Project Overview

The purpose of this project is to understand physical and chemical interactions between geothermal fluids and geothermal reservoir rocks.  Geothermal fluids include hydrothermal water, basin brines and engineered geofluids such as captured supercritical CO2.  Reservoir rocks of interest are carbonates, sandstones and crystalline rocks.  Research will involve determining the kinetics of fluid/rock chemical reactions at reservoir conditions, the effects these reactions will have on the long term productivity of the reservoir, and the risks these reactions may pose to industrial infrastructure.  

Research is focused on specific reservoirs in the Western Canadian Sedimentary, with a view towards global applicability.  Fluid/rock interactions are studied in the context of specific reservoir models that also being built in the context of this project.

Faculty and academic staff involved in this project include:

Jonathan Banks (EAS): experimental geochemistry; geochemical modeling

Nick Harris (EAS): Reservoir Modeling

Victor Liu (Petroleum and Mining ENG): Numerical simulations

Dan Alessi (EAS): Brine geochemistry; brine analytical chemistry

Rick Chalaturnyk (CivE): Geomechanics; cross-over to CO2 theme