Pore Network Modelling of Porous Media for Carbon Dioxide Sequestration: A Case Study of Pakistan ^†

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) storage in natural rocks is an important strategy for reducing and capturing greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere. The amount of CO₂ stored in a natural reservoir such as natural rocks is the major challenge for any economically viable CO₂ storage. The intricate nature of the porous media and the estimates of the replacement of residing aqueous media with the invading CO₂ is the challenge. The current study uses MATLAB to construct a similar porous network model for simulation of complex porous storage. The model is designed to mimic the overall properties of the natural porous media in terms of permeability, porosity and inter-pore connectivity. Here a dynamic pore network is simulated and validated, firstly in the case of a porous network with one fluid invading empty network. Subsequently, the simulations for an invading fluid (CO₂) capturing the porous media with filled aqueous brine solution are also carried out in a dynamic fashion. This resembles the actual storage process of CO₂ sequestration in natural rocks. While the sensitivity analysis suggests that the differential pressure and porosity have a direct effect on saturation, increasing differential pressure or porosity increases the saturation of CO₂ storage. The results for typically occurring rocks in Pakistan are also studies and related with the findings of the study.