Numerical studies of fluid leakage from a geologic disposal reservoir for CO2 show self‐limiting feedback between fluid flow and heat transfer

Abstract

Leakage of CO2 from a hypothetical geologic storage reservoir along an idealized fault zone has been simulated, including transitions between supercritical, liquid, and gaseous CO2. We find strong non‐isothermal effects due to boiling and Joule‐Thomson cooling of expanding CO2. Leakage fluxes are limited by limitations in conductive heat transfer to the fault zone. The interplay between multiphase flow and heat transfer effects produces non‐monotonic leakage behavior.