Impact of hydrogen on cement slurry: A review

Abstract

Hydrogen is poised to play a key role in future energy systems as the European Union transitions from fossil fuels to meet the goals of the European Green Deal. Geological storage of hydrogen in underground porous media is a promising technology for energy storage solutions. Ensuring the safety of this process is important, with well integrity being a critical safety element. Consequently, safety considerations must be integrated into the planning stage of hydrogen storage projects. Injection and liquidated openings are the most likely routes of leakage, particularly due to various factors, such as corrosion, including the excessive porosity and permeability of hardened sealing slurries. Currently, there is a lack of research focusing on the impact of hydrogen on cement slurry, despite its importance in terms of storage safety. Therefore, we analysed the effect of hydrogen on the technological parameters, as well as the physical and chemical properties of cement slurries utilised in drilling technologies for geological storage. This review offers a comprehensive overview of recent advances in hydrogen resistance testing of slurries composed of different cements. Notably, it addresses the research gap pertaining to the hydrogen resistance of cement slurries, highlighting the need for further investigations in this area.