CO2 Storage related Groundwater Impacts and Protection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fischer, Sebastian; Knopf, Stefan; May, Franz; Rebscher, Dorothee

2016-03-01

Injection of CO2 into the deep subsurface will affect physical and chemical conditions in the storage environment. Hence, geological CO2 storage can have potential impacts on groundwater resources. Shallow freshwater can only be affected if leakage pathways facilitate the ascent of CO2 or saline formation water. Leakage associated with CO2 storage cannot be excluded, but potential environmental impacts could be reduced by selecting suitable storage locations. In the framework of risk assessment, testing of models and scenarios against operational data has to be performed repeatedly in order to predict the long-term fate of CO2. Monitoring of a storage site should reveal any deviations from expected storage performance, so that corrective measures can be taken. Comprehensive R & D activities and experience from several storage projects will enhance the state of knowledge on geological CO2 storage, thus enabling safe storage operations at well-characterised and carefully selected storage sites while meeting the requirements of groundwater protection.

CCS Activities Being Performed by the U.S. DOE

PubMed Central

Dressel, Brian; Deel, Dawn; Rodosta, Traci; Plasynski, Sean; Litynski, John; Myer, Larry

2011-01-01

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is the lead federal agency for the development and deployment of carbon sequestration technologies. Its mission includes promoting scientific and technological innovations and transfer of knowledge for safe and permanent storage of CO2 in the subsurface. To accomplish its mission, DOE is characterizing and classifying potential geologic storage reservoirs in basins throughout the U.S. and Canada, and developing best practices for project developers, to help ensure the safety of future geologic storage projects. DOE’s Carbon Sequestration Program, Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (RCSP) Initiative, administered by the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), is identifying, characterizing, and testing potential injection formations. The RCSP Initiative consists of collaborations among government, industry, universities, and international organizations. Through this collaborative effort, a series of integrated knowledge-based tools have been developed to help potential sequestration project developers. They are the Carbon Sequestration Atlas of the United States and Canada, National Carbon Sequestration Database and Geographic System (NATCARB), and best practice manuals for CCS including Depositional Reservoir Classification for CO2; Public Outreach and Education for Carbon Storage Projects; Monitoring, Verification, and Accounting of CO2 Stored in Deep Geologic Formation; Site Screening, Site Selection, and Initial Characterization of CO2 Storage in Deep Geologic Formations. DOE’s future research will help with refinement of these tools and additional best practice manuals (BPM) which focus on other technical aspects of project development. PMID:21556188

Geologic framework for the national assessment of carbon dioxide storage resources

USGS Publications Warehouse

Warwick, Peter D.; Corum, Margo D.

2012-01-01

The 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act (Public Law 110–140) directs the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to conduct a national assessment of potential geologic storage resources for carbon dioxide (CO2) and to consult with other Federal and State agencies to locate the pertinent geological data needed for the assessment. The geologic sequestration of CO2 is one possible way to mitigate its effects on climate change. The methodology used for the national CO2 assessment (Open-File Report 2010-1127; http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2010/1127/) is based on previous USGS probabilistic oil and gas assessment methodologies. The methodology is non-economic and intended to be used at regional to subbasinal scales. The operational unit of the assessment is a storage assessment unit (SAU), composed of a porous storage formation with fluid flow and an overlying sealing unit with low permeability. Assessments are conducted at the SAU level and are aggregated to basinal and regional results. This report identifies and contains geologic descriptions of SAUs in separate packages of sedimentary rocks within the assessed basin and focuses on the particular characteristics, specified in the methodology, that influence the potential CO2 storage resource in those SAUs. Specific descriptions of the SAU boundaries as well as their sealing and reservoir units are included. Properties for each SAU such as depth to top, gross thickness, net porous thickness, porosity, permeability, groundwater quality, and structural reservoir traps are provided to illustrate geologic factors critical to the assessment. Although assessment results are not contained in this report, the geologic information included here will be employed, as specified in the methodology, to calculate a statistical Monte Carlo-based distribution of potential storage space in the various SAUs. Figures in this report show SAU boundaries and cell maps of well penetrations through the sealing unit into the top of the storage formation. Wells sharing the same well borehole are treated as a single penetration. Cell maps show the number of penetrating wells within one square mile and are derived from interpretations of incompletely attributed well data, a digital compilation that is known not to include all drilling. The USGS does not expect to know the location of all wells and cannot guarantee the amount of drilling through specific formations in any given cell shown on cell maps.

Establishing MICHCARB, a geological carbon sequestration research and education center for Michigan, implemented through the Michigan Geological Repository for Research and Education, part of the Department of Geosciences at Western Michigan University

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Barnes, David A.; Harrison, William B.

The Michigan Geological Repository for Research and Education (MGRRE), part of the Department of Geosciences at Western Michigan University (WMU) at Kalamazoo, Michigan, established MichCarb—a geological carbon sequestration resource center by: • Archiving and maintaining a current reference collection of carbon sequestration published literature • Developing statewide and site-specific digital research databases for Michigan’s deep geological formations relevant to CO2 storage, containment and potential for enhanced oil recovery • Producing maps and tables of physical properties as components of these databases • Compiling all information into a digital atlas • Conducting geologic and fluid flow modeling to address specific predictivemore » uses of CO2 storage and enhanced oil recovery, including compiling data for geological and fluid flow models, formulating models, integrating data, and running the models; applying models to specific predictive uses of CO2 storage and enhanced oil recovery • Conducting technical research on CO2 sequestration and enhanced oil recovery through basic and applied research of characterizing Michigan oil and gas and saline reservoirs for CO2 storage potential volume, injectivity and containment. Based on our research, we have concluded that the Michigan Basin has excellent saline aquifer (residual entrapment) and CO2/Enhanced oil recovery related (CO2/EOR; buoyant entrapment) geological carbon sequestration potential with substantial, associated incremental oil production potential. These storage reservoirs possess at least satisfactory injectivity and reliable, permanent containment resulting from associated, thick, low permeability confining layers. Saline aquifer storage resource estimates in the two major residual entrapment, reservoir target zones (Lower Paleozoic Sandstone and Middle Paleozoic carbonate and sandstone reservoirs) are in excess of 70-80 Gmt (at an overall 10% storage efficiency factor; an approximately P50 probability range for all formations using DOE-NETL, 2010, storage resource estimation methodology). Incremental oil production resulting from successful implementation of CO2/EOR for the highest potential Middle Paleozoic reef reservoirs (Silurian, Northern Niagaran Reef trend) in Michigan is estimated at 130 to over 200 MMBO (22-33 Mm3). In addition, between 200 and 400 Mmt of CO2 could be sequestered in the course of successful deployment of CO2/EOR in the northern reef trend’s largest depleted (primary production) oil fields (those that have produced in excess of 500,000 BO; 80,000 m3of oil). • Effecting technology transfer to members of industry and governmental agencies by establishing an Internet Website at which all data, reports and results are accessible; publishing results in relevant journals; conducting technology transfer workshops as part of our role as the Michigan Center of the Petroleum Technology Transfer Council or any successor organization.« less

Geologic framework for the national assessment of carbon dioxide storage resources: Permian and Palo Duro Basins and Bend Arch-Fort Worth Basin: Chapter K in Geologic framework for the national assessment of carbon dioxide storage resources

USGS Publications Warehouse

Merrill, Matthew D.; Slucher, Ernie R.; Roberts-Ashby, Tina L.; Warwick, Peter D.; Blondes, Madalyn S.; Freeman, P.A.; Cahan, Steven M.; DeVera, Christina A.; Lohr, Celeste D.; Warwick, Peter D.; Corum, Margo D.

2015-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey has completed an assessment of the potential geologic carbon dioxide storage resource in the onshore areas of the United States. To provide geological context and input data sources for the resources numbers, framework documents are being prepared for all areas that were investigated as part of the national assessment. This report is the geologic framework document for the Permian and Palo Duro Basins, the combined Bend arch-Fort Worth Basin area, and subbasins therein of Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. In addition to a summarization of the geology and petroleum resources of studied basins, the individual storage assessment units (SAUs) within the basins are described and explanations for their selection are presented. Though appendixes in the national assessment publications include the input values used to calculate the available storage resource, this framework document provides only the context and source of inputs selected by the assessment geologists. Spatial files of boundaries for the SAUs herein, as well as maps of the density of known well bores that penetrate the SAU seal, are available for download with the release of this report.

Geologic framework for the national assessment of carbon dioxide storage resources—Southern Rocky Mountain Basins: Chapter M in Geologic framework for the national assessment of carbon dioxide storage resources

USGS Publications Warehouse

Merrill, Matthew D.; Drake, Ronald M.; Buursink, Marc L.; Craddock, William H.; East, Joseph A.; Slucher, Ernie R.; Warwick, Peter D.; Brennan, Sean T.; Blondes, Madalyn S.; Freeman, Philip A.; Cahan, Steven M.; DeVera, Christina A.; Lohr, Celeste D.; Warwick, Peter D.; Corum, Margo D.

2016-06-02

The U.S. Geological Survey has completed an assessment of the potential geologic carbon dioxide storage resources in the onshore areas of the United States. To provide geological context and input data sources for the resources numbers, framework documents are being prepared for all areas that were investigated as part of the national assessment. This report, chapter M, is the geologic framework document for the Uinta and Piceance, San Juan, Paradox, Raton, Eastern Great, and Black Mesa Basins, and subbasins therein of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. In addition to a summary of the geology and petroleum resources of studied basins, the individual storage assessment units (SAUs) within the basins are described and explanations for their selection are presented. Although appendixes in the national assessment publications include the input values used to calculate the available storage resource, this framework document provides only the context and source of the input values selected by the assessment geologists. Spatial-data files of the boundaries for the SAUs, and the well-penetration density of known well bores that penetrate the SAU seal, are available for download with the release of this report.

Βedrock instability of underground storage systems in the Czech Republic, Central Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Novakova, Lucie; Broz, Milan; Zaruba, Jiri; Sosna, Karel; Najser, Jan; Rukavickova, Lenka; Franek, Jan; Rudajev, Vladimir

2016-06-01

Underground storage systems are currently being used worldwide for the geological storage of natural gas (CH4), the geological disposal of CO2, in geothermal energy, or radioactive waste disposal. We introduce a complex approach to the risks posed by induced bedrock instabilities in deep geological underground storage sites. Bedrock instability owing to underground openings has been studied and discussed for many years. The Bohemian Massif in the Czech Republic (Central Europe) is geologically and tectonically complex. However, this setting is ideal for learning about the instability state of rock masses. Longterm geological and mining studies, natural and induced seismicity, radon emanations, and granite properties as potential storage sites for disposal of radioactive waste in the Czech Republic have provided useful information. In addition, the Czech Republic, with an average concentration radon of 140 Bq m-3, has the highest average radon concentrations in the world. Bedrock instabilities might emerge from microscale features, such as grain size and mineral orientation, and microfracturing. Any underground storage facility construction has to consider the stored substance and the geological settings. In the Czech Republic, granites and granitoids are the best underground storage sites. Microcrack networks and migration properties are rock specific and vary considerably. Moreover, the matrix porosity also affects the mechanical properties of the rocks. Any underground storage site has to be selected carefully. The authors suggest to study the complex set of parameters from micro to macroscale for a particular place and type of rock to ensure that the storage remains safe and stable during construction, operation, and after closure.

Geologic framework for the national assessment of carbon dioxide storage resources: Bighorn Basin, Wyoming and Montana: Chapter A in Geologic framework for the national assessment of carbon dioxide storage resources

USGS Publications Warehouse

Covault, Jacob A.; Buursink, Mark L.; Craddock, William H.; Merrill, Matthew D.; Blondes, Madalyn S.; Gosai, Mayur A.; Freeman, P.A.; Warwick, Peter D.; Corum, Margo D.

2012-01-01

This report identifies and contains geologic descriptions of twelve storage assessment units (SAUs) in six separate packages of sedimentary rocks within the Bighorn Basin of Wyoming and Montana and focuses on the particular characteristics, specified in the methodology, that influence the potential CO2 storage resource in those SAUs. Specific descriptions of the SAU boundaries as well as their sealing and reservoir units are included. Properties for each SAU such as depth to top, gross thickness, net porous thickness, porosity, permeability, groundwater quality, and structural reservoir traps are provided to illustrate geologic factors critical to the assessment. Although assessment results are not contained in this report, the geologic information included here will be employed, as specified in the methodology of earlier work, to calculate a statistical Monte Carlo-based distribution of potential storage space in the various SAUs. Figures in this report show SAU boundaries and cell maps of well penetrations through the sealing unit into the top of the storage formation. Wells sharing the same well borehole are treated as a single penetration. Cell maps show the number of penetrating wells within one square mile and are derived from interpretations of incompletely attributed well data, a digital compilation that is known not to include all drilling. The USGS does not expect to know the location of all wells and cannot guarantee the amount of drilling through specific formations in any given cell shown on cell maps.

Framework for the assessment of interaction between CO2 geological storage and other sedimentary basin resources.

