RE: Gas resevoir15 Aug 2021 12:45
Yes - I am concerned about the lack of free gas in the thin sandstone layer. If the pressure of helium was high enough, the helium would be able to force brine out of the sandstone. If that were the case then free helium gas would be present above the brine. This would happen no matter what thickness the sandstone layer is, so long as the helium pressure is high enough to force out the brine. The helium they found in that thin sandstone layer was all dissolved in brine - there was no free helium gas. The solubility of helium in brine is presumably (because helium is an inert gas) far too low for there to be a commercial amount of helium in that thin sandstone layer.
So my concern is that the lower thicker sandstone layers are also filled with brine and that the helium pressure in those lower layers is also insufficient for a reservoir of free helium gas to exist above the brine in those lower layers. Let us hope that the helium pressures in those lower layers are high enough to force out may brine that may exist there. Just another of the risks to consider here.