Reservoir Wettability Optimization for CO2 Sequestration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current carbon dioxide sequestration technologies face challenges in optimizing reservoir wettability to enhance sequestration capacity and reduce leakage risks, as the relationship between contact angle and seepage characteristics is not quantitatively understood, and existing methods for regulating rock wettability are not effective in ensuring safe and efficient storage.
Innovation Solution
A method involving reservoir wettability optimization design and layered regulation, which includes simulating carbon dioxide seepage characteristics, optimizing contact angles using uniform and two-layer designs, and injecting wetting-transition agents to regulate rock wettability, thereby improving sequestration capacity and reducing leakage risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If chemical agents are added to regulate rock wettability, then sequestration capacity is improved, but injection complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the wettability parameter of the reservoir rock by controlling the contact angle through chemical agents. By adjusting the contact angle parameter, the rock surface transitions from water-wet to CO2-wet, which directly improves sequestration capacity by enhancing CO2 trapping mechanisms while managing the complexity of chemical injection systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses chemical agents as intermediaries to regulate the interaction between CO2 and reservoir rock. These agents mediate the wettability change by modifying the rock surface properties, enabling improved sequestration capacity without requiring direct complex interaction between CO2 injection systems and rock formation.
2Quantity of substance
If uniform wettability regulation is applied throughout the reservoir, then sequestration capacity is improved, but injection cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies wettability regulation selectively in different zones of the reservoir based on local needs. By identifying and treating only the most effective zones for CO2 trapping, the method achieves improved sequestration capacity while reducing overall chemical agent consumption compared to uniform reservoir-wide treatment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the reservoir into multiple zones or layers and applies wettability regulation to specific segments rather than the entire reservoir. This segmentation allows targeted treatment of zones that provide the greatest sequestration benefit, optimizing the balance between capacity improvement and chemical usage.
3Quantity of substance
If contact angle is increased to improve sequestration capacity, then CO2 trapping is enhanced, but CO2 injectability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies wettability regulation before CO2 injection to prepare the reservoir for optimal sequestration. By pre-modifying the rock surface properties to achieve the desired contact angle, the system enhances CO2 trapping capacity while maintaining good injectability during the actual CO2 injection process, avoiding the trade-off that would occur if wettability were changed after injection begins.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically adjusts the contact angle and wettability characteristics during the CO2 sequestration process. By controlling the timing and extent of wettability modification, the system optimizes both injectability during CO2 injection and sequestration capacity during CO2 storage, allowing the contact angle to be adjusted to appropriate values at different stages of the process.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach quantitatively researches the influence of contact angle on carbon dioxide sequestration, enhances sequestration capacity, reduces leakage risks, and improves injectability by optimizing reservoir wettability through targeted contact angle adjustments and well layout strategies.
Implementation Method 1
Rock wettability regulation refers to the rock wettability regulation of the reservoir (4), which is to change the contact angle of liquid in the reservoir (4) by injecting wetting-transition agents into regulation layers with different heights, so as to change the wettability direction of rock pore surface
Implementation Method 2
The wettability of the rock affects the migration law, trapping capability, sequestration capacity and leakage possibility of carbon dioxide in a deep reservoir
Implementation Method 3
Once injected, as carbon dioxide is less dense than the surrounding environment, a carbon dioxide plume will be raised by buoyancy
Implementation Method 4
when encountering the cover, the carbon dioxide will be diffused laterally until a gap is encountered
Data Source
AI summary
A carbon dioxide sequestration method based on reservoir wettability optimization design and layered regulation, which proposes the following four schemes for a carbon dioxide sequestration process: a carbon dioxide sequestration process seepage characteristics simulation scheme, a reservoir wettability optimization design scheme, a reservoir wettability regulation scheme and a carbon dioxide sequestration well layout design scheme. Firstly, a quantitative relation between the contact angle and the carbon dioxide seepage characteristics of a reservoir is obtained by relevant methods, a large scale simulator is used to quantitatively simulate the influence of the contact angle distribution of the reservoir on carbon dioxide sequestration, and layered optimization design and regulation of reservoir wettability are carried out according to the simulation results; and a well layout mode of “using one well for multiple purposes—using two wells in conjunction—adopting a network layout” is used to improve the flexibility of well layout.