PubMed

Michael, K; Whittaker, S; Varma, S; Bekele, E; Langhi, L; Hodgkinson, J; Harris, B

2016-02-01

Sedimentary basins around the world considered suitable for carbon storage usually contain other natural resources such as petroleum, coal, geothermal energy and groundwater. Storing carbon dioxide in geological formations in the basins adds to the competition for access to the subsurface and the use of pore space where other resource-based industries also operate. Managing potential impacts that industrial-scale injection of carbon dioxide may have on other resource development must be focused to prevent potential conflicts and enhance synergies where possible. Such a sustainable coexistence of various resource developments can be accomplished by implementing a Framework for Basin Resource Management strategy (FBRM). The FBRM strategy utilizes the concept of an Area of Review (AOR) for guiding development and regulation of CO2 geological storage projects and for assessing their potential impact on other resources. The AOR is determined by the expected physical distribution of the CO2 plume in the subsurface and the modelled extent of reservoir pressure increase resulting from the injection of the CO2. This information is used to define the region to be characterised and monitored for a CO2 injection project. The geological characterisation and risk- and performance-based monitoring will be most comprehensive within the region of the reservoir containing the carbon dioxide plume and should consider geological features and wells continuously above the plume through to its surface projection; this region defines where increases in reservoir pressure will be greatest and where potential for unplanned migration of carbon dioxide is highest. Beyond the expanse of the carbon dioxide plume, geological characterisation and monitoring should focus only on identified features that could be a potential migration conduit for either formation water or carbon dioxide.

Geological controls on isotopic signatures of streamflow: results from a nested catchment experiment in Luxembourg (Europe)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pfister, Laurent; McDonnell, Jeffrey J.; Hissler, Christophe; Martinez-Carreras, Nuria; Gourdol, Laurent; Klaus, Julian; François Iffly, Jean; Barnich, François; Stewart, Mike K.

2014-05-01

Controls of geology and topography on hydrological metrics, like summer low flow (Grant and Tague, 2004) or dynamic storage (Sayama et al., 2011), have been identified in nested catchment experiments. However, most tracer-based studies on streamflow generation have been carried out in small (10 km2) homogenous catchments (Klaus and McDonnell, 2013). The controlling effects of catchment physiography on how catchments store and release water, and how this eventually controls stream isotope behaviour over a large range of scale are poorly understood. Here, we present results from a nested catchment analysis in the Alzette River basin (Luxembourg, Europe). Our hydro-climatological network consists of 16 recording streamgauges and 21 pluviographs. Catchment areas range from 0.47 to 285 km2, with clean and mixed combinations of distinct geologies ranging from schists to marls, sandstone, dolomite and limestone. Our objective was to identify geological controls on (i) winter runoff ratios, (ii) maximum storage and (iii) isotopic signatures in streamflow. For each catchment we determined average runoff ratios from winter season precipitation-discharge double-mass curves. Maximum catchment storage was based on the dynamic storage change approach of Sayama et al. (2011). Changes in isotopic signatures of streamflow were documented along individual catchment flow duration curves. We found strong correlations between average winter runoff ratios, maximum storage and the prevailing geological settings. Catchments with impermeable bedrock (e.g. marls or schists) were characterised by small storage potential and high average filling ratios. As a consequence, these catchments also exhibited the highest average runoff ratios. In catchments underlain by permeable bedrock (e.g. sandstone), storage potential was significantly higher and runoff ratios were considerably smaller. The isotopic signatures of streamflow showed large differences between catchments. In catchments dominated by permeable bedrock, isotopic signatures of streamflow remained stable throughout the entire flow duration curve consistent with a large storage and mixing potential. On less permeable bedrock substrate, we have observed that isotopic signatures in streamflow were much more variable, due to reduced storage volume and comparatively smaller mixing potential. Other metrics such as catchment size and flowpath length exerted a smaller secondary control on isotopic signatures of streamflow in the Alzette River sub-basins. Tague, C., Grant, G.E., 2004. A geological framework for interpreting the low-flow regimes of Cascade streams, Willamette River Basin, Oregon. Water Resources Research, 40(4), doi:10.1029/2003WR002629 Sayama, T., McDonnell, J.J., Dhakal, A., Sullivan, K., 2011. How much water can a watershed store ? Hydrological Processes 25, 3899-3908. Klaus, J., McDonnell, J.J., 2013. Hydrograph separation using stable isotopes: Review and evaluation. Journal of Hydrology 505, 47-64.

Screening and ranking framework (SRF) for geologic CO2 storagesite selection on the basis of HSE risk

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Oldenburg, Curtis M.

2006-11-27

A screening and ranking framework (SRF) has been developedto evaluate potential geologic carbon dioxide (CO2) storage sites on thebasis of health, safety, and environmental (HSE) risk arising from CO2leakage. The approach is based on the assumption that CO2 leakage risk isdependent on three basic characteristics of a geologic CO2 storage site:(1) the potential for primary containment by the target formation; (2)the potential for secondary containment if the primary formation leaks;and (3) the potential for attenuation and dispersion of leaking CO2 ifthe primary formation leaks and secondary containment fails. Theframework is implemented in a spreadsheet in which users enter numericalscores representingmore » expert opinions or published information along withestimates of uncertainty. Applications to three sites in Californiademonstrate the approach. Refinements and extensions are possible throughthe use of more detailed data or model results in place of propertyproxies.« less

The potential of geological storage of CO2 in Austria: a techno-economic assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brüstle, Anna Katharina; Welkenhuysen, Kris; Bottig, Magdalena; Piessens, Kris; Ramirez, Andrea; Swenner, Rudy

2014-05-01

An impressive two-third or about 40GWh/y of electricity in Austria is produced from renewable energy sources, in particular hydro energy. For the remaining part the country depends on fossil fuels, which together with iron & steel production form the most CO2 intensive industries in Austria with a combined emission of just over 20Mt/y. According to the IEA, CO2 capture and geological storage (CCS) can reduce the global CO2 emission until 2050 by 17%. A correct assessment of CCS needs to start with the storage potential. Prior to this study, only general estimates of the theoretical capacity of Austrian reservoirs were available, thus, up until now, the realistic potential for CCS technology has not been assessed. Both for policy and industry, an assessment of the matched capacity is required, which is the capacity that actually will be used in CCS projects. This hurdle can be taken by applying a recently developed methodology (Welkenhuysen et al., 2013). This policy support system (PSS) consists of two parts, PSS Explorer and PSS III simulator. In brief, the methodology is based on expert judgements of potential reservoirs. These assessments can provide the best available data, including the expert's experience and possibly confidential data, without disclosing specific data. The geo-techno-economic calculation scheme PSS Explorer uses the expert input to calculate for each individual reservoir an assessment of the practical capacity (as probability density functions), in function of an acceptable price for storage. This practical capacity can then be used by the techno-economic PSS III simulator to perform advanced source-sink matching until 2050 and thus provide the matched reservoir capacity. The analysed reservoirs are 7 active or abandoned oil and gas reservoirs in Austria. The simulation of the electricity and iron & steel sector of Austria resulted in the estimation of the geological storage potential, taking into account geological, technological and economic uncertainties. Results indicate a significant potential for CCS in Austria and a very high probability for any CO2 storage activity. The assessment of the average practical capacity of the whole country is 120Mt at 15€/tCO2 of storage budget, while the average matched national capacity is 40Mt. Concerning the individual reservoirs, reservoir development probabilities generally lie between 20 and 30%. These numbers served as basis for a reservoir exploration ranking. Compared to current emissions, total storage capacity is at the low end, which is likely the main technical limiting factor for CCS deployment in Austria. Also, current policy seems not in favour of CCS. Storage capacity is however high enough to provide a significant contribution to the reduction of CO2 emissions in the country, in the order of a few million tonnes per year. Opportunities to combine CO2 geological storage and geothermal energy seem promising, but require additional evaluation. Welkenhuysen, K., Ramirez, A., Swennen, R. & Piessens, K., 2013. Ranking potential CO2 storage reservoirs: an exploration priority list for Belgium. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 17, p. 431-449

Geologic framework for the national assessment of carbon dioxide storage resources: Columbia Basin of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, and the Western Oregon-Washington basins: Chapter D in Geologic framework for the national assessment of carbon dioxide storage resources

USGS Publications Warehouse

Covault, Jacob A.; Blondes, Madalyn S.; Cahan, Steven M.; DeVera, Christina A.; Freeman, P.A.; Lohr, Celeste D.; Warwick, Peter D.; Corum, Margo D.

2013-01-01

The 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act (Public Law 110–140) directs the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to conduct a national assessment of potential geologic storage resources for carbon dioxide (CO2). The methodology used by the USGS for the national CO2 assessment follows that of previous USGS work. The methodology is non-economic and intended to be used at regional to subbasinal scales. This report identifies and contains geologic descriptions of three storage assessment units (SAUs) in Eocene and Oligocene sedimentary rocks within the Columbia, Puget, Willapa, Astoria, Nehalem, and Willamette Basins of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, and focuses on the characteristics, specified in the methodology, that influence the potential CO2 storage resource in those SAUs. Specific descriptions of the SAU boundaries as well as their sealing and reservoir units are included. Properties for each SAU, such as depth to top, gross thickness, porosity, permeability, groundwater quality, and structural reservoir traps, are provided to illustrate geologic factors critical to the assessment. The designated sealing unit in the Columbia Basin is tentatively chosen to be the ubiquitous and thick Miocene Columbia River Basalt Group. As a result of uncertainties regarding the seal integrity of the Columbia River Basalt Group, the SAUs were not quantitatively assessed. Figures in this report show SAU boundaries and cell maps of well penetrations through sealing units into the top of the storage formations. The cell maps show the number of penetrating wells within one square mile and are derived from interpretations of incompletely attributed well data, a digital compilation that is known not to include all drilling. The USGS does not expect to know the location of all wells and cannot guarantee the amount of drilling through specific formations in any given cell shown on the cell maps.

CO2 storage capacity estimation: Issues and development of standards

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bradshaw, J.; Bachu, S.; Bonijoly, D.; Burruss, R.; Holloway, S.; Christensen, N.P.; Mathiassen, O.M.

2007-01-01

Associated with the endeavours of geoscientists to pursue the promise that geological storage of CO2 has of potentially making deep cuts into greenhouse gas emissions, Governments around the world are dependent on reliable estimates of CO2 storage capacity and insightful indications of the viability of geological storage in their respective jurisdictions. Similarly, industry needs reliable estimates for business decisions regarding site selection and development. If such estimates are unreliable, and decisions are made based on poor advice, then valuable resources and time could be wasted. Policies that have been put in place to address CO2 emissions could be jeopardised. Estimates need to clearly state the limitations that existed (data, time, knowledge) at the time of making the assessment and indicate the purpose and future use to which the estimates should be applied. A set of guidelines for estimation of storage capacity will greatly assist future deliberations by government and industry on the appropriateness of geological storage of CO2 in different geological settings and political jurisdictions. This work has been initiated under the auspices of the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum (www.cslforum.org), and it is intended that it will be an ongoing taskforce to further examine issues associated with storage capacity estimation. Crown Copyright ?? 2007.

CarbonSAFE Illinois - Macon County

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Whittaker, Steve

CarbonSAFE Illinois is a a Feasibility study to develop an established geologic storage complex in Macon County, Illinois, for commercial-scale storage of industrially sourced CO2. Feasibility activities are focused on the Mt. Simon Storage Complex; a step-out well will be drilled near existing storage sites (i.e., the Midwest Geological Sequestration Consortium’s Illinois Basin – Decatur Project and the Illinois Industrial Carbon Capture and Storage Project) to further establish commercial viability of this complex and to evaluate EOR potential in a co-located oil-field trend. The Archer Daniels Midland facility (ethanol plant), City Water, Light, and Power in Springfield, Illinois (coal-fired powermore » station), and other regional industries are potential sources of anthropogenic CO2 for storage at this complex. Site feasibility will be evaluated through drilling results, static and dynamic modeling, and quantitative risk assessment. Both studies will entail stakeholder engagement, consideration of infrastructure requirements, existing policy, and business models. Project data will help calibrate the National Risk Assessment Partnership (NRAP) Toolkit to better understand the risks of commercial-scale carbon storage.« less

Characterization of Most Promising Sequestration Formations in the Rocky Mountain Region (RMCCS)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McPherson, Brian; Matthews, Vince

2013-09-30

The primary objective of the “Characterization of Most Promising Carbon Capture and Sequestration Formations in the Central Rocky Mountain Region” project, or RMCCS project, is to characterize the storage potential of the most promising geologic sequestration formations within the southwestern U.S. and the Central Rocky Mountain region in particular. The approach included an analysis of geologic sequestration formations under the Craig Power Station in northwestern Colorado, and application or extrapolation of those local-scale results to the broader region. A ten-step protocol for geologic carbon storage site characterization was a primary outcome of this project.

Carbon sequestration and its role in the global carbon cycle

USGS Publications Warehouse

McPherson, Brian J.; Sundquist, Eric T.

