Cement integrity

Anti-corrosion cement additives

Geological CO2 storage 

Geothermal

CO2-water-rock interaction

Reactive transport modeling

Risk assessment

Ph.D.    Carnegie Mellon University, 2013

M.S.     Duke University, 2010

B.E.      Harbin Institute of Technology, 2008

Professor, Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, August 2017 to present

      Postdoctoral research associate, National Energy Technology Laboratory, June 2013 to July 2017

Prof. Liwei Zhang's research has been focused on experimental and numerical studies on reactive transport of fluid in porous media and mineral dissolution/precipitation processes. Specific research areas include subsurface mineral dissolution and precipitation under geologic carbon storage conditions, leaching behavior of metal ions from ores and fly ash under high concentration CO2, and evolution of pore structure of wellbore cement under corrosive environment. In July 2017, he was recruited by Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics (IRSM), Chinese Academy of Sciences as a full professor and was awarded a seed research funding of 5 million RMB (equivalent to $752,000 USD) to build his own laboratory. His research activities have resulted in 1 book, 4 book chapters and more than 70 journal articles and conference proceedings.

Book

      1. Zhang, L. and Li, Q. (editors), 2020. Risk Management of Geologic Carbon Utilization and Storage [in Chinese]. Science Press, Beijing.

Book chapters

1. Zhang, L., 2018. "CO₂-enhanced geothermal system" [in Chinese]. In: Environmental Risk Assessment of Geologic Carbon Storage in China, Cai, B. and Li, Q. (ed.), Chemical Engineering Press, Beijing.

2. Dilmore, R. and Zhang, L., 2017. “Greenhouse Gases and Their Role in Climate Change”. In: Greenhouse Gases and Clay Minerals, Romanov, V. (ed.). United States of America: Springer International Publishing AG.  

3. Zhang, L., Dzombak, D. A. and Kutchko B. G., 2015. “Wellbore cement integrity under geologic carbon sequestration conditions”. In: Novel Materials for CO₂ Mitigation Technology, Shi F. and Morreale B. (ed.), United States of America: Elsevier.

4. VanBriesen, J.M., Dzombak, D.A., and Zhang, L., 2013. “Sustainable Urban Water Supply Infrastructure”. In: Comprehensive Water Quality and Purification, vol. 4, pp. 427-449, Ahuja S. (ed.), United States of America: Elsevier.

Selected journal publications

      Wang, Y.,Liu, S., Zhang, L., Gan, M., Miao, X., Wei, N., Cheng, X., Liu, H., Li, X., Li, J., 2021. Evidence of self-sealing in        

      wellbore cement under geologic CO2 storage conditions by micro-computed tomography (CT), scanning electron microscopy

      (SEM) and Raman observations. Applied Geochemistry, 128, 104937.

Mei, K., Zhang, L., Wang, Y., Cheng, X., Xue, Q., Gan, M., Fu, X., Zhang, C., Li, X., 2021. Structural evolution in micro-calcite bearing Ca-montmorillonite reinforced oilwell cement during CO2 invasion. Construction and Building Materials, 125744.

Miao, X., Zhang L., Wang, Y., Wang, L., Fu, X., Gan, M., Li, X., 2020. Characterisation of wellbore cement microstructure alteration under geologic carbon storage using X-ray computed micro-tomography: A framework for fast CT image registration and carbonate shell morphology quantification. Cement and Concrete Composites, 108, 103524.

Qihuang Wang, Xiuxiu Miao, Yan Wang, Manguang Gan, Syed Mobasher Aftab, Xiaochun Li, Liwei Zhang and Zimeng Wang, 2020. Simulation of Uranium Mobilization Potential in a Deep Aquifer under Geological Carbon Storage Conditions. Applied Geochemistry, in press.

Gan, M., Zhang, L., Miao, X., Oladyshkin S., Cheng, X., Wang, Y., Shu, Y., Su, X. and Li, X., 2020. Application of computed tomography (CT) in geologic CO2 utilization and storage research: a critical review. Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering, 83, 103591.

Gan, M., Zhang L. Miao, X., Wang, Y., Bai, M., Li, X. and Fu, X., 2019. Micro-CT characterization of wellbore cement degradation in SO42-–bearing brine under geological CO2 storage environment. Geofluids, 2019: 5164010. 

Zhang, L., Soong, Y., Dilmore, R. and Lopano, C., 2015. “Numerical simulation of porosity and permeability evolution of Mount Simon sandstone under geological carbon sequestration conditions”. Chemical Geology, 403: 1-12.

Zhang, L., Soong, Y. and Dilmore, R., 2016. “Investigation on porosity and permeability change of Mount Simon sandstone (Knox County, IN, USA) under geological CO₂ sequestration conditions: a numerical simulation approach”. Greenhouse Gases: Science & Technology, 6(4):574–587.

Zhang, L., Dilmore, R., Bromhal, G., 2016. “Effect of outer boundary condition, reservoir size, and CO₂ effective permeability on pressure and CO₂ saturation predictions under carbon sequestration conditions”. Greenhouse Gases: Science & Technology, 6(4): 546–560.

