Feldspar alteration by disequilibrium CO₂-H₂O fluids in reservoir sandstones: Implications for CCS

Understanding how the minerals in reservoir rocks respond to CO₂ injection is vital for the success and safety of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) projects. Feldspars are the most common mineral in the Earth’s crust and act as primary framework grains in sandstones. Compared to quartz, feldspars are mechanically weak and chemically reactive. Dissolved feldspars can re-precipitate as clays, which in CCS reservoirs could impact fluid-flow. While caprock mineral stability is well studied, reservoir mineral reactivity, particularly of feldspars, remains understudied. To address this knowledge gap, we present microstructural and geochemical data from batch experiments that reacted CO₂-enriched fluids with feldspar-bearing sandstone sampled from the Captain Sandstone Member, the primary reservoir for the Acorn CCS Project (UK).

Experiments were conducted in a hydrostatic pressure vessel at 70 MPa confining pressure, 50 MPa pore pressure, and temperatures ranging from 80 °C to 550 °C, using CO₂-enriched water to simulate reservoir conditions. Pre- and post-reaction samples were analysed using XRD, SEM-EDS, and XCT to assess microstructural and mineralogical changes. Results show that CO₂:feldspar interactions differ significantly from control experiments involving water alone. At reservoir-relevant temperatures (80 °C), incongruent dissolution of K-feldspar weakened grains which led to microfracturing. At 250 °C, CO₂ fluids caused total dissolution of calcite grains and cement and selective leaching of calcium from oligoclase, enriching the pore fluid with Ca²⁺. Above 400 °C, coupled dissolution–precipitation processes were observed, including congruent K-feldspar dissolution, secondary porosity development, and localised precipitation of Ca-aluminosilicates and K-bearing phases around dissolving K-feldspars. These transformations could alter reservoir flow pathways and induce mechanical risks, i.e. destabilising nearby faults or initiating reservoir collapse. Given feldspars’ prevalence in crustal rocks and CCS sandstone reservoirs, their reactive behaviour under in-situ conditions and in the presence of aggressive fluids demands greater attention.