2009-01-01

For carbon sequestration the issues of monitoring, risk assessment, and verification of carbon content and storage efficacy are perhaps the most uncertain. Yet these issues are also the most critical challenges facing the broader context of carbon sequestration as a means for addressing climate change. In response to these challenges, Carbon Sequestration and Its Role in the Global Carbon Cycle presents current perspectives and research that combine five major areas: • The global carbon cycle and verification and assessment of global carbon sources and sinks • Potential capacity and temporal/spatial scales of terrestrial, oceanic, and geologic carbon storage • Assessing risks and benefits associated with terrestrial, oceanic, and geologic carbon storage • Predicting, monitoring, and verifying effectiveness of different forms of carbon storage • Suggested new CO2 sequestration research and management paradigms for the future. The volume is based on a Chapman Conference and will appeal to the rapidly growing group of scientists and engineers examining methods for deliberate carbon sequestration through storage in plants, soils, the oceans, and geological repositories.

Development of a Probabilistic Assessment Methodology for Evaluation of Carbon Dioxide Storage

USGS Publications Warehouse

Burruss, Robert A.; Brennan, Sean T.; Freeman, P.A.; Merrill, Matthew D.; Ruppert, Leslie F.; Becker, Mark F.; Herkelrath, William N.; Kharaka, Yousif K.; Neuzil, Christopher E.; Swanson, Sharon M.; Cook, Troy A.; Klett, Timothy R.; Nelson, Philip H.; Schenk, Christopher J.

2009-01-01

This report describes a probabilistic assessment methodology developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for evaluation of the resource potential for storage of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the subsurface of the United States as authorized by the Energy Independence and Security Act (Public Law 110-140, 2007). The methodology is based on USGS assessment methodologies for oil and gas resources created and refined over the last 30 years. The resource that is evaluated is the volume of pore space in the subsurface in the depth range of 3,000 to 13,000 feet that can be described within a geologically defined storage assessment unit consisting of a storage formation and an enclosing seal formation. Storage assessment units are divided into physical traps (PTs), which in most cases are oil and gas reservoirs, and the surrounding saline formation (SF), which encompasses the remainder of the storage formation. The storage resource is determined separately for these two types of storage. Monte Carlo simulation methods are used to calculate a distribution of the potential storage size for individual PTs and the SF. To estimate the aggregate storage resource of all PTs, a second Monte Carlo simulation step is used to sample the size and number of PTs. The probability of successful storage for individual PTs or the entire SF, defined in this methodology by the likelihood that the amount of CO2 stored will be greater than a prescribed minimum, is based on an estimate of the probability of containment using present-day geologic knowledge. The report concludes with a brief discussion of needed research data that could be used to refine assessment methodologies for CO2 sequestration.

Hydrogeologic framework and geologic structure of the Floridan aquifer system and intermediate confining unit in the Lake Okeechobee area, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reese, Ronald S.

2014-01-01

The successful implementation of aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) as a water-management tool requires detailed information on the hydrologic and hydraulic properties of the potential water storage zones. This report presents stratigraphic and hydrogeologic sections of the upper part of the Floridan aquifer system and the overlying confining unit or aquifer system in the Lake Okeechobee area, and contour maps of the upper contacts of the Ocala Limestone and the Arcadia Formation, which are represented in the sections. The sections and maps illustrate hydrogeologic factors such as confinement of potential storage zones, the distribution of permeability within the zones, and geologic features that may control the efficiency of injection, storage, and recovery of water, and thus may influence decisions on ASR activities in areas of interest to the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan.

Two-phase flow visualization under reservoir conditions for highly heterogeneous conglomerate rock: A core-scale study for geologic carbon storage.

PubMed

Kim, Kue-Young; Oh, Junho; Han, Weon Shik; Park, Kwon Gyu; Shinn, Young Jae; Park, Eungyu

2018-03-20

Geologic storage of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) is considered a viable strategy for significantly reducing anthropogenic CO 2 emissions into the atmosphere; however, understanding the flow mechanisms in various geological formations is essential for safe storage using this technique. This study presents, for the first time, a two-phase (CO 2 and brine) flow visualization under reservoir conditions (10 MPa, 50 °C) for a highly heterogeneous conglomerate core obtained from a real CO 2 storage site. Rock heterogeneity and the porosity variation characteristics were evaluated using X-ray computed tomography (CT). Multiphase flow tests with an in-situ imaging technology revealed three distinct CO 2 saturation distributions (from homogeneous to non-uniform) dependent on compositional complexity. Dense discontinuity networks within clasts provided well-connected pathways for CO 2 flow, potentially helping to reduce overpressure. Two flow tests, one under capillary-dominated conditions and the other in a transition regime between the capillary and viscous limits, indicated that greater injection rates (potential causes of reservoir overpressure) could be significantly reduced without substantially altering the total stored CO 2 mass. Finally, the capillary storage capacity of the reservoir was calculated. Capacity ranged between 0.5 and 4.5%, depending on the initial CO 2 saturation.

Poromechanical behaviour of a surficial geological barrier during fluid injection into an underlying poroelastic storage formation

PubMed Central

Selvadurai, A. P. S.; Kim, Jueun

2016-01-01

A competent low permeability and chemically inert geological barrier is an essential component of any strategy for the deep geological disposal of fluidized hazardous material and greenhouse gases. While the processes of injection are important to the assessment of the sequestration potential of the storage formation, the performance of the caprock is important to the containment potential, which can be compromised by the development of cracks and other defects that might be activated during and after injection. This paper presents a mathematical modelling approach that can be used to assess the state of stress in a surficial caprock during injection of a fluid to the interior of a poroelastic storage formation. Important information related to time-dependent evolution of the stress state and displacements of the surficial caprock with injection rates, and the stress state in the storage formation can be obtained from the theoretical developments. Most importantly, numerical results illustrate the influence of poromechanics on the development of adverse stress states in the geological barrier. The results obtained from the mathematical analysis illustrate that the surface heave increases as the hydraulic conductivity of the caprock decreases, whereas the surface heave decreases as the shear modulus of the caprock increases. The results also illustrate the influence of poromechanics on the development of adverse stress states in the caprock. PMID:27118906

Poromechanical behaviour of a surficial geological barrier during fluid injection into an underlying poroelastic storage formation.

PubMed

Selvadurai, A P S; Kim, Jueun

2016-03-01

A competent low permeability and chemically inert geological barrier is an essential component of any strategy for the deep geological disposal of fluidized hazardous material and greenhouse gases. While the processes of injection are important to the assessment of the sequestration potential of the storage formation, the performance of the caprock is important to the containment potential, which can be compromised by the development of cracks and other defects that might be activated during and after injection. This paper presents a mathematical modelling approach that can be used to assess the state of stress in a surficial caprock during injection of a fluid to the interior of a poroelastic storage formation. Important information related to time-dependent evolution of the stress state and displacements of the surficial caprock with injection rates, and the stress state in the storage formation can be obtained from the theoretical developments. Most importantly, numerical results illustrate the influence of poromechanics on the development of adverse stress states in the geological barrier. The results obtained from the mathematical analysis illustrate that the surface heave increases as the hydraulic conductivity of the caprock decreases, whereas the surface heave decreases as the shear modulus of the caprock increases. The results also illustrate the influence of poromechanics on the development of adverse stress states in the caprock.

Specific storage volumes: A useful tool for CO2 storage capacity assessment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brennan, S.T.; Burruss, R.C.

2006-01-01

Subsurface geologic strata have the potential to store billions of tons of anthropogenic CO2; therefore, geologic carbon sequestration can be an effective mitigation tool used to slow the rate at which levels of atmospheric CO2 are increasing. Oil and gas reservoirs, coal beds, and saline reservoirs can be used for CO2 storage; however, it is difficult to assess and compare the relative storage capacities of these different settings. Typically, CO2 emissions are reported in units of mass, which are not directly applicable to comparing the CO2 storage capacities of the various storage targets. However, if the emission values are recalculated to volumes per unit mass (specific volume) then the volumes of geologic reservoirs necessary to store CO2 emissions from large point sources can be estimated. The factors necessary to convert the mass of CO2 emissions to geologic storage volume (referred to here as Specific Storage Volume or 'SSV') can be reported in units of cubic meters, cubic feet, and petroleum barrels. The SSVs can be used to estimate the reservoir volume needed to store CO2 produced over the lifetime of an individual point source, and to identify CO2 storage targets of sufficient size to meet the demand from that given point source. These storage volumes also can then be projected onto the land surface to outline a representative "footprint," which marks the areal extent of storage. This footprint can be compared with the terrestrial carbon sequestration capacity of the same land area. The overall utility of this application is that the total storage capacity of any given parcel of land (from surface to basement) can be determined, and may assist in making land management decisions. ?? Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2006.

A data driven model for the impact of IFT and density variations on CO2 sequestration in porous media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nomeli, Mohammad; Riaz, Amir

2017-11-01

CO2 storage in geological formations is one of the most promising solutions for mitigating the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere. One of the important issues for CO2 storage in subsurface environments is the sealing efficiency of low-permeable cap-rocks overlying potential CO2 storage reservoirs. A novel model is proposed to find the IFT of the systems (CO2/brine-salt) in a range of temperatures (300-373 K), pressures (50-250 bar), and up to 6 molal salinity applicable to CO2 storage in geological formations through a machine learning-assisted modeling of experimental data. The IFT between mineral surfaces and CO2/brine-salt solutions determines the efficiency of enhanced oil or gas recovery operations as well as our ability to inject and store CO2 in geological formations. Finally, we use the new model to evaluate the effects of formation depth on the actual efficiency of CO2 storage. The results indicate that, in the case of CO2 storage in deep subsurface environments as a global-warming mitigation strategy, CO2 storage capacity are improved with reservoir depth.

Health, Safety, and Environmental Screening and Ranking Frameworkfor Geologic CO2 Storage Site Selection

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Oldenburg, Curtis M.

2006-03-15

This report describes a screening and ranking framework(SRF) developed to evaluate potential geologic carbon dioxide (CO2)storage sites on the basis of health, safety, and environmental (HSE)risk arising from possible CO2 leakage. The approach is based on theassumption that HSE risk due to CO2 leakage is dependent on three basiccharacteristics of a geologic CO2 storage site: (1) the potential forprimary containment by the target formation, (2) the potential forsecondary containment if the primary formation leaks, and (3) thepotential for attenuation and dispersion of leaking CO2 if the primaryformation leaks and secondary containment fails. The framework isimplemented in a spreadsheet in whichmore » users enter numerical scoresrepresenting expert opinions or general information available frompublished materials along with estimates of uncertainty to evaluate thethree basic characteristics in order to screen and rank candidate sites.Application of the framework to the Rio Vista Gas Field, Ventura OilField, and Mammoth Mountain demonstrates the approach. Refinements andextensions are possible through the use of more detailed data or modelresults in place of property proxies. Revisions and extensions to improvethe approach are anticipated in the near future as it is used and testedby colleagues and collaborators.« less

Health, Safety, and Environmental Screening and Ranking Frameworkfor Geologic CO2 Storage Site Selection

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Oldenburg, Curtis M.

2005-09-19

This report describes a screening and ranking framework(SRF) developed to evaluate potential geologic carbon dioxide (CO2) storage sites on the basis of health, safety, and environmental (HSE) risk arising from possible CO2 leakage. The approach is based on the assumption that HSE risk due to CO2 leakage is dependent on three basic characteristics of a geologic CO2 storage site: (1) the potential for primary containment by the target formation; (2) the potential for secondary containment if the primary formation leaks; and (3) the potential for attenuation and dispersion of leaking CO2 if the primary formation leaks and secondary containment fails.more » The framework is implemented in a spreadsheet in which users enter numerical scores representing expert opinions or general information available from published materials along with estimates of uncertainty to evaluate the three basic characteristics in order to screen and rank candidate sites. Application of the framework to the Rio Visa Gas Field, Ventura Oil Field, and Mammoth Mountain demonstrates the approach. Refinements and extensions are possible through the use of more detailed data or model results in place of property proxies. Revisions and extensions to improve the approach are anticipated in the near future as it is used and tested by colleagues and collaborators.« less

System-level modeling for economic evaluation of geological CO2storage in gas reservoirs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, Yingqi; Oldenburg, Curtis M.; Finsterle, Stefan

2006-03-02

One way to reduce the effects of anthropogenic greenhousegases on climate is to inject carbon dioxide (CO2) from industrialsources into deep geological formations such as brine aquifers ordepleted oil or gas reservoirs. Research is being conducted to improveunderstanding of factors affecting particular aspects of geological CO2storage (such as storage performance, storage capacity, and health,safety and environmental (HSE) issues) as well as to lower the cost ofCO2 capture and related processes. However, there has been less emphasisto date on system-level analyses of geological CO2 storage that considergeological, economic, and environmental issues by linking detailedprocess models to representations of engineering components andassociatedmore » economic models. The objective of this study is to develop asystem-level model for geological CO2 storage, including CO2 capture andseparation, compression, pipeline transportation to the storage site, andCO2 injection. Within our system model we are incorporating detailedreservoir simulations of CO2 injection into a gas reservoir and relatedenhanced production of methane. Potential leakage and associatedenvironmental impacts are also considered. The platform for thesystem-level model is GoldSim [GoldSim User's Guide. GoldSim TechnologyGroup; 2006, http://www.goldsim.com]. The application of the system modelfocuses on evaluating the feasibility of carbon sequestration withenhanced gas recovery (CSEGR) in the Rio Vista region of California. Thereservoir simulations are performed using a special module of the TOUGH2simulator, EOS7C, for multicomponent gas mixtures of methane and CO2.Using a system-level modeling approach, the economic benefits of enhancedgas recovery can be directly weighed against the costs and benefits ofCO2 injection.« less

Summary of Carbon Storage Incentives and Potential Legislation: East Sub-Basin Project Task 3.1 Business and Financial Case Study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Trabucchi, Chiara

The CarbonSAFE Illinois – East Sub-Basin project is conducting a pre-feasibility assessment for commercial-scale CO2 geological storage complexes. The project aims to identify sites capable of storing more than 50 million tons of industrially-sourced CO2. To support the business development assessment of the economic viability of potential sites in the East Sub-Basin and explore conditions under which a carbon capture and storage (CCS) project therein might be revenue positive, this document provides a summary of carbon storage incentives and legislation of potential relevance to the project.

