The effect of layer pattern on flow properties through deep reservoir rocks

The geological storage of CO₂ and the extraction of geothermal energy from deep saline aquifers are promising methods, of mitigating global warming and obtaining a valuable source of renewable energy. In such processes the porosity and permeability of the reservoir rock are the two governing factors. Porosity can be easily predicted and is conventionally used to identify permeability properties. However, such identification is inaccurate, because the presence of irregularities such as bedding and authigenic quartz significantly reduces the permeability of even highly porous rock. This paper investigates the effect of bedding and the presence of authigenic quartz on brine permeability in sandstone using two types of sandstones with similar porosities, Warwick white (WWS) and Warwick golden (WGS), from the Queensland Basin, Australia. Permeability tests were conducted on 38mm diameter and 150mm long sandstone samples for a range of injection pressures (4 - 7MPa) under 10 MPa confining pressure at 30 °C temperature, using a highly precise core flooding apparatus. The experimental data provide important data for the geological storage of CO₂ and the production of geothermal energy from deep saline aquifers.