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Non-isothermal modeling of CO2 injection into saline aquifers at a low temperature

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Abstract

To investigate the effects of temperature on the CO2 storage in the deep saline aquifers, we set up a 2-D non-isothermal numerical model with simulating the CO2 injection into the aquifers at a low temperature. The evolution of the CO2 plume and the temperature in the aquifer were studied, and using temperature signal to monitor the arrival of CO2 plume was also evaluated. In addition, the deviance of the isothermal model was analyzed. The results show when the cold CO2 is injected into the aquifers, the aquifer can be divided into three zones in the direction away from the injection well during the injection period: temperature drop zone, temperature transition zone, and temperature rise zone. The temperature rise can reach approximately 1 °C in the temperature rise zone during the injection period, which should be enough for the temperature sensor to detect the arrival of the CO2 plume. However, the value of the temperature rise reduces with distance from the injection well. Consequently, we indicate that it is not suitable to monitor the long-term migration of the CO2 plume using temperature signal, especially after the injection stops. The initial formation temperature strongly affects the evolution of the CO2 plume and the temperature distribution after the CO2 injection. Not only the storage is safer, but also using temperature signal to monitor CO2 plume is more feasible in the cold aquifer. The deviance of the isothermal model is small in the mass fraction of dissolved CO2 and the arrival time of CO2 plume throughout the simulation. However, the deviance of pressure buildup is great and increases with time (up to 15 %) during the injection period. The non-isothermal model is necessary to accurately assess the pressure buildup around the injection well during the CO2 injection period.

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Acknowledgments

We thank two anonymous reviewers for their constructive suggestions for improving the quality of the manuscript. This study was supported by the Project of National Sciences Foundation of China (No. 41172217 and No. 41402212) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan) (No. CUGL140814).

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  1. Department of Water Resources and Hydrogeology, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, 388 Lumo Road, Hongshan District, Wuhan, 430074, People’s Republic of China

    Ruirui Zhao & Jianmei Cheng

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  1. Ruirui Zhao
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  2. Jianmei Cheng
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Correspondence to Jianmei Cheng.

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Zhao, R., Cheng, J. Non-isothermal modeling of CO2 injection into saline aquifers at a low temperature. Environ Earth Sci 73, 5307–5316 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-014-3781-9

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