Regional assessment of aquifers for thermal-energy storage. Volume 2: Regions 7 through 12

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1981-06-01

The geologic and hydrologic framework, major aquifers, aquifers which are suitable and unsuitable for annual thermal energy storage (ATES) and the ATES potential of the unglaciated central region, glaciated Appalachians, unglaciated Appalachians, coastal plain, Hawaii, and Alaska are discussed.

Quantification of key long-term risks at CO₂ sequestration sites: Latest results from US DOE's National Risk Assessment Partnership (NRAP) Project

DOE PAGES

Pawar, Rajesh; Bromhal, Grant; Carroll, Susan; ...

2014-12-31

Risk assessment for geologic CO₂ storage including quantification of risks is an area of active investigation. The National Risk Assessment Partnership (NRAP) is a US-Department of Energy (US-DOE) effort focused on developing a defensible, science-based methodology and platform for quantifying risk profiles at geologic CO₂ sequestration sites. NRAP has been developing a methodology that centers round development of an integrated assessment model (IAM) using system modeling approach to quantify risks and risk profiles. The IAM has been used to calculate risk profiles with a few key potential impacts due to potential CO₂ and brine leakage. The simulation results are alsomore » used to determine long-term storage security relationships and compare the long-term storage effectiveness to IPCC storage permanence goal. Additionally, we also demonstrate application of IAM for uncertainty quantification in order to determine parameters to which the uncertainty in model results is most sensitive.« less

Geological Sequestration of CO2 A Brief Overview and Potential for Application for Oklahoma

EPA Science Inventory

Geologic sequestration of CO2 is a component of C capture and storage (CCS), an emerging technology for reducing CO2 emissions to the atmosphere, and involves injection of captured CO2 into deep subsurface formations. Similar to the injection of hazardous wastes, before injection...

Cost Implications of Uncertainty in CO{sub 2} Storage Resource Estimates: A Review

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Anderson, Steven T., E-mail: sanderson@usgs.gov

Carbon capture from stationary sources and geologic storage of carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) is an important option to include in strategies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. However, the potential costs of commercial-scale CO{sub 2} storage are not well constrained, stemming from the inherent uncertainty in storage resource estimates coupled with a lack of detailed estimates of the infrastructure needed to access those resources. Storage resource estimates are highly dependent on storage efficiency values or storage coefficients, which are calculated based on ranges of uncertain geological and physical reservoir parameters. If dynamic factors (such as variability in storage efficiencies, pressure interference,more » and acceptable injection rates over time), reservoir pressure limitations, boundaries on migration of CO{sub 2}, consideration of closed or semi-closed saline reservoir systems, and other possible constraints on the technically accessible CO{sub 2} storage resource (TASR) are accounted for, it is likely that only a fraction of the TASR could be available without incurring significant additional costs. Although storage resource estimates typically assume that any issues with pressure buildup due to CO{sub 2} injection will be mitigated by reservoir pressure management, estimates of the costs of CO{sub 2} storage generally do not include the costs of active pressure management. Production of saline waters (brines) could be essential to increasing the dynamic storage capacity of most reservoirs, but including the costs of this critical method of reservoir pressure management could increase current estimates of the costs of CO{sub 2} storage by two times, or more. Even without considering the implications for reservoir pressure management, geologic uncertainty can significantly impact CO{sub 2} storage capacities and costs, and contribute to uncertainty in carbon capture and storage (CCS) systems. Given the current state of available information and the scarcity of (data from) long-term commercial-scale CO{sub 2} storage projects, decision makers may experience considerable difficulty in ascertaining the realistic potential, the likely costs, and the most beneficial pattern of deployment of CCS as an option to reduce CO{sub 2} concentrations in the atmosphere.« less

Cost implications of uncertainty in CO2 storage resource estimates: A review

USGS Publications Warehouse

Anderson, Steven T.

2017-01-01

Carbon capture from stationary sources and geologic storage of carbon dioxide (CO2) is an important option to include in strategies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. However, the potential costs of commercial-scale CO2 storage are not well constrained, stemming from the inherent uncertainty in storage resource estimates coupled with a lack of detailed estimates of the infrastructure needed to access those resources. Storage resource estimates are highly dependent on storage efficiency values or storage coefficients, which are calculated based on ranges of uncertain geological and physical reservoir parameters. If dynamic factors (such as variability in storage efficiencies, pressure interference, and acceptable injection rates over time), reservoir pressure limitations, boundaries on migration of CO2, consideration of closed or semi-closed saline reservoir systems, and other possible constraints on the technically accessible CO2 storage resource (TASR) are accounted for, it is likely that only a fraction of the TASR could be available without incurring significant additional costs. Although storage resource estimates typically assume that any issues with pressure buildup due to CO2 injection will be mitigated by reservoir pressure management, estimates of the costs of CO2 storage generally do not include the costs of active pressure management. Production of saline waters (brines) could be essential to increasing the dynamic storage capacity of most reservoirs, but including the costs of this critical method of reservoir pressure management could increase current estimates of the costs of CO2 storage by two times, or more. Even without considering the implications for reservoir pressure management, geologic uncertainty can significantly impact CO2 storage capacities and costs, and contribute to uncertainty in carbon capture and storage (CCS) systems. Given the current state of available information and the scarcity of (data from) long-term commercial-scale CO2 storage projects, decision makers may experience considerable difficulty in ascertaining the realistic potential, the likely costs, and the most beneficial pattern of deployment of CCS as an option to reduce CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere.

Water Challenges for Geologic Carbon Capture and Sequestration

PubMed Central

Friedmann, Samuel J.; Carroll, Susan A.

2010-01-01

Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) has been proposed as a means to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions with the continued use of fossil fuels. For geologic sequestration, the carbon dioxide is captured from large point sources (e.g., power plants or other industrial sources), transported to the injection site and injected into deep geological formations for storage. This will produce new water challenges, such as the amount of water used in energy resource development and utilization and the “capture penalty” for water use. At depth, brine displacement within formations, storage reservoir pressure increases resulting from injection, and leakage are potential concerns. Potential impacts range from increasing water demand for capture to contamination of groundwater through leakage or brine displacement. Understanding these potential impacts and the conditions under which they arise informs the design and implementation of appropriate monitoring and controls, important both for assurance of environmental safety and for accounting purposes. Potential benefits also exist, such as co-production and treatment of water to both offset reservoir pressure increase and to provide local water for beneficial use. PMID:20127328

An Analysis of the Distribution and Economics of Oil Fields for Enhanced Oil Recovery-Carbon Capture and Storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hall, Kristyn Ann

The rising carbon dioxide emissions contributing to climate change has lead to the examination of potential ways to mitigate the environmental impact. One such method is through the geological sequestration of carbon (CCS). Although there are several different forms of geological sequestration (i.e. Saline Aquifers, Oil and Gas Reservoirs, Unminable Coal Seams) the current projects are just initiating the large scale-testing phase. The lead entry point into CCS projects is to combine the sequestration with enhanced oil recovery (EOR) due to the improved economic model as a result of the oil recovery and the pre-existing knowledge of the geological structures. The potential scope of CCS-EOR projects throughout the continental United States in terms of a systematic examination of individual reservoir storage potential has not been examined. Instead the majority of the research completed has centered on either estimating the total United States storage potential or the potential of a single specific reservoir. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between oil recovery, carbon dioxide storage and cost during CCS-EOR. The characteristics of the oil and gas reservoirs examined in this study from the Nehring Oil and Gas Database were used in the CCS-EOR model developed by Sean McCoy to estimate the lifting and storage costs of the different reservoirs throughout the continental United States. This allows for an examination of both technical and financial viability of CCS-EOR as an intermediate step for future CCS projects in other geological formations. One option for mitigating climate change is to store industrial CO2 emissions in geologic reservoirs as part of a process known as carbon capture and storage (CCS). There is general consensus that large-scale deployment of CCS would best be initiated by combining geologic sequestration with enhanced oil recovery (EOR), which can use CO2 to improve production from declining oil fields. Revenues from the produced oil could help offset the current high costs of CCS. The cumulative potential of CCS-EOR in the continental U.S. has been evaluated in terms of both CO2 storage capacity and additional oil production. This thesis examines the same potential, but on a reservoir-by-reservoir basis. Reservoir properties from the Nehring Oil and Gas Database are used as inputs to a CCS-EOR model developed by McCoy (YR) to estimate the storage capacity, oil production and CCS-EOR costs for over 10,000 oil reservoirs located throughout the continental United States. We find that 86% of the reservoirs could store ≤1 y or CO2 emissions from a single 500 MW coal-fired power plant (i.e., 3 Mtons CO2). Less than 1% of the reservoirs, on the other hand, appear capable of storing ≥30 y of CO2 emissions from a 500 MW plan. But these larger reservoirs are also estimated to contain 48% of the predicted additional oil that could be produced through CCS-EOR. The McCoy model also predicts that the reservoirs will on average produce 4.5 bbl of oil for each ton of sequestered CO2, a ratio known as the utilization factor. This utilization factor is 1.5 times higher that arrived at by the U.S. Department of Energy, and leads to a cumulative production of oil for all the reservoirs examined of ˜183 billion barrels along with a cumulative storage capacity of 41 Mtons CO2. This is equivalent to 26.5 y of current oil consumption by the nation, and 8.5 y of current coal plant emissions.

Case study - Dynamic pressure-limited capacity and costs of CO2 storage in the Mount Simon sandstone

USGS Publications Warehouse

Anderson, Steven T.; Jahediesfanjani, Hossein

2017-01-01

Widespread deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS) is likely necessary to be able to satisfy baseload electricity demand, to maintain diversity in the energy mix, and to achieve climate and other objectives at the lowest cost. If all of the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from stationary sources (such as fossil-fuel burning power plants, and other industrial plants) in the United States needed to be captured and stored, it could be possible to store only a small fraction of this CO2 in oil and natural gas reservoirs, including as a result of CO2 utilization for enhanced oil recovery. The vast majority would have to be stored in saline-filled reservoirs (Dahowski et al., 2005). Given a lack of long-term commercial-scale CCS projects, there is considerable uncertainty in the risks, dynamic capacity, and their cost implications for geologic storage of CO2. Pressure buildup in the storage reservoir is expected to be a primary source of risk associated with CO2 storage, and could severely limit CO2 injection rates (dynamic storage capacities). Most cost estimates for commercial-scale deployment of CCS estimate CO2 storage costs under assumed availability of a theoretical capacity to store tens, hundreds, or even thousands of gigatons of CO2, without considering geologic heterogeneities, pressure limitations, or the time dimension. This could lead to underestimation of the costs of CO2 storage (Anderson, 2017). This paper considers the impacts of pressure limitations and geologic heterogeneity on the dynamic CO2 storage capacity and storage (injection) costs. In the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)’s National Assessment of Geologic CO2 Storage Resources (USGS, 2013), the mean estimate of the theoretical storage capacity in the Mount Simon Sandstone was about 94 billion metric tons of CO2. However, our results suggest that the pressure-limited capacity after 50 years of injection could be only about 4% of the theoretical geologic storage capacity in this formation. Because this is far less than emissions of CO2 from stationary sources in the region around the Mount Simon Sandstone, the costs to accommodate the potential annual demand for CO2 storage in this formation could be significantly greater than current estimates. Our results could have implications for how long and to what extent decision makers can expect to be able to deploy CCS before transitioning to other low- or zero-carbon energy technologies.

A combined methodology using electrical resistivity tomography, ordinary kriging and porosimetry for quantifying total C trapped in carbonate formations associated with natural analogues for CO2 leakage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prado-Pérez, A. J.; Aracil, E.; Pérez del Villar, L.

