Coupled Multi-physics analysis of Caprock Integrity and Fault Reactivation during CO2 Sequestration*

Structural/stratigraphic trapping beneath a low-permeable caprock layer is the primary trapping mechanism for long-term subsurface sequestration of CO2. Pre-existing fracture networks, injection induced fractures, and faults are of concern for possible CO2 leakage both during and after injection. In this work we model the effects of both caprock jointing and a fault on the caprock sealing integrity during various injection scenarios. The modeling effort uses a three-dimensional finite-element based coupled multiphase flow and geomechanics simulator. The joints within the caprock are idealized as equally spaced and parallel. Both the mechanical and flow behavior of the joint network are treated within an effective continuum formulation. The mechanical behavior of the joint network is linear elastic in shear and nonlinear elastic in the normal direction. The flow behavior of the joint network is treated using the classical cubic-law relating flow rate and aperture. The flow behavior is then upscaled to obtain an effective permeability. The fault is modeled as a finite-thickness layer with multiple joint sets. The joint sets within the fault region are modeled following the same mechanical and flow formulation as the joints within the caprock. Various injection schedules as well as fault and caprock jointing configurations within a proto-typical sequestration site have been investigated. The resulting leakage rates through the caprock and fault are compared to those assuming intact material. The predicted leakage rates are a strong nonlinear function of the injection rate. *This material is based upon work supported as part of the Center for Frontiers of Subsurface Energy Security, an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences under Award Number DE-SC0001114. Sandia is a multi-program laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin Company, for the United States Department of Energys National Nuclear Security Administration under Contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.