Zhang, L.,Dzombak, D. A., Nakles, D. V., Hawthorne, S. B., Miller, D. J., Kutchko, B. G., Lopano, C. L., Strazisar, B. R., 2014. “Rate of H₂S and CO₂attack on pozzolan-amended class H well cement under geologic sequestration conditions”. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 27:299–308.

Zhang, L., Dzombak, D. A.,Nakles, D. V., Hawthorne, S. B., Miller, D. J., Kutchko, B. G., Lopano, C. L., Strazisar, B. R., 2014. “Effect of exposure environment on the interactions between acid gas (H₂S and CO₂) and pozzolan-amended wellbore cement under acid gas co-sequestration conditions”. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 27: 309–318.

Zhang, L., Dzombak, D. A.,Nakles, D. V., Hawthorne, S. B., Miller, D. J., Kutchko, B. G., Lopano, C. L., Strazisar, B. R., 2013.“Characterization of pozzolan-amended wellbore cement exposed to CO₂ and H₂S gas mixtures under geologic carbon sequestration conditions”. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 19: 358–368.

Zhang, L., Dzombak, D. A., Nakles, D. V., Brunet, P. L., Li, L., 2013. “Reactive transport modeling of CO₂ and H₂S penetrations in wellbore cement under simulated H₂S—CO₂ co-sequestration conditions”. Energy & Fuels, 27 (11): 6921–6937.

Carroll, S., Carey, W. J., Dzombak, D. A., Huerta, N. J., Li, L., Richard, T., Um, W., Walsh, S. D. C., Zhang, L., 2016. “Review: Role of Chemistry, Mechanics, and Transport on Well Integrity in CO₂ Storage Environments”. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 49: 149-160.

Zhang, L., Parthasarathy, H., & Karamalidis, A., 2017. Investigation on arsenopyrite dissolution and As (III) migration under geologic carbon storage conditions: A numerical simulation approach. Greenhouse Gases: Science and Technology, 7(3): 460-473.

Zhang, L., Soong, Y. and Dilmore, R., 2017. “Numerical investigation on Lower Tuscaloosa sandstone and Selma Chalk caprock under geological CO₂ sequestration conditions: mineral precipitation and permeability evolution”. Greenhouse Gases: Science & Technology, 7(6): 988-1007

Zhang, L., Dilmore, R., Namhata, A. and Bromhal, G., 2018. Feasibility of CO₂ migration detection using pressure and CO₂ saturation monitoring above an imperfect primary seal of a geologic CO₂ storage formation: a numerical investigation. Computational Geosciences, 22(3): 909–923.

Zhang, L., Dilmore, R., Huerta, N., Soong, Y., Vasylkivska, V., Namhata, A., Wang Y. and Li X. Application of a new reduced-complexity assessment tool to estimate CO₂ and brine leakage from reservoir and above-zone monitoring interval (AZMI) through an abandoned well under geologic carbon storage conditions. Greenhouse Gases: Science and Technology. In press.

Namhata, A., Zhang, L., Dilmore, R. M., Oladyshkin, S., Nakles, D. V., 2017. “Modeling Changes in Pressure due to Migration of Fluids into the Above Zone Monitoring Interval of a Geologic Carbon Storage Site”. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 56: 30-42.

Soong, Y., Howard, B. H., Dilmore, R. M., Haljasmaa, I., Crandall, D. M., Zhang, L., Zhang, W., Lin, R., Irdi, G. A., Romanov V. N. & Mclendon, T. R., 2016. CO₂/brine/rock interactions in Lower Tuscaloosa formation. Greenhouse Gases: Science and Technology. 6 (6): 824-837. 

Kutchko, B. G., Lopano, C. L., Strazisar, B. R., Steven B. Hawthorne, S. B., David J. Miller, D. J., Thaulow, N., Zhang, L., Guthrie, G. D., 2015. “Impact of Oilwell Cement exposed to H₂S Saturated Fluid and Gas at High Temperatures and Pressures: Implications for Acid Gas Injection and Co-Sequestration”. Journal of Sustainable Energy Engineering, 3(1): 80–101.

Yee Soong, Dustin Crandall, Bret H. Howard, Igor Haljasmaa, Laura E. Dalton, Liwei Zhang, Ronghong Lin, Robert M. Dilmore, Wu Zhang, Fan Shi, and Thomas R. Mclendon, 2017. Permeability and mineral composition evolution of primary seal and reservoir rocks in geologic carbon storage conditions. Environmental Engineering Science, 35(5): 391-400.

Namhata, A., Oladyshkin, S., Dilmore, R. M., Zhang, L., & Nakles, D. V., 2016. Probabilistic Assessment of Above Zone Pressure Predictions at a Geologic Carbon Storage Site. Scientific reports, 6, 39536.

Prof. Liwei Zhang's research has been focused on experimental and numerical studies on reactive transport of fluid in porous media and mineral dissolution/precipitation processes. Specific research areas include subsurface mineral dissolution and precipitation under geologic carbon storage conditions, leaching behavior of metal ions from ores and fly ash under high concentration CO2, and evolution of pore structure of wellbore cement under corrosive environment.