Supercritical CO2-water dynamic injection into porous sandstone: implications for carbon geosequestration
摘要
Injecting supercritical CO2 (scCO2) into deep saline aquifers is a promising strategy for large-scale CO2 emission mitigation. Although numerous studies have investigated scCO2 migration and displacement in porous sandstones, the dynamic displacement characteristics and the evolution of displacement efficiency under varying differential pressures remain poorly understood. Furthermore, few studies have distinguished displacement efficiency between dynamic displacement and equilibrium capillary state, limiting the accurate prediction of field-scale scCO2 storage efficiency. This study employs Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) techniques to investigate the dynamic displacement of water by scCO2 in porous sandstone under pressure differences ranging from 0.1 to 22 MPa. Two experimental series were conducted, namely, (i) a single drainage displacement of water by scCO2 under various pressure differentials, and (ii) a three-stage process involving scCO2 injection, water imbibition, and scCO2 re-injection. By integrating displacement data with pore-size distribution characteristics derived from mercury intrusion porosimetry, the capillary pressure curve of the sample was determined. The results reveal that dynamic displacement yields higher water saturation than the static capillary equilibrium state by approximately 20%–30%. Furthermore, the system exhibits strongly water-wet characteristics, where the non-wetting scCO2 phase preferentially invades larger pores, while elevated pressure differentials facilitate water displacement from smaller pores. Notably, cyclic displacement significantly enhances scCO2 displacement efficiency by 1.8%–9.3%, as evidenced by a reduction in water saturation during scCO2 re-injection stage. These findings provide insights into the multiphase flow dynamics of scCO2–water systems and offer a basis for optimizing CO2 storage strategies.