Hydrate management strategies for CO2 injection into depleted gas reservoirs

• Complex hydrate behaviors were examined using experiments with molecular dynamics. • Silica gel (6 nm pores) simulates pore size in depleted gas reservoirs. • CO 2 hydrate equilibrium and formation kinetics shift in porous media. • NaCl and MeOH are viable inhibitors of hydrate formation during CO 2 injection. Sequestering CO 2 in depleted gas reservoirs using carbon capture, utilization, and storage technologies has emerged as a viable strategy for mitigating global carbon emissions. However, CO 2 hydrate formation during injection processes is challenging and poses a risk to the operational integrity and efficiency of sequestration projects. This study investigated CO 2 hydrate formation dynamics within silica gel environments that closely mimicked the median pore size of natural sandstone reservoirs, particularly targeting depleted gas fields in the East Sea of Korea. Integrating ki…