Objective and hypothesis
CO2 injection into geological formations triggers complex physical and chemical interactions at different time and length scales. These interactions are critical to the evaluation of subsurface capacities, operational risks, and storage safety. This project aims to develop a next-generation compositional CO2 storage simulator with multiphase geochemical reactions. The simulator can be used in evaluating both the injection and the post-injection periods.

Approach
The project will develop the simulator using the novel RAND-based algorithms. The current multiphase geochemical equilibrium module will be extended by including kinetics and a database for relevant geochemical reactions. The module will be further improved with its code efficiency and reliability and integrated into an in-house compositional simulator for analysis of injection and storage problems at relatively short timescales. In collaboration with Stanford, the project will couple the simulator with the GEOSX simulator. The new GEOSX simulator will be applied to long time-scale post-injection simulations with coupled geomechanics.

Expected impact/output
The project will advance the simulation technology for geological CO2 storage. Furthermore, the project directly contributes to the de-risking of CO2 injection into different types of reservoirs, helping an early decision on the implementation of CO2 storage. The post-injection analysis will build public confidence in the long-term safety of CO2 storage, accelerating its implementation. The developed simulator will be disseminated as open-source code, thus benefiting the whole CCUS community. Industrial partners will benefit from the analysis of specific storage sites of their interest, helping decision-making on their investment in CO2 storage.