Coupled hydro-chemo-mechanical model for fault activation under reactive fluid injection
Résumé
Pre-existing faults cross-cutting caprock formations constitute potential leakage pathways during geological CO2 sequestration. When the fault filling material is calcite-rich, dissolution of the fault minerals is expected to occur causing the mechanical weakening of the fault or, even worse, its reactivation. In turn, these chemical-mechanical processes influence the distribution of pore pressure in the vicinity of the fault. Hence, a fully coupled approach including the chemically-induced alteration is necessary while investigating fault’s mechanical stability.
In this paper, we present a simplified set of equations that allows the resolution of the coupled hydro-chemo-mechanical problem of reactive fluid flow inside a fault. Empirical relationships are used to describe the change of the fault’s material mechanical properties with porosity. The derived model was used to simulate the evolution of the hydro-chemo-mechanical behavior of a fault following an expected leakage scenario during CO2 storage in the Dogger formation in the Paris Basin.
The simulation results showed that under normal conditions, fault reactivation is unlikely to happen even in the long term (∼100 years). Nevertheless, the proposed model is capable of capturing the evolution of fault reactivation and has the potential to become a useful element of the toolbox for assessing the risks related to fault reactivation and leakage for CO2 storage projects.