The influence of fracture anisotropy on CO₂ flow

[1] Greenhouse gas mitigation through geological storage of carbon dioxide is dependent on rock formations storing CO2 effectively. Secure containment for periods of 100¿×¿105 years nee7ds to be verifiable. The effectiveness of geological storage is reliant on the chemical and physical properties of the geological storage complex and its ability to inhibit migration of CO2. Petroleum reservoir data and field evidence show that fracture networks often act as pathways for fluid movement, potentially allowing fluids to migrate to the surface within the time scale of interest. We demonstrate the importance of predicting the effects of fracture networks on flow, using a case study from the In Salah CO2 storage site, and show how fracture permeability is closely controlled by the stress regime determining the conductive fracture network. Our results demonstrate that fracture network prediction combined with present-day stress analysis can be used to successfully predict CO2 movement in the subsurface.