2014-06-01

Currently, carbon deep geological storage is one of the most accepted methods for CO2 sequestration, being the long-term behaviour assessment of these artificial systems absolutely essential to guarantee the safety of the CO2 storage. In this sense, hydrogeochemical modelling is being used for evaluating any artificial CO2 deep geological storage as a potential CO2 sinkhole and to assess the leakage processes that are usually associated with these engineered systems. Carbonate precipitation, as travertines or speleothems, is a common feature in the CO2 leakage scenarios and, therefore, is of the utmost importance to quantify the total C content trapped as a stable mineral phase in these carbonate formations. A methodology combining three classical techniques such as: electrical resistivity tomography, geostatistical analysis and mercury porosimetry is described in this work, which was developed for calculating the total amount of C trapped as CaCO3 associated with the CO2 leakages in Alicún de las Torres natural analogue (Granada, Spain). The proposed methodology has allowed estimating the amount of C trapped as calcite, as more than 1.7 Mt. This last parameter, focussed on an artificial CO2 deep geological storage, is essential for hydrogeochemical modellers when evaluating whether CO2 storages constitute or not CO2 sinkholes. This finding is extremely important when assessing the long-term behaviour and safety of any artificial CO2 deep geological storage.

Modeling, Uncertainty Quantification and Sensitivity Analysis of Subsurface Fluid Migration in the Above Zone Monitoring Interval of a Geologic Carbon Storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Namhata, A.; Dilmore, R. M.; Oladyshkin, S.; Zhang, L.; Nakles, D. V.

2015-12-01

Carbon dioxide (CO2) storage into geological formations has significant potential for mitigating anthropogenic CO2 emissions. An increasing emphasis on the commercialization and implementation of this approach to store CO2 has led to the investigation of the physical processes involved and to the development of system-wide mathematical models for the evaluation of potential geologic storage sites and the risk associated with them. The sub-system components under investigation include the storage reservoir, caprock seals, and the above zone monitoring interval, or AZMI, to name a few. Diffusive leakage of CO2 through the caprock seal to overlying formations may occur due to its intrinsic permeability and/or the presence of natural/induced fractures. This results in a potential risk to environmental receptors such as underground sources of drinking water. In some instances, leaking CO2 also has the potential to reach the ground surface and result in atmospheric impacts. In this work, fluid (i.e., CO2 and brine) flow above the caprock, in the region designated as the AZMI, is modeled for a leakage event of a typical geologic storage system with different possible boundary scenarios. An analytical and approximate solution for radial migration of fluids in the AZMI with continuous inflow of fluids from the reservoir through the caprock has been developed. In its present form, the AZMI model predicts the spatial changes in pressure - gas saturations over time in a layer immediately above the caprock. The modeling is performed for a benchmark case and the data-driven approach of arbitrary Polynomial Chaos (aPC) Expansion is used to quantify the uncertainty of the model outputs based on the uncertainty of model input parameters such as porosity, permeability, formation thickness, and residual brine saturation. The recently developed aPC approach performs stochastic model reduction and approximates the models by a polynomial-based response surface. Finally, a global sensitivity analysis was performed with Sobol indices based on the aPC technique to determine the relative importance of these input parameters on the model output space.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Robert Finley

The Midwest Geological Sequestration Consortium (MGSC) has investigated the options for geological carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) sequestration in the 155,400-km{sup 2} (60,000-mi{sup 2}) Illinois Basin. Within the Basin, underlying most of Illinois, western Indiana, and western Kentucky, are relatively deeper and/or thinner coal resources, numerous mature oil fields, and deep salt-water-bearing reservoirs that are potentially capable of storing CO{sub 2}. The objective of this Assessment was to determine the technical and economic feasibility of using these geological sinks for long-term storage to avoid atmospheric release of CO{sub 2} from fossil fuel combustion and thereby avoid the potential for adverse climatemore » change. The MGSC is a consortium of the geological surveys of Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky joined by six private corporations, five professional business associations, one interstate compact, two university researchers, two Illinois state agencies, and two consultants. The purpose of the Consortium is to assess carbon capture, transportation, and storage processes and their costs and viability in the three-state Illinois Basin region. The Illinois State Geological Survey serves as Lead Technical Contractor for the Consortium. The Illinois Basin region has annual emissions from stationary anthropogenic sources exceeding 276 million metric tonnes (304 million tons) of CO{sub 2} (>70 million tonnes (77 million tons) carbon equivalent), primarily from coal-fired electric generation facilities, some of which burn almost 4.5 million tonnes (5 million tons) of coal per year. Assessing the options for capture, transportation, and storage of the CO{sub 2} emissions within the region has been a 12-task, 2-year process that has assessed 3,600 million tonnes (3,968 million tons) of storage capacity in coal seams, 140 to 440 million tonnes (154 to 485 million tons) of capacity in mature oil reservoirs, 7,800 million tonnes (8,598 million tons) of capacity in saline reservoirs deep beneath geological structures, and 30,000 to 35,000 million tonnes (33,069 to 38,580 million tons) of capacity in saline reservoirs on a regional dip >1,219 m (4,000 ft) deep. The major part of this effort assessed each of the three geological sinks: coals, oil reservoirs, and saline reservoirs. We linked and integrated options for capture, transportation, and geological storage with the environmental and regulatory framework to define sequestration scenarios and potential outcomes for the region. Extensive use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and visualization technology was made to convey results to project sponsors, other researchers, the business community, and the general public. An action plan for possible technology validation field tests involving CO{sub 2} injection was included in a Phase II proposal (successfully funded) to the U.S. Department of Energy with cost sharing from Illinois Clean Coal Institute.« less

Assessing Reservoir Depositional Environments to Develop and Quantify Improvements in CO 2 Storage Efficiency. A Reservoir Simulation Approach

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Okwen, Roland; Frailey, Scott; Leetaru, Hannes

2014-09-30

The storage potential and fluid movement within formations are dependent on the unique hydraulic characteristics of their respective depositional environments. Storage efficiency (E) quantifies the potential for storage in a geologic depositional environment and is used to assess basinal or regional CO 2 storage resources. Current estimates of storage resources are calculated using common E ranges by lithology and not by depositional environment. The objectives of this project are to quantify E ranges and identify E enhancement strategies for different depositional environments via reservoir simulation studies. The depositional environments considered include deltaic, shelf clastic, shelf carbonate, fluvial deltaic, strandplain, reef,more » fluvial and alluvial, and turbidite. Strategies considered for enhancing E include CO 2 injection via vertical, horizontal, and deviated wells, selective completions, water production, and multi-well injection. Conceptual geologic and geocellular models of the depositional environments were developed based on data from Illinois Basin oil fields and gas storage sites. The geologic and geocellular models were generalized for use in other US sedimentary basins. An important aspect of this work is the development of conceptual geologic and geocellular models that reflect the uniqueness of each depositional environment. Different injection well completions methods were simulated to investigate methods of enhancing E in the presence of geologic heterogeneity specific to a depositional environment. Modeling scenarios included horizontal wells (length, orientation, and inclination), selective and dynamic completions, water production, and multiwell injection. A Geologic Storage Efficiency Calculator (GSECalc) was developed to calculate E from reservoir simulation output. Estimated E values were normalized to diminish their dependency on fluid relative permeability. Classifying depositional environments according to normalized baseline E ranges ranks fluvial deltaic and turbidite highest and shelf carbonate lowest. The estimated average normalized baseline E of turbidite, and shelf carbonate depositional environments are 42.5% and 13.1%, with corresponding standard deviations of 11.3%, and 3.10%, respectively. Simulations of different plume management techniques suggest that the horizontal well, multi-well injection with brine production from blanket vertical producers are the most efficient E enhancement strategies in seven of eight depositional environments; for the fluvial deltaic depositional environment, vertical well with blanket completions is the most efficient. This study estimates normalized baseline E ranges for eight depositional environments, which can be used to assess the CO 2 storage resource of candidate formations. This study also improves the general understanding of depositional environment’s influence on E. The lessons learned and results obtained from this study can be extrapolated to formations in other US basins with formations of similar depositional environments, which should be used to further refine regional and national storage resource estimates in future editions of the Carbon Utilization and Storage Atlas of the United States. Further study could consider the economic feasibility of the E enhancement strategies identified here.« less

Regional assessment of aquifers for thermal energy storage. Volume 1: Regions 1 through 6

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1981-06-01

The geologic and hydrologic framework, major aquifers, aquifers which are suitable and unsuitable for annual thermal energy storage (ATES) and the ATES potential of the western mountains, alluvial basins, Columbia LAVA plateau, Colorado plateau, high plains, and glaciated central region are discussed.

National assessment of geologic carbon dioxide storage resources: data

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2013-01-01

In 2012, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) completed the national assessment of geologic carbon dioxide storage resources. Its data and results are reported in three publications: the assessment data publication (this report), the assessment results publication (U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Carbon Dioxide Storage Resources Assessment Team, 2013a, USGS Circular 1386), and the assessment summary publication (U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Carbon Dioxide Storage Resources Assessment Team, 2013b, USGS Fact Sheet 2013–3020). This data publication supports the results publication and contains (1) individual storage assessment unit (SAU) input data forms with all input parameters and details on the allocation of the SAU surface land area by State and general land-ownership category; (2) figures representing the distribution of all storage classes for each SAU; (3) a table containing most input data and assessment result values for each SAU; and (4) a pairwise correlation matrix specifying geological and methodological dependencies between SAUs that are needed for aggregation of results.

Mineralization of Carbon Dioxide: Literature Review

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Romanov, V; Soong, Y; Carney, C

2015-01-01

CCS research has been focused on CO2 storage in geologic formations, with many potential risks. An alternative to conventional geologic storage is carbon mineralization, where CO2 is reacted with metal cations to form carbonate minerals. Mineralization methods can be broadly divided into two categories: in situ and ex situ. In situ mineralization, or mineral trapping, is a component of underground geologic sequestration, in which a portion of the injected CO2 reacts with alkaline rock present in the target formation to form solid carbonate species. In ex situ mineralization, the carbonation reaction occurs above ground, within a separate reactor or industrialmore » process. This literature review is meant to provide an update on the current status of research on CO2 mineralization. 2« less

A new perspective on catchment storage gained from a nested catchment experiment in Luxembourg (Europe)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pfister, Laurent; Klaus, Julian; Hissler, Christophe; François Iffly, Jean; Gourdol, Laurent; Martinez-Carreras, Nuria; McDonnell, Jeffrey J.

2014-05-01

Recent hydrological process research focussed on how much water a catchment can store and how these catchments store and release water. Storage can be a valuable metric for catchment description, inter-comparison, and classification. Further storage controls catchment mixing, non-linearities in rainfall-runoff transformation and eco-hydrological processes. Various methods exist to determine catchment storage (e.g. natural tracer, soil moisture and groundwater data, hydrological models). Today it remains unclear what parts of the catchment storage are measured with the different models. Here we present a new hydrometric approach to answer the question how much water a catchment can store. We tested our approach in a dense hydro-climatological monitoring network that encompasses 16 recording streamgauges and 21 pluviographs in the Alzette River basin in Luxembourg (Europe). Catchment scales are ranging from 0.47 to 285 km2 and they have clean- and mixed combinations of distinct geologies ranging from schists to marls, sandstone, dolomite and limestone. Previous investigations in the area of interest have shown that geology largely controls winter runoff coefficients. Here, we focus at how catchment geology is ultimately affecting catchment storage. We used the approach of Sayama et al. (2011) to compute catchment dynamic storage changes for each winter season over the period 2002-2012 (based on precipitation as input; discharge and evapotranspiration as output). We determined dynamic storage changes for each winter semester (October to March) in all 16 catchments over the period 2002-2012. At the beginning of each hydrological winter season, all catchments showed similar trends in storage change. A few weeks into the winter season, catchments with lowest permeability (e.g. marls) started to plateau. The highest storage values were reached several months later in the season in catchments dominated by permeable substrate (e.g. sandstone). For most catchments, we found strong correlations between baseflow prior to the recharge period (i.e. at initiation of the total storage calculations) and the seasonal maximum value of the total storage change calculations. In order to determine the maximum storage potential for each catchment, we fitted a trendline through the annual 'initial baseflow - maximum storage' populations. By extrapolating these trendlines to zero flow conditions, we obtained the maximum storage potential. Our results show that these maximum storage values clearly tend to be larger in catchments dominated by permeable substrate, compared to areas underlain by impermeable bedrock. In the latter, average filling ratios were found to be substantially higher (exceeding 80%) than in catchments dominated by permeable substrate (approximately 40%). These findings were confirmed by average seasonal winter runoff coefficients that are substantially higher in catchments dominated by impermeable bedrock (Pfister et al., in prep.). Our new approach allows a fast assessment of storage potential in catchments based on discharge, precipitation and evapotranspiration data. Pfister L. et al. 2014: Catchment storage, baseflow isotope signatures and basin geology: Is there a connection? In preparation. Sayama, T., McDonnell, J.J., Dhakal, A., Sullivan, K., 2011. How much water can a watershed store ? Hydrological Processes 25, 3899-3908.

Pilot Studies of Geologic and Terrestrial Carbon Sequestration in the Big Sky Region, USA, and Opportunities for Commercial Scale Deployment of New Technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waggoner, L. A.; Capalbo, S. M.; Talbott, J.

