ABSTRACT
Anthropic activities significantly contribute to the release of CO2 into the atmosphere, which worsens global warming and accelerates climate change. To address these issues, geological storage in depleted oil reservoirs is seen as a potential solution to mitigate these effects. However, there is a lack of information on the application of this technique in the Golfo San Jorge Basin in Argentina, as well as geomechanical studies on its rocks. This study aims to characterize the geomechanical properties of rocks from the Salamanca, Castillo and Pozo D-129, formations under the influence of supercritical carbon dioxide injection. The studied samples were obtained from reservoir analogues exposed at the outcrop. Core plugs were used to assess the variation in the rock’s mechanical behaviour when exposed to a CO2-rich environment during 30-day periods, by performing Uniaxial Compressive Tests in both pristine and carbonated states. Additional analyses including X-ray diffraction (DRX) and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) were conducted to evaluate the modifications produced in the microstructure. Notably, significant variations in mechanical parameters and porosity were observed in the studied formations. This article discusses the interaction between rock and supercritical CO2, considering its chemical composition, to contribute to a better understanding of the potential for geological storage in the Golfo San Jorge Basin.
