CO2 Geological storage is one of the key technologies to address global climate changes and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Large-scale CO2 injection into the formation is prone to inducing CO2 leakage problem. In particular, the leakage problem of CO2 through caprock includes capillary leakage, hydraulic fracture and leakage along pre-existing faults crossing caprock. Therefore, evaluation of caprock seal is crucial for prediction of long-term safety and stability of CO2 geological storage. This paper provides an overview of the current status of research on sealing mechanisms, influencing factors, and damage modes affecting caprock seal of CO2 geological storage. It is concluded that caprock seal mechanisms include capillary seal, hydraulic seal, and overpressure seal. The main influencing factors of caprock seal characteristics include caprock lithology, mudrock-sand ratio, caprock mechanical properties, and sequestration pressure. Then, the damage modes of caprock seal during CO2 injection are illustrated, and some insight into the shortcoming of caprock seal is provided.
CHEN Bowen, WANG Rui, LI Qi, ZHOU Yinbang, TAN Yongsheng, DAI Quanqi, ZHANG Yao
. Status and Advances of Research on Caprock Sealing Properties of CO2 Geological Storage[J]. Geological Journal of China Universities, 2023
, 29(1)
: 85
-99
.
DOI: 10.16108/j.issn1006-7493.2023010