2007-05-01

Within the Big Sky region, including Montana, Idaho, South Dakota, Wyoming and the Pacific Northwest, industry is developing new coal-fired power plants using the abundant coal and other fossil-based resources. Of crucial importance to future development programs are robust carbon mitigation plans that include a technical and economic assessment of regional carbon sequestration opportunities. The objective of the Big Sky Carbon Sequestration Partnership (BSCSP) is to promote the development of a regional framework and infrastructure required to validate and deploy carbon sequestration technologies. Initial work compiled sources and potential sinks for carbon dioxide (CO2) in the Big Sky Region and developed the online Carbon Atlas. Current efforts couple geologic and terrestrial field validation tests with market assessments, economic analysis and regulatory and public outreach. The primary geological efforts are in the demonstration of carbon storage in mafic/basalt formations, a geology not yet well characterized but with significant long-term storage potential in the region and other parts of the world; and in the Madison Formation, a large carbonate aquifer in Wyoming and Montana. Terrestrial sequestration relies on management practices and technologies to remove atmospheric CO2 to storage in trees, plants, and soil. This indirect sequestration method can be implemented today and is on the front-line of voluntary, market-based approaches to reduce CO2 emissions. Details of pilot projects are presented including: new technologies, challenges and successes of projects and potential for commercial-scale deployment.

Foamed Cement Interactions with CO 2

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Verba, Circe; Montross, Scott; Spaulding, Richard

2017-02-02

Geologic carbon storage (GCS) is a potentially viable strategy to reduce greenhouse emissions. Understanding the risks to engineered and geologic structures associated with GCS is an important first step towards developing practices for safe and effective storage. The widespread utilization of foamed cement in wells may mean that carbon dioxide (CO 2)/brine/foamed cement reactions may occur within these GCS sites. Characterizing the difference in alteration rates as well as the physical and mechanical impact of CO 2/brine/foamed cement is an important preliminary step to ensuring offshore and onshore GCS is a prudent anthropogenic CO 2 mitigation choice.

Development of high through-put Sr isotope analysis for monitoring reservoir integrity for CO{sub 2} storage.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wall, Andy; Jain, Jinesh; Stewart, Brian

2012-01-01

Recent innovations in multi-collector ICP-mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) have allowed for rapid and precise measurements of isotope ratios in geological samples. Naturally occurring Sr isotopes has the potential for use in Monitoring, Verification, and Accounting (MVA) associated with geologic CO2 storage. Sr isotopes can be useful for: Sensitive tracking of brine migration; Determining seal rock leakage; Studying fluid/rock reactions. We have optimized separation chemistry procedures that will allow operators to prepare samples for Sr isotope analysis off site using rapid, low cost methods.

Large temporal scale and capacity subsurface bulk energy storage with CO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saar, M. O.; Fleming, M. R.; Adams, B. M.; Ogland-Hand, J.; Nelson, E. S.; Randolph, J.; Sioshansi, R.; Kuehn, T. H.; Buscheck, T. A.; Bielicki, J. M.

2017-12-01

Decarbonizing energy systems by increasing the penetration of variable renewable energy (VRE) technologies requires efficient and short- to long-term energy storage. Very large amounts of energy can be stored in the subsurface as heat and/or pressure energy in order to provide both short- and long-term (seasonal) storage, depending on the implementation. This energy storage approach can be quite efficient, especially where geothermal energy is naturally added to the system. Here, we present subsurface heat and/or pressure energy storage with supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) and discuss the system's efficiency, deployment options, as well as its advantages and disadvantages, compared to several other energy storage options. CO2-based subsurface bulk energy storage has the potential to be particularly efficient and large-scale, both temporally (i.e., seasonal) and spatially. The latter refers to the amount of energy that can be stored underground, using CO2, at a geologically conducive location, potentially enabling storing excess power from a substantial portion of the power grid. The implication is that it would be possible to employ centralized energy storage for (a substantial part of) the power grid, where the geology enables CO2-based bulk subsurface energy storage, whereas the VRE technologies (solar, wind) are located on that same power grid, where (solar, wind) conditions are ideal. However, this may require reinforcing the power grid's transmission lines in certain parts of the grid to enable high-load power transmission from/to a few locations.

Geologic and geophysical characterization studies of Yucca Mountain, Nevada, a potential high-level radioactive-waste repository

USGS Publications Warehouse

Whitney, J.W.; Keefer, W.R.

2000-01-01

In recognition of a critical national need for permanent radioactive-waste storage, Yucca Mountain in southwestern Nevada has been investigated by Federal agencies since the 1970's, as a potential geologic disposal site. In 1987, Congress selected Yucca Mountain for an expanded and more detailed site characterization effort. As an integral part of this program, the U.S. Geological Survey began a series of detailed geologic, geophysical, and related investigations designed to characterize the tectonic setting, fault behavior, and seismicity of the Yucca Mountain area. This document presents the results of 13 studies of the tectonic environment of Yucca Mountain, in support of a broad goal to assess the effects of future seismic and fault activity in the area on design, long-term performance, and safe operation of the potential surface and subsurface repository facilities.

Geological exploration for a high-temperature aquifer thermal energy storage (HT-ATES) system: a case study from Oman

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Winterleitner, Gerd; Schütz, Felina; Huenges, Ernst

2017-04-01

A collaborative research programme between the German Research Centre for Geoscience, Potsdam (GFZ) and The Research Council of Oman (TRC) is underway, which aims to develop and implement an innovative concept of a sustainable thermally driven cooling system in combination with a HT-ATES in northern Oman. The system will use an absorption chiller for cold supply, which nominally requires water of around 100°C as energy source. Solar collectors will provide this thermal energy and energy surpluses during daytimes will be stored to ensure a continuous operation of the cooling system. An integral part of this project is, therefore, the development of an efficient HT-ATES (100°C), which is based on temporary storage and recovery of thermal energy through hot water injection in subsurface aquifer horizons. Thus, an accurate thermal and fluid flow characterisation of potential reservoir horizons is essential to ensure optimal efficiency of the cooling system. The study area is located in the Al Khwad area, approximately 40 km to the west of Muscat. The area is characterised by a thick Cenozoic mixed carbonate-siliciclastic sedimentary succession, containing at least 3 aquifer horizons. We use a multidisciplinary approach for the initial ATES exploration and development phase, including traditional geological fieldwork dovetailed with virtual outcrop geology, thin-section analyses, geological modelling and reservoir fluid flow forecasting analyses. Our first results indicate two potential storage horizons: (1) a Miocene-aged clastic-dominated alluvial fan system and (2) an Eocene carbonate-dominated sequence. The alluvial fan system is characterised by a more than 300 m thick, coarse-clastic succession of coalesced individual fans. Thermal and hydraulic parameters are favourable for gravel and sandstone intervals but reservoir architecture is complex due to multiple generations of interconnecting fans with highly heterogeneous facies distributions. The Eocene carbonates, as second potential storage horizon, were deposited in a carbonate ramp setting. Individual facies belts extend over kilometres and thus horizontal reservoir connectivity is expected to be good with minor facies variability. Thin-section analyses point to the fossil-rich sections with high porosities and permeabilities and thus good storage qualities. Fluid flow and thermal modelling indicate that both potential storage horizons show good to very good storage characteristics but also have challenges such as reservoir heterogeneity and connectivity. In particular the tilting of the thermocline, specific to high-temperature systems poses a major challenge. We investigated scenarios to counterbalance the distortion of the subsurface heat-plume, which includes adjustments of the salinity contrast between injected and aquifer fluid to prohibit buoyancy-driven flow. Additionally, geological structures ("HT-ATES traps" e.g.: fault structures) were modelled in detail in order to analyse their suitability as high-temperature storage system. First results show that an effective HT-ATES trap is necessary in the alluvial fan system in order to keep in control of the heat-plume. Salinity adjustments are sufficient in the carbonate-dominated sequences where vertical permeability contrasts are higher and constitute natural vertical flow barriers.

How to Recharge a Confined Aquifer: An Exploration of Geologic Controls on Groundwater Storage.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maples, S.; Fogg, G. E.; Maxwell, R. M.; Liu, Y.

2017-12-01

Decreased snowpack storage and groundwater overdraft in California has increased interest in managed aquifer recharge (MAR) of excess winter runoff to the Central Valley aquifer system, which has unused storage capacity that far exceeds the state's surface reservoirs. Recharge to the productive, confined aquifer system remains a challenge due to the presence of nearly-ubiquitous, multiple silt and clay confining units that limit recharge pathways. However, previous studies have identified interconnected networks of sand and gravel deposits that bypass the confining units and accommodate rapid, high-volume recharge to the confined aquifer system in select locations. We use the variably-saturated, fully-integrated groundwater/surface-water flow code, ParFlow, in combination with a high-resolution, transition probability Markov-chain geostatistical model of the subsurface geologic heterogeneity of the east side of the Sacramento Valley, CA, to characterize recharge potential across a landscape that includes these geologic features. Multiple 180-day MAR simulations show that recharge potential is highly dependent on subsurface geologic structure, with a several order-of-magnitude range of recharge rates and volumes across the landscape. Where there are recharge pathways to the productive confined-aquifer system, pressure propagation in the confined system is widespread and rapid, with multi-kilometer lateral pressure propagation. Although widespread pressure propagation occurs in the confined system, only a small fraction of recharge volume is accommodated there. Instead, the majority of recharge occurs by filling unsaturated pore spaces. Where they outcrop at land surface, high-K recharge pathways fill rapidly, accommodating the majority of recharge during early time. However, these features become saturated quickly, and somewhat counterintuitively, the low-K silt and clay facies accommodate the majority of recharge volume during most of the simulation. These findings (1) highlight the large variability of MAR potential across the landscape, wherein the recharge capacity in select areas far exceeds recharge potential over most of the landscape, and (2) elucidate important physical processes that control MAR potential in alluvial aquifer systems.

Strategic use of the underground for an energy mix plan, synergies among CO2 and CH4 Geological Storage and Geothermal Energy: Italian Energy review and Latium case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Procesi, M.; Cantucci, B.; Buttinelli, M.; Armezzani, G.; Quattrocchi, F.

2012-04-01

Since the world-wide energy demand has been growing so much in the last years, it is necessary to develop a strategic mix-energy plan to supply low GHG (GreenHouseGas) emissions energy and solve the problem of CO2 emission increasing. A recent study published by European Commission shows that, if existing trends continue, by 2050 CO2 emissions will be unsustainably high: 900-1000 parts per million by volume. The European Commission in 2007 underline the necessity to elaborate, at European level, a Strategic Energy Technology Plan focused on non-carbon or reduced-carbon sources of energy, as renewable energies, CO2 capture and storage technologies, smart energy networks and energy efficiency and savings. Future scenarios for 2030 elaborated by the International Energy Agency (IEA) shows as a mix energy plan could reduce the global CO2 emissions from 27Gt to 23 Gt (about 15%). A strategic use of the underground in terms of: - development of CCS (Carbon dioxide Capture and Storage) associated to fossil fuel combustion; - increase of CH4 geological storage sites; - use of renewable energies as geothermic for power generation; could open a new energy scenario, according to the climate models published by IPCC. Nowadays CCS market is mainly developed in USA and Canada, but still not much accounted in Europe. In Italy there aren't active CCS projects, even if potential areas have been already identified. Many CH4 storage sites are located in Northern America, while other are present in Europe and Italy, but the number of sites is limited despite the huge underground potentiality. In Italy the power generation from geothermal energy comes exclusively from Tuscany (Larderello-Travale and Mt. Amiata geothermal fields) despite the huge potentiality of other regions as Latium, Campania and Sicily (Central and South Italy). The energy deficit and the relevant CO2 emissions represent a common status for many Italian regions, especially for the Latium Region. This suggests that a new energy plan to improve the efficiency and the environmental sustainability is necessary. The evaluations of potential areas suitable for CO2 and/or CH4 geological storage and geothermal energy in the Latium region, have been done through a revisiting of public data such as well composite logs and maps. For the selection has been taken in account too, exclusion criteria sites as well as presence of geological risks and natural protected areas. Then the storage capacity and geothermal potentiality have been estimated for the selected areas. Finally, considering the hypothesized energy mix plan, an evaluation of the potential CO2 emissions decrease has been done. Preliminary results are encouraging to extent this evaluation also in other regions to improve a National Energy Plan.

Scenario simulation based assessment of subsurface energy storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beyer, C.; Bauer, S.; Dahmke, A.

