The coupled simulator ECLIPSE–OpenGeoSys for the simulation of CO2 storage in saline formations.

Abstract: The storage of CO₂ in deep saline aquifers is due to the large available capacities and the common occurrence of these formations one of the major options for carbon dioxide sequestration. Besides the multiphase flow aspects geochemical, thermal and mechanical processes may alter the conditions within the reservoir as well as in the cap rock. Whereas single aspects of these processes can be investigated with experiments a multi-process simulator allows evaluating their combined consequences for the storage system over short and long time scales. In this paper the newly coupled software ECLIPSE-OpenGeoSys is presented that allows a combined simulation of multiphase flow, transport and geochemical reactions. ECLIPSE provides a fast and efficient solution for the multiphase flow whereas the open-source scientific software OpenGeoSys is used for calculating transport and geochemical reactions. This paper presents the code structure of the interface. Furthermore the coupled software is successfully applied to benchmarks [Copyright &y& Elsevier]