sub>2</sub>-saturated water. The calcite precipitation mechanism of a rough fracture (random zigzag shape) differs from that of a smooth/flat fracture surface.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/13/10/312reactive transport in fracturemultiscale simulationsmicro-continuumporousMedia4Foammineral dissolutioncement |
| spellingShingle | De Nyago Tafen Barbara Kutchko Mehrdad Massoudi On the Flow of CO<sub>2</sub>-Saturated Water in a Cement Fracture Geosciences reactive transport in fracture multiscale simulations micro-continuum porousMedia4Foam mineral dissolution cement |
| title | On the Flow of CO<sub>2</sub>-Saturated Water in a Cement Fracture |
| title_full | On the Flow of CO<sub>2</sub>-Saturated Water in a Cement Fracture |
| title_fullStr | On the Flow of CO<sub>2</sub>-Saturated Water in a Cement Fracture |
| title_full_unstemmed | On the Flow of CO<sub>2</sub>-Saturated Water in a Cement Fracture |
| title_short | On the Flow of CO<sub>2</sub>-Saturated Water in a Cement Fracture |
| title_sort | on the flow of co sub 2 sub saturated water in a cement fracture |
| topic | reactive transport in fracture multiscale simulations micro-continuum porousMedia4Foam mineral dissolution cement |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/13/10/312 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT denyagotafen ontheflowofcosub2subsaturatedwaterinacementfracture AT barbarakutchko ontheflowofcosub2subsaturatedwaterinacementfracture AT mehrdadmassoudi ontheflowofcosub2subsaturatedwaterinacementfracture |