Both the production potential and the mechanical stability of sustainable energy production can be linked to micro-physical processes at the grain scale within the fractures and faults.
Applications
CO2 sequestration
Geothermal energy
Hydrogen storage
Salt precipitation in geological subsurfaces during energy storage operations
Operations require the injection of gasses into pores that are typically filled with highly saline brine.
Some of the brine originally present inside the rock can evaporate, which can lead to salt precipitation.
Blockage in pores and throats, reducing the gas permeability, potentially leading to a critical damage to the injection well.