Interfacial tension effect on cluster size distributions for residual trapping of CO₂ in sandstones

The residual trapping of CO₂ could ensure long-term carbon geological storage. The understanding of the characteristic of the residual phase including saturation, size distribution is essential. The residual phase distribution is a complex function of pore morphology, interfacial tension (IFT) and wettability. Here, we numerically study IFT effect on the residual saturation and sizes distribution by using a highly efficient GPU (Graphic Processing Unit) based multi-phase lattice Boltzmann method. The results of direct simulation on real reservoir rocks imply that there is less trapping of CO₂, but with a greater surface area for dissolution in low IFT condition.