Modeling CO2 Flow in Porous Media

Ernst A. van Nierop, Antonio C. Baclig

C12 Energy ernst@c12energy.com RECS June 6th, 2012, Birmingham AL.

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Outline

Short review of fluid mechanics

From Navier-Stokes to Darcys Law.

Upscaling multi-phase flow from pores to reservoirs

Relative permeability, capillary trapping, and so forth.

Demonstration with a commercial simulator

Walk through set-up of simulation, play with results. Plume evolution with & without geologic structure Effect of gridding Effect of heterogeneity Long term fate of CO2, and engineering the reservoir Area of Review determination by pressure or CO2 plume size

Short review of fluid mechanics

1.

Take groups of fluid molecules (the continuum approach) Apply a stress or shear to them

2.

3.

Ask yourself: How will the parcel of fluid respond? Will it deform? Expand? Move out of the way?
Five unknowns: density (r), pressure (p), velocity (u = [u,v,w]), Five equations: mass conservation (continuity) momentum conservation (in [x, y, z]) equation of state (relates r to p, and other state variables)
Acknowledgement: these slides are based on course notes by Prof. H.A. Stone.
more

4.

5.

Mass conservation (continuity)

A
flow

p(x; t) (x; t) u(x; t)

p(x + x; t) (x + x; t) u(x + x; t)

flow

time rate of change of the mass in V

rate of mass flow _ rate of mass flow out of V into V

@ @t ( A x)

= ( u A)jx ( u A)jx+x
@ @t

In the limit of small Dx, and for flow in 3-D, this becomes:

+ r ( u) = 0

Momentum conservation (1/2)

A
flow

p(x; t) (x; t) u(x; t)

p(x + x; t) (x + x; t) u(x + x; t)

flow

time rate of change of momentum in V =

@ @t ( A x u)
@ ( u) @t @( u2 ) @x

net flow of momentum into V

forces acting on the surface of V

= ( u A u)jx ( u A u)jx+x + (p A)jx (p A)jx+x

@p = @x

, which, combined with continuity, gives:

@ u
@t

+u

@u @x

But something is missing.... what about other forces on the surface of V?

@p = @x

Momentum conservation (2/2)

A
flow

p(x; t) (x; t) u(x; t)

p(x + x; t) (x + x; t) u(x + x; t)

flow

More general formulation: Cauchy stress equation of motion

body forces e.g. gravity, electric fields, etc.

@ u
@t

+ u ru = f + r T

for convenience, we write:

T = pe I +
stresses that DO depend on u

surface forces e.g. pressure, friction (viscosity), etc.

stresses that do NOT depend on u

For example, fluid statics: u = 0, f = g and (Remember, we had

@ u
@t

+u

@u @x

= 0; so 0 = g rp
before.)

@p = @x

Momentum conservation (2/2)

A
flow

p(x; t) (x; t) u(x; t)

p(x + x; t) (x + x; t) u(x + x; t)

flow

More general formulation: Cauchy stress equation of motion

body forces e.g. gravity, electric fields, etc.

@ u
@t

+ u ru = f + r T

for convenience, we write:

T = pe I +
stresses that DO depend on u

surface forces e.g. pressure, friction (viscosity), etc.

stresses that do NOT depend on u

Viscosity is just the coefficient that relates stress to velocity gradients. Thus, in its most common form, the Navier-Stokes equations are:
@ @t

must depend on gradients of fluid velocity, so in its simplest form, = ru

(ut + u ru) = rp + r2 u + g

+ r ( u) = 0

Navier-Stokes in words

(ut + u ru) = rp + r2 u + g
fluid particles are neither generated or destroyed, they just move around fluids will move when subjected to pressure gradients and external foces, but viscosity will always resist the fluid motion

@ @t

+ r ( u) = 0

Simple (but very relevant!) application why you should watch your cholesterol

1. gravity neglected 2. steady flow 3. incompressible 4. uni-directional flow

@ @t

ut = 0 = constant; ) r u = 0 u = u ) r u = du = 0 ) u ru = 0 dx
)
dp dx

+ r ( u) = 0 (ut + u ru) = rp + r2u + g

Integrate with respect to r :
du dr

r dp 2 dx , and again:

Integrate over tube cross section to get total flow:

dp Q = 8 dx R4

du = r dr 2 dp 2 r u = R dx 1 R2 4
d r dr

A 10% reduction in R raises dp/dx (or reduces Q) by 35%!

Spot the similarities...

Flow through a tube

u
p1

viscosity m

p2

2 dp r u = R dx 1 R2 4
2

Flow through a rock

Darcys Law

u
p1

viscosity m

permeability k porosity f L
p2

dp u = k dx

Another approach: Darcys experiment

Outline

Short review of fluid mechanics

From Navier-Stokes to Darcys Law.

Upscaling multi-phase flow from pores to reservoirs

Relative permeability, capillary trapping, and so forth.

Demonstration with a commercial simulator

Walk through set-up of simulation, play with results. Plume evolution with & without geologic structure Effect of gridding Effect of heterogeneity Long term fate of CO2, and engineering the reservoir Area of Review determination by pressure or CO2 plume size

Darcys law for multi-phase flow (1/2)

pg ; g ; g
CO2

pw; w; w
water

Added challenges to incorporate:

1. 2. 3. 4. surface tension density differences viscosity differences rock wettability

(affects capillary pressure, and relative permeability) (affects buoyancy) (affects relative permeability) (affects relative permeability)

For example, within the gas phase....

ug =

k kr;g g

(rpg + g)
dp u = k dx )

(For single phase flow, it was:

Darcys law for multi-phase flow (2/2)

g ; g
CO2

w; w
water

uw =
ug =

k kr;w w

rPw =

k kr;w w

(rpw g)

k kr;g g

rPg =

k kr;g g

(rpg + g)

= w g
pg pw = pc 2 Rpore

How do we go from flow at the pore scale, to flow at the reservoir scale? The (imperfect, yet sort of useful) answer: relative permeability. It is impractical to know and model all pores and channels perfectly.

