Post by Dr Prashant Jadhawar

We are pleased to share our latest work on the geochemistry that governs long-term CO₂ storage security. "Mineralogical Controls on CO₂ Plume Migration and Mineral Trapping in the United Kingdom Continental Shelf Saline Aquifer" https://lnkd.in/ezP7zXHH Using reactive transport simulation (CMG-GEM) with 11 explicit mineral species over a 1,000-year horizon (35 years of injection + 965 years of monitoring) on the Bunter formation, we examined what really controls mineral trapping. Key findings: 🔹 Heterogeneity steers the plume. Low-permeability layers (<0.1 mD) restrict vertical migration and redirect CO₂ laterally, reshaping the spatial distribution of trapped CO₂ against simple buoyancy expectations. 🔹 Lithology dictates the trapping mechanism. Coarse sandstone favoured solubility trapping, while the silicate-rich siltstone delivered stronger mineral trapping (~13–17% of injected CO₂), dominated by siderite precipitation. 🔹 Chamosite is a double-edged sword. Its dissolution is the primary source of Fe²⁺ that drives siderite formation, yet excessive dissolution buffers pH toward neutrality, suppressing further mineralisation. More chamosite ≠ proportionally more trapping. 🔹 Interactions matter more than single minerals. Sensitivity analysis (Tornado, Morris & Sobol via CMG-CMOST) identified kaolinite (largely through nonlinear interaction effects) and chamosite (strong direct/linear control) as the dominant levers on siderite precipitation. 💡 Practical implication: Co-injecting acidic impurities with CO₂ could enhance mineral trapping by mitigating pH-buffering effects, a potential lever for improving storage permanence. The broader message: detailed mineralogical characterisation, including nonlinear mineral interactions, belongs in CCS reservoir screening and design. This work is a result of international internship collaboration between University of Aberdeen, School of Engineering | University of Aberdeen (host: June-Sept 2025) and Hokkaido University Division of Sustainable Resources Engineering. 👥 Authors: KOICHI HAYAFUJI (Hokkaido University), Dr Prashant Jadhawar (University of Aberdeen), and Elakneswaran Yogarajah (Hokkaido University). 📄 Read the full open-access article: https://lnkd.in/ezP7zXHH #CarbonCapture #CCS #CO2Storage #EnergyTransition #Geoscience #ReservoirEngineering #CarbonManagement #ReactiveTransport #NetZero #Geochemistry #SubsurfaceEngineering #NorthSea #ACSPublications Dr Heather May Morgan FHEA FRSA Ben Tatler