• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.10-18
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• 2006

We measured the changes in P-wave velocity that occur when injecting $CO_2$ in gaseous, liquid, and supercritical phases into water-saturated anisotropic sandstones. P-wave velocities were measured in two cylindrical samples of Tako Sandstone, drilled along directions normal and parallel to the bedding plane, using a piezo-electric transducer array system. The velocity changes caused by $CO_2$ injection are typically -6% on average, with maximum values about -16% for the case of supercritical $CO_2$ injection. P-wave velocity tomograms obtained by the differential arrival-time method clearly show that $CO_2$ migration behaviour is more complex when $CO_2$ flows normal to the bedding plane than when it flows parallel to bedding. We also found that the differences in P-wave velocity images were associated both with the $CO_2$ phases and with heterogeneity of pore distribution in the rocks. Seismic images showed that the highest velocity reduction occurred for supercritical $CO_2$ injection, compared with gaseous or liquid $CO_$ injection. This result may justify the use of the seismic method for $CO_2$ monitoring in geological sequestration.

• Clean Technology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2008

Removal of paraffin wax from a ceramic injection mold using supercritical $CO_2$ has been studied. The paraffin wax is used as a binder in the ceramic injection molding process. The effects of pressure, temperature and flow rate of supercritical $CO_2$ on the removal of the paraffin wax were investigated. The removal rates were measured with various flow rates of $CO_2$ in the range of 328.15 - 348.15 K and 15 - 30 MPa. The removal rate of paraffin wax increased as the pressure increased. In the effect of temperature, the paraffin wax was effectively removed over 329.15K (melting point of paraffin wax), however, the efffct of temperature was not significant when the temperature was further increased. The increase of $CO_2$ flow rate also affected the removal of paraffin wax. However, the effect of flow rate was not observed when the flow rate reached a certain value. Propane was used as a co solvent in order to remove the paraffin wax effectively. When the propane was added to the $CO_2$, the removal efficiency was improved. The paraffin wax was completely removed from the ceramic injection mold without any change in their shape and the structure.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.221-234
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• 2013

Laboratory experiments for the reaction with supercritical $CO_2$ under the $CO_2$ sequestration condition were performed to investigate the mineralogical and geochemical weathering process of the sandstones and mudstones in the Pohang basin. To simulate the supercritical $CO_2$-rock-groundwater reaction, rock samples used in the experiment were pulverized and the high pressurized cell (200 ml of capacity) was filled with 100 ml of groundwater and 30 g of powdered rock samples. The void space of the high pressurized cell was saturated with the supercritical $CO_2$ and maintained at 100 bar and $50^{\circ}C$ for 60 days. The changes of mineralogical and geochemical properties of rocks were measured by using XRD (X-Ray Diffractometer) and BET (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller). Concentrations of dissolved cations in groundwater were also measured for 60 days of the supercritical $CO_2$-rock-groundwater reaction. Results of XRD analyses indicated that the proportion of plagioclase and K-feldspar in the sandstone decreased and the proportion of illite, pyrite and smectite increased during the reaction. In the case of mudstone, the proportion of illite and kaolinite and cabonate-fluorapatite increased during the reaction. Concentration of $Ca^{2+}$ and $Na^+$ dissolved in groundwater increased during the reaction, suggesting that calcite and feldspars of the sandstone and mudstone would be significantly dissolved when it contacts with supercritical $CO_2$ and groundwater at $CO_2$ sequestration sites in Pohang basin. The average specific surface area of sandstone and mudstone using BET analysis increased from $27.3m^2/g$ and $19.6m^2/g$ to $28.6m^2/g$ and $26.6m^2/g$, respectively, and the average size of micro scale void spaces for the sandstone and mudstone decreased over 60 days reaction, resulting in the increase of micro pore spaces of rocks by the dissolution. Results suggested that the injection of supercritical $CO_2$ in Pohang basin would affect the physical property change of rocks and also $CO_2$ storage capacity in Pohang basin.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.388-396
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• 2010

As a part of basic studies on monitoring and saturation estimation of carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) storage using resistivity survey, laboratory experiment has been conducted to measure the change of the electrical resistivity through repeated experiments of supercritical $CO_2$ and brine water injection into homogeneous and heterogeneous sandstones. The $CO_2$ saturation is estimated by using resistivity index based on the resistivity measurements. The experimental results of two types of sandstones show that the effect of pore structure in the rock and the effect of contained clay minerals in the rock can be affected to calculate the $CO_2$ saturation. The result can be useful to evaluate the $CO_2$ saturation based on resistivity survey at the site where $CO_2 sequestrates.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.58-68
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• 2011

As part of basic studies of monitoring carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) storage using electrical and seismic surveys, laboratory experiments have been conducted to measure resistivity and P-wave velocity changes due to the injection of $CO_2$ into water-saturated sandstone. The rock sample used is a cylinder of Berea sandstone. $CO_2$ was injected under supercritical conditions (10 MPa, $40^{\circ}C$). The experimental results show that resistivity increases monotonously throughout the injection period, while P-wave velocity and amplitude decrease drastically due to the supercritical $CO_2$ injection. A reconstructed P-wave velocity tomogram clearly images $CO_2$ migration in the sandstone sample. Both resistivity and seismic velocity are useful for monitoring $CO_2$ behaviour. P-wave velocity, however, is less sensitive than resistivity when the $CO_2$ saturation is greater than ~20%. The result indicates that the saturation estimation from resistivity can effectively complement the difficulty of $CO_2$ saturation estimations from seismic velocity variations. By combining resistivity and seismic velocity we were able to estimate $CO_2$ saturation distribution and the injected $CO_2$ behaviour in our sample.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2007.06a
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• pp.173-178
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• 2007

