Stress from NaCl crystallisation by carbon dioxide injection in aquifers

Abstract : The goal of this paper is to identify the mechanical impact of water evaporation and salt crystallisation during supercritical carbon dioxide injection (drying-out process) in aquifer rocks. The precipitation of salt and the resulting crystallisation pressure are inferred from the chemical equilibrium of the carbon dioxide-rich gas phase, the in-pore brine and the crystal. The induced rock strain and equivalent tensile stress are then estimated within the framework of isotropic linear poroelasticity. A one-dimensional numerical simulation is conducted to illustrate the ability of the model to estimate the poromechanical behaviour of a structure submitted to a constant flow of nearly dry supercritical carbon dioxide.