Mathematical Modeling of Geological CO₂ Storage: Analysis of the Incorporation of the Hysteresis Effect in Relative Permeability Equations and Capillary Pressure

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21712/lajer.2025.v12.n3.p10-19

Keywords:

carbon dioxide; carbon storage; capillary trapping; hysteresis; numerical modeling

Abstract

Geological CO₂ storage is one of the main strategies for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. This study analyzes the effect of hysteresis on capillary pressure (Pc) and relative permeability (kr) curves, which are fundamental for understanding the multiphase behavior of CO₂ in porous media. Based on the Brooks–Corey (1964) and Killough (1976) models, and recent literature data, it was observed that considering hysteresis significantly alters the Pc and kr curves, increasing capillary and residual trapping while reducing CO₂ mobility. The results indicate that hysteretic models provide more realistic and reliable predictions regarding the efficiency and stability of geological carbon storage, especially in gas injection cycles.

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Author Biographies

  • Toé, FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF ESPIRITO SANTO

    Graduated in Production Engineering (UFES), Master in Energy from the Graduate Program in Energy (PGEN/UFES), and currently a PhD candidate in Energy in the same graduate program. Working as a production engineer, he gained industrial experience in the logistics and production efficiency sector, and also worked in Production Planning and Control, using ERP tools - SAP, conducting simulations in statistical software, and trained as a Green Belt - Six Sigma. During his master's, he conducted research on the feasibility of using CCS technology, evaluating its public acceptance through a set of descriptive and inferential statistical methods. As a PhD candidate, he continues research related to CCS technology, but with a focus on the mathematical and computational modeling of the trapping mechanisms affecting the plume of carbon dioxide injected into geological formations. He was a CNPq scholarship holder during his master's, and still holds a CNPq scholarship during his PhD.

  • Santos, FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF ESPIRITO SANTO

    Electrotechnical Technician, graduated in Mechanical Engineering, licensed in Mathematics, holds an MBA in Project Management, a specialization in Mathematics Education and Digital Technologies Applied to Education, is a Master in Energy and a PhD candidate in Energy. He has worked in the industrial sector in the field of process engineering, defining methods for aluminum injection. He has also worked as a geometry teacher in basic education and as a mechanical engineering professor in higher education. He is currently a teacher at SENAI in Linhares, working in both mechanics and electrical areas.

  • Laura Marina Pinnoti, Ufes

    She holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from the Federal University Foundation of Rio Grande (1996), a master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the Federal University of São Carlos (1999), and a doctorate in Chemical Engineering from the Federal University of São Carlos (2003), with a sandwich doctorate at the Instituto Superior Técnico of the Technical University of Lisbon, and a postdoctoral fellowship in Molecular Biology at the Center for Biological and Health Sciences of the Federal University of São Carlos and in Enzyme Purification and Immobilization at the Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias de la Alimentación (CIAL) – Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. She is currently a professor at the Federal University of Espírito Santo and participates as a permanent member of PPGEN, the Master’s Program in Energy, in the research line Petroleum, Gas, and Renewable Energies. She has experience in Chemical Engineering in the area of Biochemistry – Biotechnology, with an emphasis on the production, purification, immobilization, and cloning of enzymes. She is currently developing research projects mainly in the production of biofuels and in the production of enzymes used in these processes.

  • Meneguelo, FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF ESPIRITO SANTO

    Graduated in Chemical Engineering from the Faculty of Chemical Engineering of Lorena (1998), a campus of the University of São Paulo. She holds a master's degree in Chemical Engineering from the State University of Campinas (2001) and a doctorate in Chemical Engineering from the Federal University of Santa Catarina (2007). She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), focusing on the development of intensified processes. Currently, she is an associate professor and teaches courses in the Petroleum Engineering program at the Federal University of Espírito Santo (UFES), also serving as a professor in the Graduate Program in Energy (PPGEN/UFES) within the research line of Oil, Gas, and Renewable Energies, where she conducts research related to CCS processes, inorganic scaling in porous media, and petroleum and natural gas processing.

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Published

11/29/2025

Issue

Vol. 12 No. 3 (2025): 1 Encontro Interdisciplinar em Energia

Section

Petróleo e Gás Natural

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Copyright (c) 2025 Latin American Journal of Energy Research

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How to Cite

Mathematical Modeling of Geological CO₂ Storage: Analysis of the Incorporation of the Hysteresis Effect in Relative Permeability Equations and Capillary Pressure. (2025). Latin American Journal of Energy Research, 12(3), 10-19. https://doi.org/10.21712/lajer.2025.v12.n3.p10-19

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