2014-12-01

Energy production from renewable sources such as solar or wind power is characterized by temporally varying power supply. The politically intended transition towards renewable energies in Germany („Energiewende") hence requires the installation of energy storage technologies to compensate for the fluctuating production. In this context, subsurface energy storage represents a viable option due to large potential storage capacities and the wide prevalence of suited geological formations. Technologies for subsurface energy storage comprise cavern or deep porous media storage of synthetic hydrogen or methane from electrolysis and methanization, or compressed air, as well as heat storage in shallow or moderately deep porous formations. Pressure build-up, fluid displacement or temperature changes induced by such operations may affect local and regional groundwater flow, geomechanical behavior, groundwater geochemistry and microbiology. Moreover, subsurface energy storage may interact and possibly be in conflict with other "uses" like drinking water abstraction or ecological goods and functions. An utilization of the subsurface for energy storage therefore requires an adequate system and process understanding for the evaluation and assessment of possible impacts of specific storage operations on other types of subsurface use, the affected environment and protected entities. This contribution presents the framework of the ANGUS+ project, in which tools and methods are developed for these types of assessments. Synthetic but still realistic scenarios of geological energy storage are derived and parameterized for representative North German storage sites by data acquisition and evaluation, and experimental work. Coupled numerical hydraulic, thermal, mechanical and reactive transport (THMC) simulation tools are developed and applied to simulate the energy storage and subsurface usage scenarios, which are analyzed for an assessment and generalization of the imposed THMC-processes, mutual effects and influences on protected entities. The scenario analyses allow the deduction of monitoring concepts as well as a first methodology for large scale spatial planning of the geological subsurface. This concept is illustrated for different storage options and their impacts in space and time.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Meckel, Timothy; Trevino, Ramon

This project characterized the Miocene-age sub-seafloor stratigraphy in the near-offshore portion of the Gulf of Mexico adjacent to the Texas coast. The large number of industrial sources of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in coastal counties and the high density of onshore urbanization and environmentally sensitive areas make this offshore region extremely attractive for long-term storage of carbon dioxide emissions from industrial sources (CCS). The study leverages dense existing geologic data from decades of hydrocarbon exploration in and around the study area to characterize the regional geology for suitability and storage capacity. Primary products of the study include: regional static storage capacitymore » estimates, sequestration “leads” and prospects with associated dynamic capacity estimates, experimental studies of CO₂-brine-rock interaction, best practices for site characterization, a large-format ‘Atlas’ of sequestration for the study area, and characterization of potential fluid migration pathways for reducing storage risks utilizing novel high-resolution 3D (HR3D) seismic surveys. In addition, three subcontracted studies address source-to-sink matching optimization, offshore well bore management and environmental aspects. The various geologic data and interpretations are integrated and summarized in a series of cross-sections and maps, which represent a primary resource for any near-term commercial deployment of CCS in the area. The regional study characterized and mapped important geologic features (e.g., Clemente-Tomas fault zone, the regionally extensive Marginulina A and Amphistegina B confining systems, etc.) that provided an important context for regional static capacity estimates and specific sequestration prospects of the study. A static capacity estimate of the majority of the Study area (14,467 mi 2) was estimated at 86 metric Gigatonnes. While local capacity estimates are likely to be lower due to reservoir-scale characteristics, the offshore Miocene interval is a storage resource of National interest for providing CO₂ storage as an atmospheric emissions abatement strategy. The natural petroleum system was used as an analog to infer seal quality and predict possible migration pathways of fluids in an engineered system of anthropogenic CO₂ injection and storage. The regional structural features (e.g., Clemente-Tomas fault zone) that exert primary control on the trapping and distribution of Miocene hydrocarbons are expected to perform similarly for CCS. Industrial-scale CCS will require storage capacity utilizing well-documented Miocene hydrocarbon (dominantly depleted gas) fields and their larger structural closures, as well as barren (unproductive, brine-filled) closures. No assessment was made of potential for CO₂ utilization for enhanced oil and gas recovery. The use of 3D numerical fluid flow simulations have been used in the study to greatly assist in characterizing the potential storage capacity of a specific reservoir. Due to the complexity of geologic systems (stratigraphic heterogeneity) and inherent limitations on producing a 3D geologic model, these simulations are typically simplified scenarios that explore the influence of model property variability (sensitivity study). A specific site offshore San Luis Pass (southern Galveston Island) was undertaken successfully, indicating stacked storage potential. Downscaling regional capacity estimates to the local scale (and the inverse) has proven challenging, and remains an outstanding gap in capacity assessments. In order to characterize regional seal performance and identify potential brine and CO₂ leakage pathways, results from three high-resolution 3D (HR3D) seismic datasets acquired by the study using novel HR3D (P-Cable) acquisition system showed steady and significant improvements in data quality because of improved acquisition and processing technique. Finely detailed faults and stratigraphy in the shallowest 1000 milliseconds (~800 m) of data allowed for the identification and mapping of unconformable surfaces including what is probably a surface associated with the last Pleistocene glacial lowstand. The identification of a previously unrecognized (in commercial seismic data) gas chimney that was clearly defined in the 2013 HR3D survey, indicates that HR3D surveys may be useful as both a characterization tool for the overburden of a potential carbon sequestration site and as an additional monitoring tool for future engineered injection sites. Geochemical modeling indicated that injection of CO₂ would result in minor dissolution of calcite, K-feldspar and albite. In addition, modeling of typical brines in Miocene age rocks indicate that approximately 5% of injection capacity would result from CO₂ dissolution into the brine. After extensive searches, no rock samples of the Marginulina A and Amphistegina B seals (“caprocks”) were obtained, but analyses of available core samples of other Miocene age mudrocks (seals or caprocks) indicate that they have sealing ability sufficient for potential CO 2 storage in underlying sandstone units.« less

Observations on the geology and geohydrology of the Chernobyl' nuclear accident site, Ukraine

USGS Publications Warehouse

Matzko, J.R.; Percious, D.J.; Rachlin, J.; Marples, D.R.

1994-01-01

The most highly contaminated surface areas from cesium-137 fallout from the April 1986 accident at the Chernobyl' nuclear power station in Ukraine occur within the 30-km radius evacuation zone set up around the station, and an 80-km lobe extending to the west-southwest. Lower levels of contamination extend 300 km to the west of the power station. The geology, the presence of surface water, a shallow water table, and leaky aquifers at depth make this an unfavorable environment for the long-term containment and storage of the radioactive debris. An understanding of the general geology and hydrology of the area is important to assess the environmental impact of this unintended waste storage site, and to evaluate the potential for radionuclide migration through the soil and rock and into subsurface aquifers and nearby rivers. -from Authors

Gulf Coast Salt Domes geologic Area Characterization Report, East Texas Study Area. Volume II. Technical report. [Contains glossary of geological terms; Oakwood, Keechi, and Palestine domes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1982-07-01

The East Texas Area Characterization Report (ACR) is a compilation of data gathered during the Area Characterization phase of the Department of Energy's National Waste Terminal Storage program in salt. The characterization of Gulf Coast Salt Domes as a potential site for storage of nuclear waste is an ongoing process. This report summarizes investigations covering an area of approximately 2590 km/sup 2/ (1000 mi/sup 2/). Data on Oakwood, Keechi, and Palestine Domes are given. Subsequent phases of the program will focus on smaller land areas and fewer specific salt domes, with progressively more detailed investigations, possibly culminating with a licensemore » application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The data in this report are a result of drilling and sampling, geophysical and geologic field work, and intensive literature review. The ACR contains text discussing data usage, interpretations, results and conclusions based on available geologic and hydrologic data, and figures including diagrams showing data point locations, geologic and hydrologic maps, geologic cross sections, and other geologic and hydrologic information. An appendix contains raw data gathered during this phase of the project and used in the preparation of these reports.« less

The role of the underground for massive storage of energy: a preliminary glance of the French case

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Audigane, Pascal; Gentier, Sylvie; Bader, Anne-Gaelle; Beccaletto, Laurent; Bellenfant, Gael

2014-05-01

The question of storing energy in France has become of primary importance since the launch of a road map from the government which places in pole position this topic among seven major milestones to be challenged in the context of the development of innovative technology in the country. The European objective to reach 20% of renewables in the energy market, from which a large part would come from wind and solar power generation, raises several issues regarding the capacity of the grid to manage the various intermittent energy sources in line with the variability of the public demand and offer. These uncertainties are highly influenced by unpredictable weather and economic fluctuations. To facilitate the large-scale integration of variable renewable electricity sources in grids, massive energy storage is needed. In that case, electric energy storage techniques involving the use of underground are often under consideration as they offer a large storage capacity volume with a adapted potential of confining and the space required for the implantation. Among the panel of massive storage technologies, one can find (i) the Underground Pumped Hydro-Storage (UPHS) which are an adaptation of classical Pumped Hydro Storage system often connected with dam constructions, (ii) the compressed air storage (CAES) and (iii) the hydrogen storage from conversion of electricity into H2 and O2 by electrolysis. UPHS concept is based on using the potential energy between two water reservoirs positioned at different heights. Favorable natural locations like mountainous areas or cliffs are spatially limited given the geography of the territory. This concept could be extended with the integration of one of these reservoirs in an underground cavities (specifically mined or reuse of preexisting mines) to increase opportunities on the national territory. Massive storage based on compression and relaxation of air (CAES) requires high volume and confining pressure around the storage that exists naturally in the underground and which increases with depth. However, the move to an interesting efficiency requires that the heat generated during compression can be stored and used during expansion. This storage can be also underground. H2 underground storage is part of the "Power to gas" concept which allows for converting electricity into a gas available for either electrical or gas grid. Each of these techniques requires the selection of appropriate geological formations which contains specific characteristics in agreement with several criteria under consideration when choosing electric energy storage methods for application (lifetime, life cycle, discharge rate, environmental impact, public acceptance …). We propose in this paper a preliminary review of the potential massive electric energy storage capacities in France of using specific geological formations (salt, basement) and the various physical phenomena linked to the couple geology/technology. Several approaches and methodologies developed formerly with other applications (geothermal, CO2 storage, heat storage …) will be used to investigate mechanical integrity and environmental impacts associated to these innovative technologies.

Heterogeneity, pore pressure, and injectate chemistry: Control measures for geologic carbon storage

DOE PAGES

Dewers, Thomas; Eichhubl, Peter; Ganis, Ben; ...

2017-11-28

Desirable outcomes for geologic carbon storage include maximizing storage efficiency, preserving injectivity, and avoiding unwanted consequences such as caprock or wellbore leakage or induced seismicity during and post injection. Here, to achieve these outcomes, three control measures are evident including pore pressure, injectate chemistry, and knowledge and prudent use of geologic heterogeneity. Field, experimental, and modeling examples are presented that demonstrate controllable GCS via these three measures. Observed changes in reservoir response accompanying CO 2 injection at the Cranfield (Mississippi, USA) site, along with lab testing, show potential for use of injectate chemistry as a means to alter fracture permeabilitymore » (with concomitant improvements for sweep and storage efficiency). Further control of reservoir sweep attends brine extraction from reservoirs, with benefit for pressure control, mitigation of reservoir and wellbore damage, and water use. State-of-the-art validated models predict the extent of damage and deformation associated with pore pressure hazards in reservoirs, timing and location of networks of fractures, and development of localized leakage pathways. Experimentally validated geomechanics models show where wellbore failure is likely to occur during injection, and efficiency of repair methods. Use of heterogeneity as a control measure includes where best to inject, and where to avoid attempts at storage. Lastly, an example is use of waste zones or leaky seals to both reduce pore pressure hazards and enhance residual CO 2 trapping.« less

Heterogeneity, pore pressure, and injectate chemistry: Control measures for geologic carbon storage

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dewers, Thomas; Eichhubl, Peter; Ganis, Ben

Desirable outcomes for geologic carbon storage include maximizing storage efficiency, preserving injectivity, and avoiding unwanted consequences such as caprock or wellbore leakage or induced seismicity during and post injection. Here, to achieve these outcomes, three control measures are evident including pore pressure, injectate chemistry, and knowledge and prudent use of geologic heterogeneity. Field, experimental, and modeling examples are presented that demonstrate controllable GCS via these three measures. Observed changes in reservoir response accompanying CO 2 injection at the Cranfield (Mississippi, USA) site, along with lab testing, show potential for use of injectate chemistry as a means to alter fracture permeabilitymore » (with concomitant improvements for sweep and storage efficiency). Further control of reservoir sweep attends brine extraction from reservoirs, with benefit for pressure control, mitigation of reservoir and wellbore damage, and water use. State-of-the-art validated models predict the extent of damage and deformation associated with pore pressure hazards in reservoirs, timing and location of networks of fractures, and development of localized leakage pathways. Experimentally validated geomechanics models show where wellbore failure is likely to occur during injection, and efficiency of repair methods. Use of heterogeneity as a control measure includes where best to inject, and where to avoid attempts at storage. Lastly, an example is use of waste zones or leaky seals to both reduce pore pressure hazards and enhance residual CO 2 trapping.« less

Southeast Offshore Storage Resource Assessment (SOSRA): Evaluation of CO2 Storage Potential on the Continental Shelf from North Carolina to Florida

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knapp, J. H.; Knapp, C. C.; Brantley, D.; Lakshmi, V.; Howard, S.

2016-12-01

The Southeast Offshore Storage Resource Assessment (SOSRA) project is part of a major new program, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy for the next two and a half years, to evaluate the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico offshore margins of the United States for geologic storage capacity of CO2. Collaborating organizations include the Southern States Energy Board, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, University of South Carolina, Oklahoma State University, Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals, and Energy, South Carolina Geological Survey, and Geological Survey of Alabama. Team members from South Carolina are focused on the Atlantic offshore, from North Carolina to Florida. Geologic sequestration of CO2 is a major research focus globally, and requires robust knowledge of the porosity and permeability distribution in upper crustal sediments. Using legacy seismic reflection, refraction, and well data from a previous phase of offshore petroleum exploration on the Atlantic margin, we are analyzing the rock physics characteristics of the offshore Mesozoic and Cenozoic stratigraphy on a regional scale from North Carolina to Florida. Major features of the margin include the Carolina Trough, the Southeast Georgia Embayment, the Blake Plateau basin, and the Blake Outer Ridge. Previous studies indicate sediment accumulations on this margin may be as thick as 12-15 km. The study will apply a diverse suite of data analysis techniques designed to meet the goal of predicting storage capacity to within ±30%. Synthetic seismograms and checkshot surveys will be used to tie well and seismic data. Seismic interpretation and geophysical log analysis will employ leading-edge software technology and state-of-the art techniques for stratigraphic and structural interpretation and the definition of storage units and their physical and chemical properties. This approach will result in a robust characterization of offshore CO2 storage opportunities, as well as a volumetric analysis that is consistent with established procedures.

