Time-resolved 2D and 3D imaging of hydrogen and brine displacement processes in porous Clashach sandstone

Hydrogen (H2) storage in porous geological formations offers a promising means to balance supply and demand in the renewable energy sector, supporting the energy transition. Important unknowns to this technology include the H2 fluid flow dynamics through the porous medium which affect H2 injectivity and recovery. We used time-resolved X-ray computed microtomography to image real-time unsteady and steady state injections of H2 and brine (2 M KI) into a Clashach sandstone core at 5 MPa and ambient temperature. In steady state injections, H2 entered the brine-saturated rock within seconds, dispersing over several discrete pores. Over time, some H2 ganglia connected, disconnected and then reconnected from each other (intermittent flow), indicating that the current presumption of a constant connected flow pathway during multiphase fluid flow is an oversimplification. Pressure oscillations at the sample outlet were characterized as red noise, supporting observations of intermittent pore-filling. At higher H2 fractional flow the H2 saturation in the pore space increased from 20–22 % to 28 %. Average Euler characteristics were generally positive over time at all H2 flow fractions, indicating poorly connected H2 clusters and little control of connectivity on the H2 saturation. In unsteady state injections, H2 displaced brine in sudden pore-filling events termed Haines jumps, which are key to understanding fluid dynamics in porous media. Our results suggest a lower H2 storage capacity in sandstone aquifers with higher injection-induced hydrodynamic flow and suggest a low H2 recovery. For more accurate predictions of H2 storage potential and recovery, geological models should incorporate energy-dissipating processes such as Haines jumps.