Presentation materials
Mineral precipitation in porous media can significantly alter essential rock properties such as porosity and permeability, which are crucial for subsurface applications including geothermal energy production, CO₂ storage, and water resource management. This study utilizes XRCT-assisted core flooding experiments to systematically track the development and propagation of the mineral...
Geothermal resources constitute a significant portion of the world's low-carbon, renewable energy potential, with about 75% classified as low-temperature (<120 °C). Recent advancements in hot dry rock and engineered geothermal systems have expanded the potential for accessing additional sources of Earth's internal heat, particularly from deep igneous or metamorphic rocks, where heat is...
Enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) offer a promising solution for sustainable energy, but success depends on effective permeability control and resilience to high-temperature subsurface conditions (Olasolo et al., 2016). This study investigates thermally induced calcite precipitation (TICP) as a novel approach for addressing these challenges. Using batch experiments, we explored the kinetics of...
We present a novel multiphase compositional model for geothermal reservoir simulation that explicitly accounts for phase separation phenomena and the representation of fractures.
Mass and heat transfer simulations in porous media typically incorporate temperature as an independent variable alongside other natural variables. However, the implementation of these simulations can be complex...
The injection of CO2 into deep saline reservoirs is an important greenhouse gas mitigation strategy. In many cases, the CO2 source is made up of a mixture of different greenhouse gases. One such case is at the Otway International Test Center in Australia, where the source of CO2 comes from a natural gas reservoir made up of a mixture of methane (CH4) and CO2. Both CO2 and CH4 are soluble in...
Gas hydrates are crystalline solids in which guest molecules are trapped within cages formed by water molecules under high-pressure and low-temperature conditions. The phase transition of hydrates, as well as the transport behaviors of the associated gas and liquid phases in porous media, is crucial for CH₄ production and CO₂ storage using hydrates. In this work, we investigate the phase...
Biomethane is an environmentally friendly alternative to natural gas and is regarded as a key energy source for aiding the decarbonization of the energy system. The urgent need to transition to clean energy has driven the demand for large-scale storage of alternative energy carriers, such as biomethane, in subsurface porous reservoirs. Biomethane typically contains oxygen as an impurity (up to...
Hydrogen is widely recognized as a promising solution for renewable energy storage, thanks to its versatility and high energy density. However, the challenge of seasonal hydrogen storage remains significant, with the absence of scalable storage solutions impeding the widespread adoption of green hydrogen. A 2022 report by the National Energy Technology Laboratory highlights underground...
Due to the demand for large subsurface storage volumes for hydrogen produced by renewable energy, different porous reservoir rocks and the related cap rocks are being investigated in Germany. The geochemical redox reactions involving either the reduction of iron in iron(III)oxides (hematite) or the reduction of sulfur in FeS(-I) sulfides (pyrite) is a not well quantified risk, even if regarded...
Geologic storage of hydrogen (H2) and natural H2 exploration are active research areas supporting the energy transition through the use of H2 as a clean burning fuel. H2 is expected to see massive demand in the coming decades, which can be facilitated through H2 generation from excess renewable sources and through accessing natural H2 reserves. For these operations, it is critical to...
Underground hydrogen storage offers a promising solution for addressing seasonal renewable energy fluctuations. While converting natural gas storage facilities to hydrogen storage leverages existing infrastructure, the differences in flow behavior between hydrogen-brine and methane-brine systems, particularly through fractures and sealing caprock, remain poorly understood. This study...
Hydrogen storage in depleted gas fields is being explored to store large-scale excess renewable energy and alleviate fluctuations in energy demand. The mixing of injected hydrogen with residual natural gas, and the purity of the produced gas stream is controlled by pore-scale mechanisms such as gas-gas mixing through diffusion, dispersion and advection, and large-scale features such as the...
Natural geological hydrogen (H₂), produced through serpentinization, offers vast potential as a clean energy source. However, challenges remain in accelerating and sustaining H2 generation through serpentinization reactions of mafic and ultramafic rocks. Addressing these challenges requires research efforts to investigate the effects of reactive surface area, fluid pH, temperature, and mineral...
In this work, we propose a new method based on in situ plasma treatment to alter the wettability of microfluidics devices. The targeted contact angle remains stable for several days, offering new possibilities for investigating multiphase flow in porous media. Moreover, we demonstrate the influence of wettability alteration on two-phase flow and transport properties.
