Multiscale Modeling of CO2 Migration and Trapping in Fractured Reservoirs with Validation by Model Comparison and Real-Site Applications Final Technical Report Reporting Period: 10/01/2014 through 09/30/2018 Michael A. Celia, professor, celia@princeton.edu, 609-258-5425 Karl W. Bandilla, associate research scholar, bandilla@princeton.edu DOE Award #: DE-FE0023323 01/18/19 The Trustees of Princeton University New South Building ORPA, P.O. BOX 36 Princeton, NJ 08544-2020 2 Disclaimer This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof. 3 Abstract This report documents the accomplishments achieved during the project titled “Multiscale Modeling of CO2 Migration and Trapping in Fractured Reservoirs with Validation by Model Comparison and Real-Site Applications” funded by the US Department of Energy, Office of Fossil Energy. The objectives of the project were to develop modeling capabilities for predicting CO2 and brine migration in fractured reservoirs during geologic carbon storage and to investigate the feasibility of carbon storage in fractured reservoirs using the newly developed modeling capabilities. To achieve these objectives new mass transfer functions were developed to adapt existing dual-continuum approaches – a commonly used approach in hydrocarbon reservoir modeling – to the CO2-brine system. In the dual-continuum approach the undisturbed rock matrix and the fractures are modeled as two separate continua, which are coupled through mass exchange of CO2 and brine between the two continua. Mass transfer functions represent the mass exchange between fractures and the rock matrix, without requiring highly resolved numerical grids of individual fractures, thus allowing large modeling domains relevant to geologic carbon storage questions (tens of meters to hundreds of kilometers).
