Investigation of relative flow characteristics of brine-saturated reservoir formation: A numerical study of the Hawkesbury formation

Abstract

Precise knowledge of the relative flow behaviour of CO2 and brine during CO2 sequestration in deep saline aquifers and its impact on the sequestration process is required to ensure the safety and efficiency of sequestration projects. This numerical study therefore aims to identify the interaction-induced relative flow behaviour of reservoir rock and its influence on the hydro-mechanical and geochemical phenomena in deep saline aquifers. COMSOL Multiphysics numerical simulator was used to develop a laboratory-scale relative flow model to simulate the CO2 movement and brine drainage processes in brine-saturated Hawkesbury sandstone samples and finally, was extended it into a field-scale numeri..