Relative Permeability
Bachu & Bennion, Env. Geo. 54, (2008)

drainage (CO2 injection)

imbibition (post-injection)

The more there is of stuff X, the easier it is for stuff X to flow.

Capillary Trapping

http://www2.bren.ucsb.edu/~keller/micromodels.htm

Capillary Trapping in Simulation hysteresis in krelative

kr,i 1 kr,w

0.5

max. residual gas

0

kr,g 0 1 Sw 0.5 1 0

connate water saturation

Sg

Capillary Pressure: the way it is presented

Capillary Pressure

Water Saturation, Sw

connate water saturation

Capillary Pressure: what it actually is

g ; g
CO2

w; w
water
pg pw = pc 2 Rpore

Bachu & Bennion, Env. Geo. 54, (2008)

Outline

Short review of fluid mechanics

From Navier-Stokes to Darcys Law.

Upscaling multi-phase flow from pores to reservoirs

Relative permeability, capillary trapping, and so forth.

Demonstration with a commercial simulator

Walk through set-up of simulation, play with results. Plume evolution with & without geologic structure Effect of gridding Effect of heterogeneity Long term fate of CO2, and engineering the reservoir Area of Review determination by pressure or CO2 plume size

With and Without Structure

5 degree dip 0.5 Mt/yr for 15 years ~ 1,400 m depth T = 40oC Salinity = 15,000 ppm TDS Grid block sizes: 100 m x 100 m x 10 m

Parabolic anticline 0.5 Mt/yr for 15 years ~ 1,450 m depth T = 40oC Salinity = 15,000 ppm TDS Grid block sizes: 100 m x 100 m x 5 m

Without structure, top-view

5 years (post injection)
10 years

15 years

50 years

With structure, top-view

5 years (post-injection)

10 years

15 years

50 years

Effect of Gridding: coarse vs. telescopic

Effect of Gridding: coarse vs. telescopic

50% increase in R so 125% increase in footprint

Effect of Gridding: coarse

Effect of Gridding: telescopic

Effect of Heterogeneity

Permeability Model

Homogeneous Permeability CO2 Plume

Heterogeneous Permeability Channels

Slope of 8% 100 kt/yr for 5 years no-flow boundary conditions

Long term fate of CO2

mobile

residually trapped dissolved

Long term fate of CO2: reservoir engineering

mobile mobile

residually trapped residually trapped dissolved

dissolved

Calculating Area of Review

Area of Review is defined as the area within which the CO2 sequestration project could cause endangerment to a USDW.

Endangerment comes from presence of mobile CO2, and from increased pressure that can push brine into the nearest USDW through leakage pathways. MESPOP maximum extent of separate phase or pressure

Conservatively, guidance recommends assuming that there is an open borehole somewhere, and calculating the maximum pressure rise in the injection reservoir that would just prevent brine from reaching the USDW through that open borehole....

Area of Review: example

injection well abandoned open borehole surface

rw
USDW
D

H
caprock injection formation

rb

Pressure rise required to push column of brine up from injection formation to USDW (assuming open frictionless borehole, and initially hydrostatic pressures):

Dp = (rb-rw) g H
or, in normalized form:

Dp/p = ((rb-rw)/ rw) (H/D)

Area of Review: two examples

injection well abandoned open borehole surface

rw
D H USDW caprock

Dp/p = ((rb-rw)/ rw) (H/D)

rb

injection formation

1. High salinity & large H/D (Illinois) rb = 1200 kg/m3, H = 2000 m, D = 2050 m Dp/p = 19.5%
2. Low salinity & small H/D (North Dakota) rb = 1005 kg/m3, H = 1000 m, D = 1500 m Dp/p = 0.3%

Area of Review: two examples

3.5 yrs into injection End of Injection

1.

High salinity & large H/D (Illinois) 3, H = 2000 m, D = 2050 m rb = 1200 kg/m Dp/p = 19.5% Low salinity & small H/D (North Dakota) 3, H = 1000 m, D = 1500 m rb = 1005 kg/m Dp/p = 0.3%

2.

Points for further thought

Types of Modeling
Finite difference Streamlines Vertical equilibrium Invasion percolation

What to look for as a regulator

how are uncertainties accounted for? (statistics, ensembles, deterministic worst-case scenarios, etc.) technical merits of simulations (numerical settings, gridding, boundary conditions, etc.)

Geochemistry, geomechanics, well design, etc.

Questions?
Contact Information:
Ernst A. van Nierop ernst@c12energy.com tel: 617-849-8006

Additional Slides

The continuum assumption

Continuum = averaging. This is OK if the length scale and time scale of the averaging is much smaller than the scales of the motion we are interested in.

If the flow occurs over the macro length scale, it will be described well by fluid properties that are averaged on a smaller ave scale. This length scale needs to be larger again than the molecular scale on which stuff actually happens.

1 m3 contains about 3 1010 water molecules or 1010 benzene mols., or 107 gas molecules. Even if it is 100 times smaller on each side (10 nm 10 nm 10 nm), there are still 104 molecules in a liquid. Typical collision time scales are 1012 s, so the time scale is not a problem in most cases.
Statistical physics tells us that thermal fluctuations scale as dN N1/2 so if we require the average to work well, i.e. be within 10% of the fluctuations, then we require dN/N N-1/2 <0.1; or N 100 particles!
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