In this paper, we present the results of a large-scale numerical model of a generic nuclear waste repository situated in an argillaceous host rock formation. Modelling the evolution of an entire repository presents challenges due to the strong contrast in spatial and temporal scales at which the different processes take place, ranging from the centimetres to the kilometres and days to hundreds of thousands of years, respectively. From the view point of the physical processes, a further challenge originates from the different gas transport mechanisms: Gas advection as well as gas dissolution and diffusion jointly govern the efflux of gas from the repository and mitigate excess pore pressures, but there is a significant contrast between the rates of these two transport mechanisms. Using the TH2M implementation in the open-source finite element code OpenGeoSys-6 , we analyse the impact of gas transport via advection (in the partially saturated zones such as backfilled drifts, shafts and desaturated host rock) as well as gas transport via diffusion (in fully water-saturated media such as the undisturbed host rock and over- and underlying formations). Finally, this work outlines and discusses possible simplifications in modelling choices, such as mechanical surrogate models, geometrical simplifications as well as the impact of discretization. The work presented in this paper was carried out within the scope of the European Joint Programme EURAD, workpackage Gas, Task 4.
We present a dataset of in-situ measurements in the marginal area of a CO2- and brine-rich cavernous structure in an underground salt mine. The data were collected within the framework of the BMBF-project ProSalz. One aim was to reveal the sources and dynamics of fluid movement as well as temporal and spatial distribution of fluids in a potentially weakened cavern rim. Over a period of three years pressure and gas monitoring was carried out along a transect from a cavernous structure to undisturbed rock salt. In addition, temperature and relative humidity data from the underground gallery were recorded. The gas inflow into isolated borehole sections provided an insight into short- and long-term changes of gas migration patterns in rock salt. Pressure increases of up to 4kPa/day and CO2 concentrations of up to 1.2%, especially at the start of the campaign were measured. The gas migration is coupled to discrete fractures and was limited spatially and temporary. Overall, gas occurrences were not correlated to their distance to the cavern, suggesting no wide-ranging fluid-rock interaction within the rim of the investigated natural cavernous structure in rock salt.