Control of Cement Timing, Mineralogy, and Texture on Hydro-chemo-mechanical Coupling from CO 2 Injection into Sandstone: A Synthesis

Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) has been widely applied to enhance oil recovery (CO 2 -EOR). A thorough investigation of the impact of injecting CO 2 into a heterogeneous reservoir is critical to understanding the overall reservoir robustness and storage performance. We conducted fifteen flow-through tests on Morrow B sandstone that allowed for chemical reactions between a CO 2 -rich brackish solution and the sandstones, and four creep/flow-through tests that simultaneously allowed for chemical reactions and stress monitoring. From fluid chemistry and X-ray computed tomography, we found that the dissolution of disseminated cements and the precipitation of iron-rich clays did not significantly affect the permeability and geomechanical properties. Minor changes in mechanical properties from Brazilian and creep tests indicated that the matrix structure was well-supported by early diagenetic quartz overgrowth cement and the reservoir’s compaction history at deep burial depths. However, one sample experienced a dissolution of poikilotopic calcite, leading to a permeability increase and significant tensile strength degradation due to pore opening, which overcame the effect of the early diagenetic cements. We concluded that the Morrow B sandstone reservoir is robust for CO 2 injection. Most importantly, cement timing, the abundance and texture of reactive minerals, and the reservoir’s burial history are critical in predicting reservoir robustness and storage capacity for CO 2 injection.