Effect of bedding planes, their orientation and clay depositions on effective re-injection of produced brine into clay rich deep sandstone formations: Implications for deep earth energy extraction

Abstract

The rapidly increasing world energy demand requires the development of deep earth energy extraction methods such as unconventional oil and gas production, including coal bed methane recovery (CBM) and utilisation of hot pore fluid in deep geothermal reservoirs. However, all these deep earth energy production methods are associated with huge wastewater (brine) production. Disposal of this brine has become a major challenge in the energy industry, as direct disposal is highly undesirable due to its organic and inorganic pollutant content and its high salinity. Re-injection of brine into deep aquifers is therefore a feasible option to overcome this issue and the flowability through the sediment..