A modelling study to evaluate the effect of impure CO on reservoir performance in a sandstone saline aquifer.

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is expected to play a key role in meeting greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets. In the UK Southern North Sea, the Bunter Sandstone formation (BSF) has been identified as a potential reservoir which can store very large amounts of CO. The formation has fairly good porosity and permeability and is sealed with both effective caprock and base rock, making CO storage feasible at industrial scale. However, when CO is captured, it typically contains impurities, which may shift the boundaries of the CO phase diagram, implying that higher costs will be needed for storage operations. In this study, we modelled the effect of CO and impurities (NO, SO, HS) on the reservoir performance of the BSF. The injection of CO at constant rate and pressure using a single horizontal well injection strategy was simulated for up to 30 years, as well as an additional 30 years of monitoring. The results suggest that impurities in the CO stream affect injectivity differently, but the effects are usually encountered during early stages of injection into the BSF and may not necessarily affect cumulative injection over an extended period. It was also found that porosity of the storage site is the most important factor controlling the limits on injection. The simulations also suggest that CO remains secured within the reservoir for 30 years after injection is completed, indicating that no post-injection leakage is anticipated.