Impacts of the use of the geological subsurface for energy storage: an investigation concept

Bauer, Sebastian; Beyer, Christof; Dethlefsen, Frank; Dietrich, Peter; Duttmann, Rainer; Ebert, M.; Feeser, Volker; Görke, Uwe–Jens; Köber, Ralf; Kolditz, Olaf; Rabbel, Wolfgang; Schanz, Tom; Schäfer, Dirk; Würdemann, Hilke; Dahmke, Andreas

doi:10.1007/s12665-013-2883-0

Cited by 156 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…As ageing hydrocarbon fields approach the end of their productive and economic life [63,81,125], and as various options for their potential reuse, such as geological storage of CO 2 [3,50,127] or of energy [8,52,99] emerge, wellbore sealing issues are becoming ever more important [5,19]. In particular, effective plug and wellbore sealing procedures, ensuring long-term zonal isolation, are essential (a) for complying with increasingly stringent environmental regulations applying to well and reservoir abandonment [109] and (b) for enabling reuse of reservoirs in future applications [51].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reaction-driven casing expansion: potential for wellbore leakage mitigation

2017

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It is generally challenging to predict the postabandonment behaviour and integrity of wellbores. Leakage is, moreover, difficult to mitigate, particularly between the steel casing and outer cement sheath. Radially expanding the casing with some form of internal plug, thereby closing annular voids and fractures around it, offers a possible solution to both issues. However, such expansion requires development of substantial internal stresses. Chemical reactions that involve a solid volume increase and produce a force of crystallisation (FoC), such as CaO hydration, offer obvious potential. However, while thermodynamically capable of producing stresses in the GPa range, the maximum stress obtainable by CaO hydration has not been validated or determined experimentally. Here, we report uniaxial compaction/expansion experiments performed in an oedometer-type apparatus on precompacted CaO powder, at 65°C and at atmospheric pore fluid pressure. Using this set-up, the FoC generated during CaO hydration could be measured directly. Our results show FoC-induced stresses reaching up to 153 MPa, with reaction stopping or slowing down before completion. Failure to achieve the GPa stresses predicted by theory is attributed to competition between FoC development and its inhibiting effect on reaction progress. Microstructural observations indicate that reaction-induced stresses shut down pathways for water into the sample, hampering ongoing reaction and limiting the magnitude of stress build-up to the values observed. The results nonetheless point the way to understanding the behaviour of such systems and to finding engineering solutions that may allow large controlled stresses and strains to be achieved in wellbore sealing operations in future.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reaction-driven casing expansion: potential for wellbore leakage mitigation

2017

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“…Investigations on the issues of UHS implementing several German UGS as well as impacts of the use and parametrization of the geological subsurface for energy storage are currently being conducted within the framework of the German National joint research projects H2STORE (Ganzer et al 2013) and ANGUS? (Bauer et al 2013;Dethlefsen et al 2014). Such a cyclic storage of hydrogen gas is similar to the intermediate storage of natural gas which is needed to maintain the annual balance (Carden and Paterson 1979;Bulatov 1979).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mathematical modeling of unstable transport in underground hydrogen storage

et al. 2015

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Within the framework of energy transition, hydrogen has a great potential as a clean energy carrier. The conversion of electricity into hydrogen for storage and transport is an efficient technological solution, capable of significantly reducing the problem of energy shortage. Underground hydrogen storage (UHS) is the best solution to store the large amount of excess electrical energy arising from the excessive over-production of electricity, with the objective of balancing the irregular and intermittent energy production, typical of renewable sources such as windmills or solar. Earlier studies have demonstrated that UHS should be qualitatively identical to the underground storage of natural gas. Much later, however, it was revealed that UHS is bound to incur peculiar difficulties, as the stored hydrogen is likely to be used by the microorganisms present in the rocks for their metabolism, which may cause significant losses of hydrogen. This paper demonstrates that besides microbial activities, the hydrodynamic behavior of UHS is very unique and different from that of a natural gas storage.

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“…Planning of subsurface use requires consideration of thermal, hydraulic, mechanical and chemical effects for efficient geotechnical use of geological reservoirs (Bauer et al 2013). During drilling and coring of deep boreholes, the use of drill mud is necessary to lubricate the drill bit, transport cuttings to the surface, and stabilize and maintain bottom-hole pressure.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%