Surface wettability alteration of shales exposed to CO2: Implication for long-term integrity of geological storage sites

• Published in: International journal of greenhouse gas control Vol. 110; p. 103426
• Main Authors: Fatah, Ahmed, Bennour, Ziad, Mahmud, Hisham Ben, Gholami, Raoof, Hossain, Mofazzal
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2021
• Subjects: Contact angle; Geological storage; SEM; Supercritical CO2; Surface energy; Wettability alteration; Geological storage; Wettability alteration; SEM; Contact angle; Supercritical CO2; Surface energy
• ISSN: 1750-5836; 1878-0148
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijggc.2021.103426

•Shale surface wettability behavior with CO2 treatment was studied.•Surface hydrophilicity is influenced by the mineral composition of shale.•Significant changes in wettability occurred at high SCCO2 pressures and temperatures.•Surface energy is highly sensitive to the changes in wetting behavior.•Understanding wettability alteration is crucial for effective CO2 containment. Surface wettability is a key factor controlling the CO2 seal capacity and defines the CO2 storage potential. Limited studies have addressed the shale/water wettability behavior during CO2 injection, thus considerable attention is needed to understand this concept. In this paper, an ample number of supercritical CO2 exposure experiments were conducted to evaluate the alteration of shale/water contact angles. Different types of shales with various mineralogy from Eagle Ford, Wolfcamp, and Mancos fields, were exposed to SCCO2 at different durations, pressures, and temperatures. Shale mineralogy and surface were analyzed using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope. The results indicated a strong relationship between mineral composition and the alteration in shale/water wettability. Clay-rich shales displayed a possible turn in wetting behavior to CO2-wet with extending the SCCO2 treatment time and increasing the treatment pressure, caused by SCCO2 dissolution of clay and carbonate minerals. While the wettability of high-quartz contents shales remained strongly hydrophilic after various SCCO2 treatment conditions. Increasing the temperature accelerated the CO2/shale interactions, and a minor effect was observed on the shale hydrophilicity. Increasing the cohesive energy density of CO2 promotes a favorable CO2 wetting environment, which reduced the hydrophilicity of the surface and reduces the surface energy. In conclusion, shales with high quartz contents exhibit strong water wetting behavior after SCCO2 treatment, which leads to better sealing capacity, more efficient integrity of geological storage sites, and higher potential for CO2 containment.