Reservoir-Scale Application of Relative Permeability Experiment Results and Impact on CO2 Plume Propagation

ABSTRACT: Our study investigates the impact of uncertainties in laboratory-measured relative permeability curves on CO2 plume propagation at the reservoir scale. These uncertainties arise from experimental challenges, such as variations in water saturation between the inlet and outlet during multi-phase injections and difficulties in accurately measuring permeability at low injection rates due to small pressure drops. To address this, we introduce observational errors into the relative permeability curves and evaluate their effects using three models: synthetic homogeneous and heterogeneous 2D box models, and a modified Scurry Area Canyon Reef Operators Committee (SACROC) 3D model. When relative permeability values are conservatively estimated (i.e., lower than observed values), the CO2 plume exhibits a more piston-like propagation. However, the impact of using a higher relative permeability value remains minimal. Instead, geological heterogeneity and topographical conditions play a dominant role on plume migration and trapping behavior. The results indicate that despite observational errors, the changes in plume propagation and trapping efficiency are negligible, suggesting that laboratory-scale relative permeability measurements are reliable for reservoir-scale simulations without detailed corrections.