LAPSE:2023.33990
Published Article
LAPSE:2023.33990
Assessing Potential Thermo-Mechanical Impacts on Caprock Due to CO2 Injection—A Case Study from Northern Lights CCS
April 24, 2023
Due to significant temperature differences between the injected medium and in situ formation, injection of CO2 (as with water or other cold fluids) at depth induces thermal changes that must be accounted for a complete understanding of the mechanical integrity of the injection/storage system. Based on evaluations for the Northern Lights Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) project, we focus on thermal effects induced on the caprock via conduction from cooling in the storage sands below. We investigate, using both analytical and numerical approaches, how undrained effects within the low permeability caprock can lead to volumetric contraction differences between the rock framework and the pore fluid which induce both stress and pore pressure changes that must be properly quantified. We show that such undrained effects, while inducing a more complicated response in the stress changes in the caprock, do not necessarily lead to unfavourable tensile conditions, and may, in fact, lead to increases in effective stress. These observations build confidence in the integrity of the caprock/seal system. We also show, through conservative assumptions, that pressure communication between the caprock and storage sands may lead to a localised negative effective stress condition, challenging stability of the base caprock, which will be mitigated for in field development planning.
Keywords
caprock, CCS, geomechanics, thermal effects
Suggested Citation
Thompson N, Andrews JS, Bjørnarå TI. Assessing Potential Thermo-Mechanical Impacts on Caprock Due to CO2 Injection—A Case Study from Northern Lights CCS. (2023). LAPSE:2023.33990
Author Affiliations
Thompson N: Equinor ASA, 7053 Trondheim, Norway [ORCID]
Andrews JS: Equinor ASA, 4035 Stavanger, Norway
Bjørnarå TI: Norges Geotekniske Institutt, 0806 Oslo, Norway [ORCID]
Journal Name
Energies
Volume
14
Issue
16
First Page
5054
Year
2021
Publication Date
2021-08-17
Published Version
ISSN
1996-1073
Version Comments
Original Submission
Other Meta
PII: en14165054, Publication Type: Journal Article
Record Map
Published Article

LAPSE:2023.33990
This Record
External Link

doi:10.3390/en14165054
Publisher Version
Download
Files
[Download 1v1.pdf] (21.1 MB)
Apr 24, 2023
Main Article
License
CC BY 4.0
Meta
Record Statistics
Record Views
78
Version History
[v1] (Original Submission)
Apr 24, 2023
 
Verified by curator on
Apr 24, 2023
This Version Number
v1
Citations
Most Recent
This Version
URL Here
https://psecommunity.org/LAPSE:2023.33990
 
Original Submitter
Auto Uploader for LAPSE
Links to Related Works
Directly Related to This Work
Publisher Version