Enhancing Hydrogen Storage Efficiency in Organic-Rich Shales Using Silica Nanofluids: A Comprehensive Study on Wettability Alteration

作者：Amer Alanazi, Mujahid Ali, Saleh A. Bawazeer, Muhammad Ali, Israa S. Abu‐Mahfouz, Zeeshan Tariq, Norah Aljeban, Hussein Rasool Abid, Alireza Keshavarz, Stefan Iglauer, Hussein Hoteit · 发表于：Energy & Fuels · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1021/acs.energyfuels.4c06211 · 被引用次数：14 · 研究领域：Enhanced Oil Recovery Techniques、Hydraulic Fracturing and Reservoir Analysis、Hydrocarbon exploration and reservoir analysis

Underground hydrogen storage (UHS) is an essential method for advancing a hydrogen (H 2 )-based economy by enabling safe storage of H 2 in geological formations. Shale formations serve as an appropriate storage medium due to their extensive availability and restricted permeability, both of which are critical for effective hydrogen sequestration. Nevertheless, the presence of organic matter in shale caprocks frequently reduces their sealing efficiency by altering their wettability from predominantly water-wet to H 2 -wet, thereby undermining containment. The use of silica (SiO 2 ) nanofluid as a wettability modifier has been suggested in order to mitigate this difficulty by restoring water-wet conditions and improving the interfacial tension (IFT). This study examines the effects of treatment with various concentrations of silica nanofluid (SiO 2; 0.05–1.0 wt %) to enhance the sealing performance of high total organic carbon (TOC) Jordanian shale samples under actual geological settings (0.5–1600 psi, 323 K) utilizing brine (1 wt % KCl + 2 wt % NaCl). The wettability is evaluated by using the tilted plate method, and the H 2 /brine and H 2 /shale interfacial tension (IFT) values are determined before and after the treatment. The untreated shale samples exhibit weak water-wet to H 2 -wet conditions, signifying inadequate sealing properties. The application of silica nanofluid considerably enhances the wettability, transforming to a pronounced water-wet condition. In the sample ...