Experimental and numerical simulation study of the mineral sequestration mechanism of the Shiqianfeng saline aquifers in the Ordos Basin, Northwest China

This study focused on typical injection layers of deep saline aquifers in the Shiqianfeng Formation used in the Carbon Capture and Sequestration Demonstration Projects in the Ordos Basin, Northwest China. The study employed experiments and numerical simulations to investigate the mechanism of CO2 mineral sequestration in these deep saline aquifers. The experimental results showed that the dissolved minerals are plagioclase, hematite, illite-smectite mixed layer clay and illite, whereas the precipitated minerals are quartz (at 55, and 70 degrees C) and kaolinite (at 70 degrees C). There are rare carbonate mineral precipitations at the experimental time scale, while the precipitation of quartz as a product of the dissolution of silicate minerals and some intermediate minerals rich in K and Mg that transform to clay minerals, reveals the possibility of carbonate precipitation at the longer time scale. These results are consistent with some results previously reported in the literature. We calibrated the kinetic parameters of mineral dissolution and precipitation by these experimental results and then simulated the CO2 mineral sequestration under deep saline aquifer conditions. The simulation results showed that the dissolved minerals are albite, anorthite and minor hematite, whereas the precipitated minerals are calcite, kaolinite and smectite at 55 and 70 degrees C. The geochemical reaction of illite is more complex. At 55 degrees C, illite is dissolved at the relatively lag