Assessment of CO2/shale interfacial tension

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Title

Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects

Volume

627

Publisher

Elsevier

School

School of Engineering

RAS ID

38792

Comments

Al-Yaseri, A., Abdulelah, H., Yekeen, N., Ali, M., Negash, B. M., & Zhang, Y. (2021). Assessment of CO2/shale interfacial tension. Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 627, article 127118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfa.2021.127118

Abstract

Caprocks/CO2 interfacial tension (γsc) is an essential parameter that helps to provide insights into the interaction between CO2and caprocks. Lower values of γsc suggest stronger CO2- caprocks interaction (lower CO2capacity is inferred) and vice versa. Rocks/CO2 interfacial tension also explains why different minerals have different wettability to CO2 at the same pressure and temperature. Two caprock samples acquired from a potential CO2 storage site in New South Wales in Australia were used in this work. All the laboratory measurements were conducted at varying pressure from 5 MPa to 20 MPa and a temperature of 343 K. Our findings suggest that solid/CO2 interfacial tension (γsc) in caprocks is highly dependent on total organic carbon (TOC) percentage, pressure, and quartz content. γsc in sample-2 of higher TOC and quartz (TOC =0.11 wt%, quartz = 62%) is lower than γsc in sample-1 of lower TOC and quartz (TOC =0.081 wt%, quartz = 31%. The higher percentage of TOC and quartz increases the hydrophobic sites available in the sample, allowing stronger affinity towards CO2. Lower interfacial tension implies a stronger affinity of CO2 towards caprock surface (the high chance that CO2 will enter through caprocks and causes leakage). Therefore, it can be inferred that high TOC caprocks offer a lower CO2 trapping integrity, hence reducing their CO2 storage capacity. A remarkable relationship between solid/CO2 interfacial tension and CO2 density–which is easy to determine – at different pressures (up to 20 MPa) and 343 K temperature was also demonstrated in this work. This insight can significantly enhance Carbon Geosequestration processes' fundamental understanding.

DOI

10.1016/j.colsurfa.2021.127118

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Link to publisher version (DOI)

10.1016/j.colsurfa.2021.127118