Using Hydrocarbon Fields of the UK North Sea as Analogues for Effective Pore Throat Radii Prediction in Mudstone Caprocks

Abstract

For geological CO2 storage, seals prevent the supercritical CO2 from migrating to other geological strata. The major sealing mechanism is capillary sealing. The effective pore throat radius of caprocks plays a decisive role in determining capillary entry pressure. A model for effective pore throat radius using data from shale caprocks from UK North Sea oil fields has been established in this study. The model could be used in the assessment of CO2 storage sites in saline aquifers for which measured data are lacking.