Formation of self-sealing capability for carbon dioxide sequestration
site in shallow sub-seabed sediments by three-phase coexistence
Abstract
Storing \ce{CO2} in sub-seabed sediment is a promising
\ce{CO2} sequestration method to reduce the atmospheric
\ce{CO2} concentration and mitigate climate change,
with the advantage of self-sealing capability due to formation of
\ce{CO2} hydrate in the sediment pore space. Above the
sequestration site, enhanced \ce{CO2} migration and
supersaturation lead to a zone of coexisting gaseous, hydrate and
aqueous phases of \ce{CO2} where curved surfaces of
bubbles and hydrate crystals shift the phase equilibria, enabling fast
development of the self-sealing capability due to permeability reduction
by both hydrates and entrapped bubbles. We simulate the three-phase zone
in a shallow seabed using a Monte Carlo method in packed synthetic
mono-dispersed spherical sediment grains, and analyze its variations due
to temperature and pressure perturbations. Our work demonstrates the
difference between \ce{CO2} hydrate-bearing sediment
layer and methane hydrate reservoir, and provides insight into the
formation mechanisms of the self-sealing cap above sequestration sites.