A vertically integrated model with vertical dynamics for CO₂ storage

Abstract

Conventional vertically integrated models for CO 2 storage usually adopt a vertical equilibrium (VE) assumption, which states that due to strong buoyancy, CO 2 and brine segregate quickly, so that the fluids can be assumed to have essentially hydrostatic pressure distributions in the vertical direction. However, the VE assumption is inappropriate when the time scale of fluid segregation is not small relative to the simulation time. By casting the vertically integrated equations into a multiscale framework, a new vertically integrated model can be developed that relaxes the VE assumption, thereby allowing vertical dynamics to be modeled explicitly. The model maintains much of the computational efficiency of vertical integration while allowing a much wider range of problems to be modeled. Numerical tests of the new model, using injection scenarios with typical parameter sets, show excellent behavior of the new approach for homogeneous geologic formations.

Connecting Pressure‐Saturation and Relative Permeability Models to Fracture Properties: The Case of Capillary‐Dominated Flow of Supercritical CO2 and Brine

“…The k rw increased with S w , while k rn decreased with S w based on our simulation results. This overall k r ‐ S w relationship is consistent with many numerical and experimental results through fractures (Guo et al, ; Nicholl et al, ; Watanabe et al, ; Ye et al, ), which is also similar to relationships in porous media (Raoof & Hassanizadeh, ).…”

“…Water Resources Research with many numerical and experimental results through fractures (Guo et al, 2014;Nicholl et al, 2000;Watanabe et al, 2015;Ye et al, 2015), which is also similar to relationships in porous media (Raoof & Hassanizadeh, 2012).…”

Gravity‐Induced Bubble Ripening in Porous Media and Its Impact on Capillary Trapping Stability

“…Solubility trapping is limited by the dissolution capacity of the in situ brine. Structural and stratigraphic trapping is less favorable over long times, as the mobile gas cap could leak through preexisting faults and fractures (Guo et al, 2014). By comparison, residual trapping offers higher storage capacity (bubbles need not dissolve) and is more stable due to strong capillary forces at the pore scale (Hagoort, 1988;Huppert & Neufeld, 2014;Pentland et al, 2011).…”

Existence of weak solutions for a nonlocal pseudo-parabolic model for Brinkman two-phase flow in asymptotically flat porous media

“…This leads to a z-independent pressure function in the limit, a result that is usually called the vertical equilibrium assumption, see e.g. [8]. This result is then used to reformulate the velocity components into nonlocal operators of saturation only, as in (3).…”