Time-lapse electrical resistivity measurements have been made in a scale model experiment for geological $CO_2$ sequestration in aquifer. Three types of $CO_2$ injection are tested in a water tank filled with glass beads. These are $CO_2$ dissolved into filtered tap water, $CO_2$ gas, and mineral oil. The mineral oil is a substitute for liquid phase of supercritical $CO_2$. For reconstructing three-dimensional resistivity images, we measure potential differences at 32 potential dipoles on the top surface of the tank due to two current dipoles on the front and back sides. The resultant resistivity images clearly show the movement of injected $CO_2$ in aquifer.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.661-672
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• 2012

Lab scale experiments to investigate the dissolution reaction among supercritical $CO_2$-sandstone-groundwater by using sandstones from Gyeongsang basin were performed. High pressurized cell system (100 bar and $50^{\circ}C$) was designed to create supercritical $CO_2$ in the cell, simulating the sub-surface $CO_2$ storage site. The first-order dissolution coefficient ($k_d$) of the sandstone was calculated by measuring the change of the weight of thin section or the concentration of ions dissolved in groundwater at the reaction time intervals. For 30 days of the supercritical $CO_2$-sandstone-groundwater reaction, physical properties of sandstone cores in Gyeongsang basin were measured to investigate the effect of supercritical $CO_2$ on the sandstone. The weight change of sandstone cores was also measured to calculate the dissolution coefficient and the dissolution time of 1 g per unit area (1 $cm^2$) of each sandstone was quantitatively predicted. For the experiment using thin sections, mass of $Ca^{2+}$ and $Na^+$ dissolved in groundwater increased, suggesting that plagioclase and calcite of the sandstone would be significantly dissolved when it contacts with supercritical $CO_2$ and groundwater at $CO_2$ sequestration sites. 0.66% of the original thin sec-tion mass for the sandstone were dissolved after 30 days reaction. The average porosity for C sandstones was 8.183% and it increased to 8.789% after 30 days of the reaction. The average dry density, seismic velocity, and 1-D compression strength of sandstones decreased and these results were dependent on the porosity increase by the dissolution during the reaction. By using the first-order dissolution coefficient, the average time to dissolve 1 g of B and C sandstones per unit area (1 $cm^2$) was calculated as 1,532 years and 329 years, respectively. From results, it was investigated that the physical property change of sandstones at Gyeongsang basin would rapidly occur when the supercritical $CO_2$ was injected into $CO_2$ sequestration sites.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.10-18
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• 2021

CO₂ storage technology in an aquifer is one of the most effective way to decrease global warming due to a high storage capacity and economics. A demonstration-scale offshore CO₂ storage project was performed in a geological deep aquifer in the Pohang Basin, Korea for a technological development of large-scale CO₂ storage. A challenging issue in the early design stage of the project was to establish the proper injectivity during CO₂ injection. To solve this issue, injection conditions were calculated by calculating injection rate, pressure, temperature, CO₂ phase change, and thermodynamic properties. For this study, we simulated and numerically analyzed CO₂ phase change from gas to supercritical phase and flow behavior in transport piping and injection tubing using OLGA program. Our results provide the injectivity conditions of CO₂ injection system combined with a bottomhole pressure of an aquifer.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.73-82
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• 2015

Despite significant effects on macroscopic migration and distribution of CO₂ injected during geological sequestration, only limited information is available on wettability in microscopic scCO₂-brine-mineral systems due to difficulties in pore-scale observation. In this study, a micromodel had been developed to improve our understanding of how scCO₂ flooding and residual characteristics of porewater are affected by the wettability in scCO₂-water-glass bead systems. The micromodel (a transparent pore structure made of glass beads and glass plates) in a pressurized chamber provided the opportunity to visualize scCO₂ spreading and porewater displacement. CO₂ flooding followed by fingering migration and dewatering followed by formation of residual water were observed through an imaging system. Measurement of contact angles of residual porewater in micromodels were conducted to estimate wettability in a scCO₂-water-glass bead system. The measurement revealed that the brine-3M NaCl solution-is a wetting fluid and the surface of glass beads is water-wet. It is also found that the contact angle at equilibrium decreases as the pressure decreases, whereas it increases as the salinity increases. Such changes in wettability may significantly affect the patterns of scCO₂ migration and porewater residence during the process of CO₂ injection into a saline aquifer at high pressures.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.29-37
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• 2016

CO₂ injection well sealant is vulnerable to supercritical CO₂ (scCO₂) exposure. To develop an alternative to the conventional sealant system (class G cement/class F fly ash), the performance of slag cement (SPC) systems containing class F fly ash (FFA) or class C fly ash (CFA) was evaluated and compared with the conventional sealant under scCO₂ conditions. All sealant systems showed an immediate increase in compressive strength upon scCO₂ exposure and, at 37.6 MPa, SPC/CFA showed the highest compressive strength after 14 days, which was much higher than the 29.8 MPa of the conventional sealant system. Substantial decreases in porosity were observed in all sealant systems, which were partly responsible for the increase in strength. Carbonation reactions led to pH decreases in the tested sealants from 12.5 to 10~11.6. In particular, the greatest decrease in pH in slag cement/class C fly ash probably supported relatively sustainable alkali activation reactions and the integrity of cement hydrates in this system. XRD revealed the presence of CaCO₃ and a decrease in the content of cement hydrates in the tested sealants upon scCO₂ exposure. TGA demonstrated a greater increase of CaCO₃ and calcium-silicate-hydrate phases in SPC/CFA than in the conventional sealant upon scCO₂ exposure.