Caprock wettability is a fundamental control on the sealing capacity and integrity of subsurface energy storage systems. In CO2 geological sequestration, a strongly waterwet caprock ensures high capillary entry pressures, effectively preventing CO2 migration. However, increased pressure and brine salinity can weaken hydrophilicity and compromise long-term sealing. In underground hydrogen storage, caprocks generally remain waterwet, yet the high diffusivity of H2 reduce capillary sealing efficiency and may induce wettability alteration due to microbial or redox processes. Repeated injection-withdrawal cycles further cause transient wetting-drying and hysteresis, altering interfacial structures and capillary behavior. Understanding these dynamic wettability responses under varying physicochemical conditions is crucial for assessing storage security. Future studies should integrate in-situ characterization and molecular modeling to reveal reactive and reversible wettability mechanisms, providing a unified framework for CO2 and H2 storage systems.
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Advances in Geo-Energy Research 2025, 18(2): 199-201
Published: 27 October 2025
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