[CCoE Notice] Dissertation Announcement: Sherry Ufouma Oyagha, "Experimental and Theoretical Studies of CO2 Dissolution into Saline Solutions and Saturated Porous Packs for Potential CCS Applications"

[Greenwell, Stephen J]

[Dissertation Defense Announcement at the Cullen College of Engineering]
Experimental and Theoretical Studies of CO2 Dissolution into Saline Solutions and Saturated Porous Packs for Potential CCS Applications
Sherry Ufouma Oyagha
April 28, 2025, 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. (CST)
Location: Petroleum Eng. Bldg. (ERP 9), Room 104
Virtual Link: Sherry Oyagha Defense Link (TEAMS)<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19*3ameeting_YWVmOTQ4NzItMDQ4ZC00M2I2LTkyZWEtMzQ0ZjdlNWVmYWEw*40thread.v2/0?context=*7b*22Tid*22*3a*22170bbabd-a2f0-4c90-ad4b-0e8f0f0c4259*22*2c*22Oid*22*3a*22c10c2a57-81c3-4279-8b2d-82c04617b24c*22*7d__;JSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUl!!LkSTlj0I!HcLzWRHAFR3J7qnZOVkJwF3WUG3xJndHPnr4HKeMTsvJ0b15avpNhfunS5z6EuKNq2mMti3oG7xRkqYIYdZuDx7g1_M$ >
Committee Chair:
Dr. Birol Dindoruk, Ph.D.
Committee Members:
Dr. S. M. Farouq Ali, Ph.D. | Dr. Guan Qin, Ph.D. | Dr. Kyung Jae Lee, Ph.D. |
Dr. Ram R. Ratnakar, Ph.D.
Abstract
The need to mitigate climate change underscores the vital role of carbon capture and storage (CCS) in reducing anthropogenic CO₂ emissions. Saline aquifers emerge as attractive storage options due to their vast availability and capacity. In aquifers, solubility trapping, where CO₂ dissolves into formation brines, provides a secure, long-term mechanism for minimizing buoyancy-driven migration. However, experimental and theoretical understanding of CO₂ dissolution under reservoir-relevant temperature, pressure, and salinity conditions remains limited, particularly in brine-saturated porous media. This dissertation advances the characterization of time-dependent CO₂ dissolution through an integrated framework encompassing experiments, innovative analytical methods, and numerical analysis.
High-quality datasets are generated for both molecular diffusivity (Dₘ) in bulk brine and effective diffusivity ([cid:image002.png at 01DBB467.700839A0]) in porous systems across a wide range of temperature, pressure, salinity, and permeability from pressure decay experiments. The datasets reveal distinct dependencies of Dₘ and [cid:image002.png at 01DBB467.700839A0]  on these parameters. A new method based on solubility is introduced to estimate the final equilibrium pressure (P∞) during pressure decay experiments. Furthermore, a constant-pressure injection method is used to quantify cumulative CO₂ uptake based on flow rate data over time, utilizing a 1D analytical transient diffusion model with a fixed interfacial concentration to predict the average dissolved CO₂ concentration in water. This approach shows strong agreement between predicted and measured CO₂ moles, providing a straightforward, reproducible, and physics-based alternative for evaluating early-time mass transfer in diffusion-limited systems.
A comparative evaluation of measured (Dₑff,m) and calculated (Dₑff,c) diffusion coefficients reveals systematic deviations across salinity and permeability, underscoring the need for improved theoretical corrections based on the physical process. Finally, the transition from diffusion to convection flow regimes is characterized through linear stability analysis, which includes the calculation of Rayleigh numbers, onset times, critical wavelengths, Sherwood numbers, and the convective flux. These findings extend to selected U.S. saline aquifers, where experimental data and scaling laws are applied to assess dissolution performance and convective trapping potential at field scale.
This research introduces novel methodologies, validated experimental data, and insights that enhance the predictive capabilities for CO₂ behavior in geological formations, providing physical insights into the mixing process for CO₂-brine systems in bulk and porous media for CCS applications.
[Engineered For What's Next]


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