Effect of H_(2)S content on relative permeability and capillary pressure characteristics of acid gas/brine/rock systems:A review

Geological storage of acid gas has been identified as a promising approach to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide(CO_(2)),hydrogen sulfide(H_(2)S)and alleviate public concern resulting from the sour gas production.A good understanding of the relative permeability and capillary pressure characteristics is crucial to predict the process of acid gas injection and migration.The prediction of injection and redistribution of acid gas is important to determine storage capacity,formation pressure,plume extent,shape,and leakage potential.Herein,the existing experimental data and theoretical models were reviewed to gain a better understanding of the issue how the H_(2)S content affects gas density,gas viscosity,interfacial tension,wettability,relative permeability and capillary pressure characteristics of acid gas/brine/rock systems.The densities and viscosities of the acid gas with different H_(2)S mole fractions are both temperature-and pressure-dependent,which vary among the gas,liquid and supercritical phases.Water/acid gas interfacial tension decreases strongly with increasing H_(2)S content.For mica and clean quartz,water contact angle increases with increasing H_(2)S mole fraction.In particular,wettability reversal of mica to a H_(2)S-wet behavior occurs in the presence of dense H_(2)S.The capillary pressure increases with decreasing contact angle.At a given saturation,the relative permeability of a fluid is higher when the fluid is nonwetting.The capillary pressure decreases with decreasing interfacial tension at a given saturation.However,the existing datasets do not show a consistent link between capillary number and relative permeability.The capillary pressure decreases with increasing H_(2)S mole fraction.However,there is no consensus on the effect of the H_(2)S content on the relative permeability curves.This may be due to the limited availability of the relative permeability and capillary pressure data for acid gas/brine/rock systems;thus,more experimental measurements are required.

The coal cleat system:A new approach to its study

After a general analysis regarding the concept of coal ＂cleat system＂, its genetic origin and practical applications to coalbed methane （CBM） commercial production and to C02 geological sequestration projects, the authors have developed a method to answer, quickly and accurately in accordance with the industrial practice and needs, the following yet unanswered questions： （1） how to define the spatial orientation of the different classes of cleats presented in a coal seam and （2） how to determine the frequency of their connectivites. The new available and presented techniques to answer these questions have a strong computer based tool （geographic information system, GIS）, able to build a complete georeferentiated database, which will allow to three-dimensionally locate the laboratory samples in the coalfield. It will also allow to better understand the coal cleat system and consequently to recognize the best pathways to gas flow through the coal seam. Such knowledge is considered crucial for understanding what is likely to be the most efficient opening of cleat network, then allowing the injection with the right spatial orientation, of pressurized fluids in order to directly drain the maximum amount of gas flow to a CBM exploitation well. The method is also applicable to the CO2 geological sequestration technologies and operations corresponding to the injection of CO2 sequestered from industrial plants in coal seams of abandoned coal mines or deep coal seams.