Numerical analysis on the direction of groundwater flux effects on the early post-injection migration of a CO2 plume
Several parameters have been analysed in the field of carbon dioxide (CO2) subsurface storage efficiency and security, including the aquifer dip and background water flow, for proper selection of CO2 storage aquifer sites. However, less importance has been assigned to the impact of the direction of...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2024-03-01
|
| Series: | Carbon Capture Science & Technology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S277265682300057X |
| _version_ | 1827321664379027456 |
|---|---|
| author | Mawda Awag Eric Mackay Saeed Ghanbari |
| author_facet | Mawda Awag Eric Mackay Saeed Ghanbari |
| author_sort | Mawda Awag |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Several parameters have been analysed in the field of carbon dioxide (CO2) subsurface storage efficiency and security, including the aquifer dip and background water flow, for proper selection of CO2 storage aquifer sites. However, less importance has been assigned to the impact of the direction of groundwater flow on the migration of the injected CO2 plume, and hence the aquifer storage performance. This study investigates, using a numerical modelling method, the effect of the direction and magnitude of groundwater flux on the CO2 plume displacement and trapping in dipping aquifers during the early stages of the post-injection migration. The groundwater flow is established using water injection and production wells at the extremities of the model, while the direction of flow is altered from downdip to updip by swapping the locations of these wells. The study estimates and compares the extent of the total injected plume and the mobile portion of the plume, in addition to the instantaneous velocity of the leading tip of the plume, when groundwater flows downdip and when it flows updip. Our results indicate that when the groundwater flows downdip, counter to the overall direction of the CO2 plume migration, the plume is more stretched in both the updip and downdip directions than when groundwater flows updip. The size of mobile CO2 plume enlarges to a greater extent with downdip groundwater flow, causing the advancing tip to accelerate during its updip migration due to increasing buoyancy, with the effect being more pronounced at lower flow velocities. This increases the risk of CO2 leakage during the early stages of the plume migration when groundwater flows downdip. On the other hand, updip groundwater flow reduces the risk of leakage by reducing the velocity and extent of the plume, and increasing the impact of trapping mechanisms. Thus, the direction of groundwater flow can control the migration velocity of the CO2 plume in dipping storage aquifers, not due primarily to any induced viscous force, but due to the impact of trapping on buoyancy. Therefore, choosing the appropriate injection location for CO2 relative to the direction of flux is important for storage efficiency. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-25T01:11:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1be68aada7914028b32db9cd9893cbed |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2772-6568 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-25T01:11:09Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Carbon Capture Science & Technology |
| spelling | doaj.art-1be68aada7914028b32db9cd9893cbed2024-03-10T05:13:27ZengElsevierCarbon Capture Science & Technology2772-65682024-03-0110100153Numerical analysis on the direction of groundwater flux effects on the early post-injection migration of a CO2 plumeMawda Awag0Eric Mackay1Saeed Ghanbari2Corresponding author.; Institute of GeoEnergy Engineering, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, United KingdomInstitute of GeoEnergy Engineering, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, United KingdomInstitute of GeoEnergy Engineering, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, United KingdomSeveral parameters have been analysed in the field of carbon dioxide (CO2) subsurface storage efficiency and security, including the aquifer dip and background water flow, for proper selection of CO2 storage aquifer sites. However, less importance has been assigned to the impact of the direction of groundwater flow on the migration of the injected CO2 plume, and hence the aquifer storage performance. This study investigates, using a numerical modelling method, the effect of the direction and magnitude of groundwater flux on the CO2 plume displacement and trapping in dipping aquifers during the early stages of the post-injection migration. The groundwater flow is established using water injection and production wells at the extremities of the model, while the direction of flow is altered from downdip to updip by swapping the locations of these wells. The study estimates and compares the extent of the total injected plume and the mobile portion of the plume, in addition to the instantaneous velocity of the leading tip of the plume, when groundwater flows downdip and when it flows updip. Our results indicate that when the groundwater flows downdip, counter to the overall direction of the CO2 plume migration, the plume is more stretched in both the updip and downdip directions than when groundwater flows updip. The size of mobile CO2 plume enlarges to a greater extent with downdip groundwater flow, causing the advancing tip to accelerate during its updip migration due to increasing buoyancy, with the effect being more pronounced at lower flow velocities. This increases the risk of CO2 leakage during the early stages of the plume migration when groundwater flows downdip. On the other hand, updip groundwater flow reduces the risk of leakage by reducing the velocity and extent of the plume, and increasing the impact of trapping mechanisms. Thus, the direction of groundwater flow can control the migration velocity of the CO2 plume in dipping storage aquifers, not due primarily to any induced viscous force, but due to the impact of trapping on buoyancy. Therefore, choosing the appropriate injection location for CO2 relative to the direction of flux is important for storage efficiency.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S277265682300057XCO2 plume migrationDirection of groundwater flowGroundwater flow velocityTilted aquiferPlume distributionPlume instantaneous velocity |
| spellingShingle | Mawda Awag Eric Mackay Saeed Ghanbari Numerical analysis on the direction of groundwater flux effects on the early post-injection migration of a CO2 plume Carbon Capture Science & Technology CO2 plume migration Direction of groundwater flow Groundwater flow velocity Tilted aquifer Plume distribution Plume instantaneous velocity |
| title | Numerical analysis on the direction of groundwater flux effects on the early post-injection migration of a CO2 plume |
| title_full | Numerical analysis on the direction of groundwater flux effects on the early post-injection migration of a CO2 plume |
| title_fullStr | Numerical analysis on the direction of groundwater flux effects on the early post-injection migration of a CO2 plume |
| title_full_unstemmed | Numerical analysis on the direction of groundwater flux effects on the early post-injection migration of a CO2 plume |
| title_short | Numerical analysis on the direction of groundwater flux effects on the early post-injection migration of a CO2 plume |
| title_sort | numerical analysis on the direction of groundwater flux effects on the early post injection migration of a co2 plume |
| topic | CO2 plume migration Direction of groundwater flow Groundwater flow velocity Tilted aquifer Plume distribution Plume instantaneous velocity |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S277265682300057X |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mawdaawag numericalanalysisonthedirectionofgroundwaterfluxeffectsontheearlypostinjectionmigrationofaco2plume AT ericmackay numericalanalysisonthedirectionofgroundwaterfluxeffectsontheearlypostinjectionmigrationofaco2plume AT saeedghanbari numericalanalysisonthedirectionofgroundwaterfluxeffectsontheearlypostinjectionmigrationofaco2plume |