Computed X-ray Tomography Investigation of Porosity and Permeability of the Liujiagou Formation Sandstone Exposed to CO2-Saturated Brine

In order to improve CO2 capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) to solve carbon emission, sandstone from the Triassic Liujiagou Formation (LF) from the Ordos Basin in China was investigated using permeability tests and computed X-ray tomography (CT) scanning. The presence of reactive minerals within the geological CO2 sequestration target storage formation can allow reaction with injected CO2, which changes the porosity and permeability of the LF beds, affecting storage effectiveness. To investigate the effect of chemical reactions on the pore structure and permeability of sandstone cores representing the LF CO2 storage, tests were conducted to analyze the changes in porosity and permeability of sandstone cores induced by CO2-saturated brine at different reaction times (28-day maximum reaction period). Porosity and permeability of the sandstone increased after reaction with CO2-saturated brine due to mineral dissolution. The sandstone exhibited an increase in porosity and permeability after 15 days of reaction with CO2-saturated brine. Moreover, there was an increase in the volume of large pores in the sandstone after the 28-day period. The pore network of the sandstone was established through CT results, and the porosity calculated based on the obtained pore network was close to that measured in the test, demonstrating the feasibility to use CT to study the evolution of the microstructure of sandstone after long-time exposure to CO2-saturated brine.