Successful deployment of geological carbon storage (GCS) requires an extensive use of reservoir simulators for screening, ranking and optimization of storage sites. However, the time scales of GCS are such that no sufficient long-term data is available yet to validate the simulators against. As a consequence, there is currently no solid basis for assessing the quality with which the dynamics of large-scale GCS operations can be forecasted. To meet this knowledge gap, we have conducted a major GCS validation benchmark study. To achieve reasonable time scales, a laboratory-size geological storage formation was constructed (the "FluidFlower"), forming the basis for both the experimental and computational work. A validation experiment consisting of repeated GCS operations was conducted in the FluidFlower, providing what we define as the true physical dynamics for this system. Nine different research groups from around the world provided forecasts, both individually and collaboratively, based on a detailed physical and petrophysical characterization of the FluidFlower sands. The major contribution of this paper is a report and discussion of the results of the validation benchmark study, complemented by a description of the benchmarking process and the participating computational models. The forecasts from the participating groups are compared to each other and to the experimental data by means of various indicative qualitative and quantitative measures. By this, we provide a detailed assessment of the capabilities of reservoir simulators and their users to capture both the injection and post-injection dynamics of the GCS operations.

翻译：地质碳封存（GCS）的成功部署需要大量使用储层模拟器进行封存场地的筛选、排序和优化。然而，由于GCS的时间尺度特性，目前尚未积累足够的长期数据以验证模拟器的准确性。因此，目前缺乏评估大规模GCS作业动态预测质量的可靠基础。为填补这一知识空白，我们开展了一项大规模GCS验证基准研究。为实现合理的时间尺度，我们构建了实验室尺度的地质储层模型（"FluidFlower"），作为实验与计算工作的基础。在该模型中开展了包含重复GCS操作的验证实验，由此获得了该系统的真实物理动态数据。来自全球的九个不同研究团队基于对FluidFlower砂体详细的岩石物理与物性表征，分别独立及协作提供了预测结果。本文的主要贡献在于报告并讨论该验证基准研究的结果，同时补充了基准测试流程及参与的数值模型描述。通过多种定性和定量指标，我们将各参与团队的预测结果相互对比，并与实验数据进行比较。由此，我们详细评估了储层模拟器及其使用者捕捉GCS作业注入及注入后动态的能力。