@Article{ee.2026.087016,
AUTHOR = {Zhijun Liu, Wei Wang, Qi Li, Delong Wang, Shijie Zhu, Meng Li, Zuping Xiang},
TITLE = {Numerical Simulation Study on the Migration Law of Helium Gas Injected into Underground Storage Facilities},
JOURNAL = {Energy Engineering},
VOLUME = {},
YEAR = {},
NUMBER = {},
PAGES = {{pages}},
URL = {http://www.techscience.com/energy/online/detail/27857},
ISSN = {1546-0118},
ABSTRACT = {As a critical strategic reserve resource, underground helium storage via reservoir reinjection has become an important technical approach for resource preservation. However, the migration characteristics of reinjected helium are core controlling factors determining the storage efficiency and recovery productivity of helium storage projects. To clarify the migration behavior of 100% pure helium after reinjection into formation, this study constructed a refined geological model incorporating key physical parameters including helium diffusion coefficient and viscosity, and carried out numerical simulation to reveal the migration evolution law of reinjected helium. The simulation results draw the following conclusions: (1) Reinjection pressure difference is the absolute dominant controlling factor of helium migration, while gravity only exerts a secondary effect. Since gravity-driven migration direction is blocked by interlayer barriers, reinjected helium is dominated by planar spread in the reservoir, with only limited vertical migration. (2) Reservoir permeability acts as a key determinant of helium migration capacity: higher permeability can significantly improve the migration range and sweep efficiency of reinjected helium. (3) During active reinjection, helium diffusion has a negligible effect on overall migration and is not a dominant controlling factor; after well shut-in, diffusion becomes the main migration mechanism, driving helium to migrate toward regions with low helium concentration. Overall, external driving forces derived from reinjection are the primary power for helium migration in reservoirs, gravity and diffusion play secondary roles, and reservoir permeability serves as an important auxiliary influencing factor. Therefore, it is suggested that helium reinjection wells should be deployed in the high-permeability zones of the target reservoir, with reinjection wells arranged in the lower section of the reservoir and recovery wells arranged in the upper section, so as to achieve efficient helium storage and recovery.},
DOI = {10.32604/ee.2026.087016}
}