A series of organic–inorganic hybrid thin films with different d0-metals (Y, Ti, Zr and Hf) and 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid were prepared by molecular layer deposition (MLD) and their optical properties were explored.
The dissolution of porous media in a geologic formation induced by the injection of massive amounts of CO 2 can undermine the mechanical stability of the formation structure before carbon mineralization takes place. The geomechanical impact of geologic carbon storage is therefore closely related to the structural sustainability of the chosen reservoir as well as the probability of buoyance driven CO 2 leakage through caprocks. Here we show, with a combination of ex situ nanotomography and in situ microtomography, that the presence of dissolved CO 2 in water produces a homogeneous dissolution pattern in natural chalk microstructure. This pattern stems from a greater apparent solubility of chalk and therefore a greater reactive subvolume in a sample. When a porous medium dissolves homogeneously in an imposed flow field, three geomechanical effects were observed: material compaction, fracturing and grain relocation. These phenomena demonstrated distinct feedbacks to the migration of the dissolution front and severely complicated the infiltration instability problem. We conclude that the presence of dissolved CO 2 makes the dissolution front less susceptible to spatial and temporal perturbations in the strongly coupled geochemical and geomechanical processes.
Graphical abstract
Depleted oil reservoirs are considered
a viable solution to the
global challenge of CO
2
storage. A key concern is whether
the wells can be suitably sealed with cement to hinder the escape
of CO
2
. Under reservoir conditions, CO
2
is in
its supercritical state, and the high pressures and temperatures involved
make real-time microscopic observations of cement degradation experimentally
challenging. Here, we present an in situ 3D dynamic X-ray micro computed
tomography (μ-CT) study of well cement carbonation at realistic
reservoir stress, pore-pressure, and temperature conditions. The high-resolution
time-lapse 3D images allow monitoring the progress of reaction fronts
in Portland cement, including density changes, sample deformation,
and mineral precipitation and dissolution. By switching between flow
and nonflow conditions of CO
2
-saturated water through cement,
we were able to delineate regimes dominated by calcium carbonate precipitation
and dissolution. For the first time, we demonstrate experimentally
the impact of the flow history on CO
2
leakage risk for
cement plugging. In-situ μ-CT experiments combined with geochemical
modeling provide unique insight into the interactions between CO
2
and cement, potentially helping in assessing the risks of
CO
2
storage in geological reservoirs.
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