Premium
Sealing of fractures in a representative CO 2 reservoir caprock by migration of fines
Author(s) -
Rod Kenton A.,
Cantrell Kirk J.,
Varga Tamas,
Battu Anil K.,
Brown Christopher F.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
greenhouse gases: science and technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.45
H-Index - 32
ISSN - 2152-3878
DOI - 10.1002/ghg.2061
Subject(s) - kaolinite , caprock , mineralogy , brine , geology , oil shale , fracture (geology) , quartz , volume (thermodynamics) , geotechnical engineering , materials science , composite material , chemistry , thermodynamics , paleontology , organic chemistry , physics
The impact of fines migration on fracture transmissivity reduction was investigated by injecting a brine solution containing a suspension of 0.1 wt.% kaolinite particles with a mean particle size distribution of 9.6 μm through fractured shale core samples. The fractures had apertures estimated to be approximately 100 μm. A mass balance approach was used to determine the quantity of kaolinite that was deposited within the fractures (influent – effluent = amount deposited in fractures). Large fractions (44–90%) of the suspended kaolinite pumped through the fractures were deposited within the fractures. Based on fracture volumes estimated with X‐ray computed tomography, it was determined that approximately 10 to 17% of the fracture volume was filled with kaolinite at the point when flow was completely restricted. These results indicate that 100 μm fractures in CO 2 reservoir caprocks could be sealed within hours if the brines passing through the fractures contain a proportional volume of particulates to the tests performed in this laboratory study. © 2021 Battelle Memorial Institute. Greenhouse Gases: Science and Technology published by Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.