DC4-PhD: Exploring coupled THMC processes occurring in the caprock in highly instrumented sites

The project seeks to understand how interactive thermal-hydrological-mechanical-chemical processes affect the migration of CO2 within caprocks. These effects are to be investigated through numerical simulations of the Mont Terri injection CO2 experiments and other natural analogues. The findings will be used to improve the quantification of potential CO2 migration and leakage scenarios, as part of risk assessments for future CO2 storage offshore of Norway.

Objectives: Identification and classification of the factors controlling injected/migrated CO2 (e.g., using the case study results of the Mont Terri Rock Laboratory and using large-scale natural CO2 analogues and caprocks), including the determination of relevant geochemical reactions, phase partitioning and geo-mechanical controls on migration. The focus will be on quantitative and qualitative uncertainty analysis and interpretations of results through simulations of the relevant coupled processes using state-of-the-art simulation codes and though calibration to monitoring datasets (temperature, pressure, strain, and flow rates)

Expected Results: THMC simulations of relevant interactions between injected CO2 and caprock embedded in the CL-Experiment at Mont Terri (CO2LPIE, CO2 long-term periodic injection experiment) and application to mudrock sealing systems offshore Norway (e.g., Draupne shales of the Upper Jurassic Viking group). Based on findings, insights into consequences for caprock integrity will be drawn for different scenarios of gas and energy storage in the subsurface.

Doctoral Candidate: Tae Kwon Yun

Host Institution: Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Secondments: Craytive, University of Edinburgh, ETH Zurich