SHORT BIOGRAPHY
Loic Bethel is a Ph.D. researcher in Petroleum (Chemical) Engineering working at the intersection of geochemistry, petroleum engineering, and subsurface energy systems. His research examines how geological and engineered materials respond to reactive fluids under reservoir conditions, with applications to geological CO₂ storage, CO₂ utilization, geothermal systems, cementitious materials, and long-term barrier integrity. His work integrates SEM-EDS, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, micro-CT imaging, wettability characterization, experimental fluid–rock interaction studies, and with prospective insights for reservoir and geochemical modeling to connect mineral-scale reactions with larger-scale changes in transport behavior and subsurface performance.
PRESENTATION TITLE
Reactive Rocks and Dynamic Barriers: Geochemical Controls on CO₂ Storage and Geothermal Systems
ABSTRACT
Subsurface energy systems depend not only on reservoir capacity, but also on how geological and engineered materials evolve during prolonged exposure to reactive fluids. This presentation examines the geochemical and microstructural processes that control barrier integrity across shale, shale–sandstone interfaces, granite, carbonate minerals, and cement, with relevance to geological CO₂ storage, CO₂ utilization, and geothermal systems.
Using experimental characterization and geochemical interpretation, the work investigates mineral dissolution and precipitation, carbonation, surface alteration, fracture and interface evolution, and associated changes in transport behavior. Analytical approaches include SEM-EDS, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, micro-CT imaging, surface and wettability characterization, and geochemical modeling.
The central argument is that subsurface barriers should not be treated as chemically static materials. Their sealing capacity, permeability, and long-term performance evolve as mineralogy, fluid chemistry, transport pathways, and operating conditions interact. By connecting mineral-scale reactions with larger-scale barrier behavior, this research provides a framework for understanding and predicting the dynamic integrity of geological and engineered materials used in subsurface energy systems.
