Chitosan salt as a dual-function agent for CO₂ sequestration and acidizing enhancement

The utilization of carbon dioxide (CO₂) to enhance wellbore injectivity presents a cost-effective and sustainable strategy for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions while improving reservoir performance. This study introduces an environmentally friendly method employing a water-soluble chitosan salt (CS) that generates a carbonated-rich acid solution upon contact with dry CO₂ at 25 °C and 508 psi. CS solutions (100–2000 ppm) were prepared and evaluated for CO₂ uptake, acid generation, and rheological behavior. Results show that 1000 ppm achieves an optimal CO₂ uptake (2612 mg/l), with moderate viscosity increase (from 1.52 to 3.37 cp), while higher concentrations exhibit a sharp rise due to polymer-like network formation. Core flooding tests revealed that 1000 ppm CS maximized pore-volume-to-breakthrough time (PVBT) and produced uniform, less branched wormholes as observed via CT imaging, indicating efficient acid penetration with minimal interface reaction resistance. These findings suggest that chitosan-based formulations offer a promising and sustainable pathway for CO₂ utilization and improved reservoir stimulation.