Numerical modelling of co2 migration through faulted storage strata with a new asynchronous fe-fv compositional simulator

Abstract

Simulation of unstable subsurface CO2 migration is challenging not only because of the accompanying thermalhydraulic- mechanical-chemical processes, but also because the interaction of the plume with geometrically complex geologic structures (e.g., faults and fractures) has to be resolved across a broad range of spatiotemporal scales. To address these challenges, we present a new hybrid finite element - finite volume simulator (ACGSS) for fully unstructured finite element meshes, including discrete representations of wells and intersecting faults. This compositional multi-phase multi-component transport scheme allows to model reactive miscible flow transport, phase transitions (e.g., CO2 dis..