Laboratory CO2 Migration Experiments for Evaluation of Potential Storage Sites in the Czech Republic

Research activities within the presented project aimed at development of methodology for studying CO2 migration in reservoir rocks and caprocks under Czech Republic conditions. As the storage system cannot be observed directly in-situ, lab experiments should simulate the underground conditions as well as possible. This goal can be achieved only by maintaining the simulated injection conditions during the experiment course. This approach was the key element in the presented R&D work. The first achievement of the presented research was collection of information about potential storage sites in the Czech Republic, achievement of sample for candidate host rock type and their characterisation. Based on preliminary site selection and also on the availability of suitable cores, reservoir rocks from 3 geological structures were selected for the experiments: Carboniferous sandstones from the Central Bohemian Basin and 2 Neogene type sandstones from Vienna Basin, S. Moravia. Simultaneously a high pressure flow-through migration apparatus was successfully constructed, enabling dynamic laboratory experiments with supercritical CO2, reservoir rock samples and brines under reservoir p-T conditions. The device allows also measurements of sample permeability for water prior or after the CO2 migration. A set of experiments with rock samples was performed and evaluated.