The H-Cube Project: Hydrodynamics, Heterogeneity and Homogenization in CO2 storage modeling

Abstract : The main goal of the project H-CUBE is to provide appropriate theoretical and numerical models for accurate evaluation of the hydrodynamic behavior of a CO2 storage complex and surrounding area. Particular emphasis will be placed on the determination of the CO2- brine flow with buoyancy forces and dissolution effect in saline aquifers with a methodology for assessing heterogeneity of the geological formations at several scales. This will consist in performing deeper studies on the impact of heterogeneities onto CO2 flow behaviors from near well injection zone (meter scale) to basin scale (~100km), in developing new techniques for optimizing the flow behavior simulation (up-scaling and homogenization techniques) and characterization (proposal of appropriate reservoir descriptors), and in proposing suitable modeling and statistical workflows for assessing uncertainty analysis in function of the envisaged geological contexts. The project is decomposed in four main work packages.