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  • Supercritical CO2 core floo...
    Shi, Ji-Quan; Xue, Ziqiu; Durucan, Sevket

    Energy procedia, 2011, 2011-00-00, Volume: 4
    Journal Article

    This paper reports a numerical simulation study of a full CO2 core flooding and imbibition cycle on a Berea sandstone core (measured 14.45 cm long and 3.67 cm in diameter). During the test, supercritical CO2 (at 10 MPa and 40 °C) and CO2-saturated brine was injected into one end of the horizontal core and a X-ray CT scanner (with a resolution of 0.35 mm × 0.35 mm) was employed to monitor and record changes in the fluid saturations, which enabled 3D mapping of the saturation profiles throughout the core during the course of core flooding test. From the digital CT saturation data, mean saturation profiles along the core length were plotted with time. A 1D model of the core was constructed to simulate the core flooding test and attempt was made to history match core test results, particularly the evolution of the mean CO2 saturation profiles during CO2 injection. Curve-fitting of the centrifugal air-water capillary pressure data (drainage) for the Berea core showed that the core test data could be adequately described by the Van Genuchten equation. The matched set of parameters (Slr, P0, m) were 0.09, 20 KPa, 0.425 respectively. In the absence of the relative permeability for the Berea core, it was decided to use the parameters obtained from matching the air-water capillary pressure data as a first approximation for the CO2-brine system in the model.