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Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering

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01-05-2013 | Original Paper

Permeability of Wellbore-Cement Fractures Following Degradation by Carbonated Brine

Authors: Stuart D. C. Walsh, Wyatt L. Du Frane, Harris E. Mason, Susan A. Carroll

Published in: Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering | Issue 3/2013

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Abstract

Fractures in wellbore cement and along wellbore-cement/host-rock interfaces have been identified as potential leakage pathways from long-term carbon sequestration sites. When exposed to carbon-dioxide-rich brines, the alkaline cement undergoes a series of reactions that form distinctive fronts adjacent to the cement surface. However, quantifying the effect of these reactions on fracture permeability is not solely a question of geochemistry, as the reaction zones also change the cement’s mechanical properties, modifying the fracture geometry as a result.This paper describes how these geochemical and geomechanical processes affect fracture permeability in wellbore cement. These competing influences are discussed in light of data from a core-flood experiment conducted under carbon sequestration conditions: reaction chemistry, fracture permeability evolution over time, and comparative analysis of X-ray tomography of unreacted and reacted cement samples. These results are also compared to predictions by a complementary numerical study that couples geochemical, geomechanical and hydrodynamic simulations to model the formation of reaction fronts within the cement and their effect on fracture permeability.

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Title: Permeability of Wellbore-Cement Fractures Following Degradation by Carbonated Brine
Authors: Stuart D. C. Walsh
Wyatt L. Du Frane
Harris E. Mason
Susan A. Carroll
Publication date: 01-05-2013
Publisher: Springer Vienna
Published in: Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering / Issue 3/2013
Print ISSN: 0723-2632
Electronic ISSN: 1434-453X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-012-0336-9

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