Microfluidics...
Colloids in geological porous media such as rocks and soils are relevant for a broad range of environmental applications, such as groundwater remediation. The transport of colloids, ranging from nanometers to micrometers in size, is shaped by pore geometry, surface interactions, flow conditions, and particle properties [1]. In the literature, colloids are widely reported to influence the...
CO2-EOR alternatives for carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) are key to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 to limit global warming. Currently, significant efforts are being made to develop safe alternatives for carbon capture and storage, coupled with traditional enhanced oil recovery processes in the Oil and Gas industry. Thus, under these scenarios, there is an imminent...
Conventional geo-sequestration strategies have focused primarily on storage in deep saline aquifers, where DOE low-high estimates of US/Canada potential storage dwarf those of unmineable coal by factors of 40-200x. However, the multifarious challenges of deep aquifer storage have protracted its development and immediate application. Many of these challenges might be addressed by unconventional...
Carbon sequestration and hydrogen storage at large scales require suitable subsurface formations, with shale playing critical roles in both scenarios. In conventional reservoirs, shale acts as a caprock, preventing the upward migration of injected gases. In unconventional reservoirs, hydraulically stimulated shale contributes to storage by providing fractures, cracks, and pore spaces.
The...
To optimize shale gas recovery during production operations and subsequent CO2 storage in depleted shale plays, it is essential to accurately represent all transport and storage mechanisms involved. These include viscous flow, transitional flow, Knudsen diffusion, surface diffusion, and sorption. Despite extensive efforts in technical literature, comprehensive modeling of transport and...
Structural trapping of buoyant fluids, including carbon dioxide (CO2), depends on the caprock capillary and mechanical sealing capacity. The capillary sealing capacity of mudrocks depends on rock composition, fabric, dynamic drainage and imbibition processes, pressure and temperature, among others. The objectives of this study are (1) to evaluate potential changes of breakthrough pressure at...
Given the growing concerns about climate change, reducing anthropogenic carbon accumulation in the atmosphere has become a critical focus. Carbon capture and storage (CCUS) has gained increasing attention as an effective midterm measure that could accommodate massive amounts of CO2 underground (32 gigatons per year)[1,2]. As one of the important mechanisms of CCUS, solubility trapping greatly...
A critical aspect of carbon sequestration involves understanding the transport and trapping mechanisms that influence the long-term stability of injected CO₂. Among these, solubility trapping, driven by the diffusion and convection of CO₂ in the aqueous phase, plays a pivotal role in enhancing the sequestration security of saline aquifers. This study investigates the dissolution of CO₂ in...
Numerical simulations are essential for understanding the migration and trapping of injected CO2 in saline aquifers. They allow to predict plume spreading, CO2 dissolution, leakage rates and assess possible risks and pitfalls in the process. However, their predictive capability depends on detailed and accurate knowledge of subsurface properties, and in particular the type and degree of...
To balance the seasonal fluctuations of supply and demand in renewable energy, hydrogen can be produced using excess electricity and temporarily stored in geological formations. Due to their large storage capacities and widespread distribution in sedimentary basins, saline aquifers have great potential for underground hydrogen storage (UHS). However, the practical feasibility of UHS in porous...
The transition to a sustainable energy landscape has intensified interest in geological storage of hydrogen (H2) as an energy carrier and buffer. Repeated injection and withdrawal of H2 induce complex thermo-poroelastic responses in the subsurface, making it essential to predict these changes accurately to ensure reservoir integrity and informed reservoir management. This study employs a...
Underground hydrogen storage (UHS) is a promising technology for enabling large-scale clean energy resilience. Deep saline aquifers, known for their abundance and ample storage capacity, are promising sites for UHS. Despite considerable research on the technical feasibility of UHS in saline aquifers, a significant knowledge gap persists regarding the impact of aquifer salinity on UHS...
Grid stability and reliability problems related to renewable energy sources have hindered the transition to an eco-friendly future. Solar Power Tower (SPT) plants mitigate local, short-term energy supply fluctuations by achieving high thermodynamic cycle efficiency and employing thermal energy storage tanks to reuse excess heat later. Nevertheless, tackling long-term intermittency issues at...
