1887
Volume 31, Issue 4
  • ISSN: 1354-0793
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Abstract

This study investigates the mineralogical and textural controls on coke deposition during combustion in reservoir sandstones, with implications for low-carbon energy recovery applications. Experimental simulations using feldspar-bearing, quartz-cemented Penrith Sandstone demonstrate that coke formation, the key requirement of high-temperature combustion, occurs heterogeneously, primarily at grain contacts, along dissolved feldspar cleavage planes and on rough detrital surfaces, but is largely absent from the flat faces of quartz cement. Quantitative X-ray computed tomography and scanning electron microscopy reveal that feldspar-rich zones experience greater porosity reduction through coke deposition, which is influenced by the local specific surface area and mineral–fluid interactions. These findings indicate that feldspathic, poorly cemented and fine-grained sandstones are more favourable substrates for coke formation, enhancing the thermal output potential during combustion and supporting the stable propagation of combustion fronts. The results provide a petrographical framework for reservoir screening aimed at optimizing the selection of lithologies for geothermal energy recovery and related low-carbon strategies.

© 2025 The Author(s). Published by The Geological Society of London for GSL and EAGE. Publishing disclaimer: https://www.lyellcollection.org/publishing-hub/publishing-ethics

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2025-12-10
2026-01-19

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Reservoir rock suitability for in situ combustion based on coke deposition behaviour
Petroleum Geoscience 31, petgeo2025-091 (2025); https://doi.org/10.1144/petgeo2025-091
/content/journals/10.1144/petgeo2025-091
/content/journals/10.1144/petgeo2025-091
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