Interpreting CO2 plume evolution in hypergravity experiments using integrated monitoring data
Interpreting CO2 plume evolution in hypergravity experiments using integrated monitoring data
A major challenge in establishing carbon storage as a viable solution for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions lies in accurately tracking and monitoring the behavior of injected carbon dioxide (CO2) underground. Laboratory-scale investigations are essential for providing reliable benchmarks to validate numerical models and improve understanding of CO2 movement in the subsurface. This study analyzes data from hypergravity experiments performed in a geotechnical centrifuge to simulate subsurface carbon sequestration. The objective is to analyze experimental data to track fluid-phase evolution and evaluate field-scale operational diagnostic parameters that characterize CO2 dynamics. High-resolution imaging was used to track gas-phase development, while multilevel pressure measurements were processed to compute diagnostic gradients indicative of fluid movement during pressure buildups associated to gas injection. Image segmentation shows that the gas cap during the first pressure buildup reached approximately 117 cm², followed by rapid pressure dissipation driven by CO2 dissolution into the aqueous phase. In the second buildup, the gas cap expanded concavely to cover and area of approximately 130 cm², producing a more gradual pressure response consistent with gas accumulation in a structural trap. Diagnostic vertical pressure gradients captured plume intersection, downward aqueous flow in certain compartments, and upward trends in regions isolated by geological boundaries. These findings demonstrate the potential of centrifuge modeling to provide quantitative data into CO2 behavior under subsurface conditions and highlight the value of combining high-resolution imaging, pressure diagnostics, and computational tools to better understand CO2 migration in laboratory-scale subsurface models.
Sebastian Lopez Saavedra; Mahsa Shafaei Bajestani; Rick Chalaturnyk; Gonzalo Zambrano Narvaez
11th International Conference on Physical Modelling in Geotechnics (ICPMG2026)
Special Session 1: Physical modelling – from Practice/Industry to Academia
https://doi.org/10.53243/ICPMG2026-60