U.S. Department of Energy's site screening, site selection, and initial characterization for storage of CO2 in deep geological formations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rodosta, T.D.; Litynski, J.T.; Plasynski, S.I.; Hickman, S.; Frailey, S.; Myer, L.

2011-01-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is the lead Federal agency for the development and deployment of carbon sequestration technologies. As part of its mission to facilitate technology transfer and develop guidelines from lessons learned, DOE is developing a series of best practice manuals (BPMs) for carbon capture and storage (CCS). The "Site Screening, Site Selection, and Initial Characterization for Storage of CO2 in Deep Geological Formations" BPM is a compilation of best practices and includes flowchart diagrams illustrating the general decision making process for Site Screening, Site Selection, and Initial Characterization. The BPM integrates the knowledge gained from various programmatic efforts, with particular emphasis on the Characterization Phase through pilot-scale CO2 injection testing of the Validation Phase of the Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (RCSP) Initiative. Key geologic and surface elements that suitable candidate storage sites should possess are identified, along with example Site Screening, Site Selection, and Initial Characterization protocols for large-scale geologic storage projects located across diverse geologic and regional settings. This manual has been written as a working document, establishing a framework and methodology for proper site selection for CO2 geologic storage. This will be useful for future CO2 emitters, transporters, and storage providers. It will also be of use in informing local, regional, state, and national governmental agencies of best practices in proper sequestration site selection. Furthermore, it will educate the inquisitive general public on options and processes for geologic CO2 storage. In addition to providing best practices, the manual presents a geologic storage resource and capacity classification system. The system provides a "standard" to communicate storage and capacity estimates, uncertainty and project development risk, data guidelines and analyses for adequate site characterization, and guidelines for reporting estimates within the classification based on each project's status. 

A Critical Review of the Impacts of Leaking CO 2 Gas and Brine on Groundwater Quality

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Qafoku, Nikolla; Zheng, Liange; Bacon, Diana H.

2015-09-30

Geological carbon sequestration (GCS) is a global carbon emission reduction strategy involving the capture of CO 2 emitted from fossil fuel burning power plants, as well as the subsequent injection of the captured CO 2 gas into deep saline aquifers or depleted oil and gas reservoirs. A critical question that arises from the proposed GCS is the potential impacts of CO 2 injection on the quality of drinking-water systems overlying CO 2 sequestration storage sites. Although storage reservoirs are evaluated and selected based on their ability to safely and securely store emplaced fluids, leakage of CO 2 from storage reservoirsmore » is a primary risk factor and potential barrier to the widespread acceptance of geologic CO 2 sequestration (OR Harvey et al. 2013; Y-S Jun et al. 2013; DOE 2007). Therefore, a systematic understanding of how CO 2 leakage would affect the geochemistry of potable aquifers, and subsequently control or affect elemental and contaminant release via sequential and/or simultaneous abiotic and biotic processes and reactions is vital.« less

Caprock Breach: A Threat to Secure Geologic Sequestration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Selvadurai, A. P.; Dong, W.

2013-12-01

The integrity of caprock in providing a reliable barrier is crucial to several environmental geosciences endeavours related to geologic sequestration of CO2, deep geologic disposal of hazardous wastes and contaminants. The integrity of geologic barriers can be compromised by several factors. The re-activation of dormant fractures and development of new fractures in the caprock during the injection process are regarded as effects that can pose a threat to storage security. Other poromechanical influences of pore structure collapse due to chemically induced erosion of the porous fabric resulting in worm-hole type features can also contribute to compromising storage security. The assessment of the rate of steady or transient seepage through defects in the caprock can allow geoscientists to make prudent evaluations of the effectiveness of a sequestration strategy. While complicated computational simulations can be used to calculate leakage through defects, it is useful to explore alternative analytical results that could be used in providing preliminary estimates of leakage rates through defects in the caprock in a storage setting. The relevance of such developments is underscored by the fact that the permeability characteristics of the storage formation, the fracture and the surficial rocks overlying the caprock can rarely be quantified with certainty. This paper presents the problem of a crack in a caprock that connects to a storage formation and an overburden rock or surficial soil formation. The geologic media are maintained at constant far-field flow potentials and leakage takes place at either steady or transient conditions. The paper develops an analytical result that can be used to estimate the steady seepage through the crack. The analytical result can also be used to estimate the leakage through hydraulically non-intersecting cracks and leakage from caprock-well casing interfaces. The analytical result is used to estimate the accuracy of a computational procedure based on a finite element procedure.

Potential Flue Gas Impurities in Carbon Dioxide Streams Separated from Coal-fired Power Plants

EPA Science Inventory

For geological sequestration of CO₂ separated from pulverized coal combustion flue gas, it is necessary to adequately evaluate the potential impacts of flue gas impurities on groundwater aquifers in the case of the CO₂ leakage from its storage sites. This s...

Managing geological uncertainty in CO2-EOR reservoir assessments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Welkenhuysen, Kris; Piessens, Kris

2014-05-01

Recently the European Parliament has agreed that an atlas for the storage potential of CO2 is of high importance to have a successful commercial introduction of CCS (CO2 capture and geological storage) technology in Europe. CO2-enhanced oil recovery (CO2-EOR) is often proposed as a promising business case for CCS, and likely has a high potential in the North Sea region. Traditional economic assessments for CO2-EOR largely neglect the geological reality of reservoir uncertainties because these are difficult to introduce realistically in such calculations. There is indeed a gap between the outcome of a reservoir simulation and the input values for e.g. cost-benefit evaluations, especially where it concerns uncertainty. The approach outlined here is to turn the procedure around, and to start from which geological data is typically (or minimally) requested for an economic assessment. Thereafter it is evaluated how this data can realistically be provided by geologists and reservoir engineers. For the storage of CO2 these parameters are total and yearly CO2 injection capacity, and containment or potential on leakage. Specifically for the EOR operation, two additional parameters can be defined: the EOR ratio, or the ratio of recovered oil over injected CO2, and the CO2 recycling ratio of CO2 that is reproduced after breakthrough at the production well. A critical but typically estimated parameter for CO2-EOR projects is the EOR ratio, taken in this brief outline as an example. The EOR ratio depends mainly on local geology (e.g. injection per well), field design (e.g. number of wells), and time. Costs related to engineering can be estimated fairly good, given some uncertainty range. The problem is usually to reliably estimate the geological parameters that define the EOR ratio. Reliable data is only available from (onshore) CO2-EOR projects in the US. Published studies for the North Sea generally refer to these data in a simplified form, without uncertainty ranges, and are therefore not suited for cost-benefit analysis. They likely result in too optimistic results because onshore configurations are cheaper and different. We propose to translate the detailed US data to the North Sea, retaining their uncertainty ranges. In a first step, a general cost correction can be applied to account for costs specific to the EU and the offshore setting. In a second step site-specific data, including laboratory tests and reservoir modelling, are used to further adapt the EOR ratio values taking into account all available geological reservoir-specific knowledge. And lastly, an evaluation of the field configuration will have an influence on both the cost and local geology dimension, because e.g. horizontal drilling is needed (cost) to improve injectivity (geology). As such, a dataset of the EOR field is obtained which contains all aspects and their uncertainty ranges. With these, a geologically realistic basis is obtained for further cost-benefit analysis of a specific field, where the uncertainties are accounted for using a stochastic evaluation. Such ad-hoc evaluation of geological parameters will provide a better assessment of the CO2-EOR potential of the North Sea oil fields.

Estimating geological CO2 storage security to deliver on climate mitigation.

PubMed

Alcalde, Juan; Flude, Stephanie; Wilkinson, Mark; Johnson, Gareth; Edlmann, Katriona; Bond, Clare E; Scott, Vivian; Gilfillan, Stuart M V; Ogaya, Xènia; Haszeldine, R Stuart

2018-06-12

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) can help nations meet their Paris CO 2 reduction commitments cost-effectively. However, lack of confidence in geologic CO 2 storage security remains a barrier to CCS implementation. Here we present a numerical program that calculates CO 2 storage security and leakage to the atmosphere over 10,000 years. This combines quantitative estimates of geological subsurface CO 2 retention, and of surface CO 2 leakage. We calculate that realistically well-regulated storage in regions with moderate well densities has a 50% probability that leakage remains below 0.0008% per year, with over 98% of the injected CO 2 retained in the subsurface over 10,000 years. An unrealistic scenario, where CO 2 storage is inadequately regulated, estimates that more than 78% will be retained over 10,000 years. Our modelling results suggest that geological storage of CO 2 can be a secure climate change mitigation option, but we note that long-term behaviour of CO 2 in the subsurface remains a key uncertainty.

Natural analogue study of CO2 storage monitoring using probability statistics of CO2-rich groundwater chemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, K. K.; Hamm, S. Y.; Kim, S. O.; Yun, S. T.

2016-12-01

For confronting global climate change, carbon capture and storage (CCS) is one of several very useful strategies as using capture of greenhouse gases like CO2 spewed from stacks and then isolation of the gases in underground geologic storage. CO2-rich groundwater could be produced by CO2 dissolution into fresh groundwater around a CO2 storage site. As consequence, natural analogue studies related to geologic storage provide insights into future geologic CO2 storage sites as well as can provide crucial information on the safety and security of geologic sequestration, the long-term impact of CO2 storage on the environment, and field operation and monitoring that could be implemented for geologic sequestration. In this study, we developed CO2 leakage monitoring method using probability density function (PDF) by characterizing naturally occurring CO2-rich groundwater. For the study, we used existing data of CO2-rich groundwaters in different geological regions (Gangwondo, Gyeongsangdo, and Choongchungdo provinces) in South Korea. Using PDF method and QI (quantitative index), we executed qualitative and quantitative comparisons among local areas and chemical constituents. Geochemical properties of groundwater with/without CO2 as the PDF forms proved that pH, EC, TDS, HCO3-, Ca2+, Mg2+, and SiO2 were effective monitoring parameters for carbonated groundwater in the case of CO2leakage from an underground storage site. KEY WORDS: CO2-rich groundwater, CO2 storage site, monitoring parameter, natural analogue, probability density function (PDF), QI_quantitative index Acknowledgement This study was supported by the "Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF), which is funded by the Ministry of Education (NRF-2013R1A1A2058186)" and the "R&D Project on Environmental Management of Geologic CO2 Storage" from KEITI (Project number: 2014001810003).

Potential of carbon dioxide storage from petroleum industries in the Gulf of Thailand for green production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rawangphai, M.; Maneeintr, K.

2018-04-01

Recently, climate change and global warming are the global concern because of an increase in the huge amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. This gas comes from energy activities and industries like petroleum industries. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is the practical technology to reduce and storage CO2. In Thailand, one of the main potential sites for storage is the Gulf of Thailand. However, the research on this issue is very rare in Thailand. Consequently, this work is aiming on the potential study of CO2 geological storage in formations in the Gulf of Thailand by using simulation. The CO2 storage capacity, pressure buildup and plume migration have been estimated. Also, this study has been simulated with various conditions. CO2 injection is used from 1,000-4,000 tons per day with the depth from 2,200-2,330 meters and the results are studied for 50 years as a monitoring period. The results present that with the formation characteristics, CO2 storage in this area has potential. Moreover, pressure buildup and plume migration are illustrated for the period of 50 years. As a fundamental knowledge, this study can contribute to CO2 storage in an offshore area in Thailand.

Quantification of CO2-FLUID-ROCK Reactions Using Reactive and Non-Reactive Tracers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matter, J.; Stute, M.; Hall, J. L.; Mesfin, K. G.; Gislason, S. R.; Oelkers, E. H.; Sigfússon, B.; Gunnarsson, I.; Aradottir, E. S.; Alfredsson, H. A.; Gunnlaugsson, E.; Broecker, W. S.

2013-12-01

Carbon dioxide mineralization via fluid-rock reactions provides the most effective and long-term storage option for geologic carbon storage. Injection of CO2 in geologic formations induces CO2 -fluid-rock reactions that may enhance or decrease the storage permanence and thus the long-term safety of geologic carbon storage. Hence, quantitative characterization of critical CO2 -fluid-rock interactions is essential to assess the storage efficiency and safety of geologic carbon storage. In an attempt to quantify in-situ fluid-rock reactions and CO2 transport relevant for geologic carbon storage, we are testing reactive (14C, 13C) and non-reactive (sodium fluorescein, amidorhodamine G, SF5CF3, and SF6) tracers in an ongoing CO2 injection in a basaltic storage reservoir at the CARBFIX pilot injection site in Iceland. At the injection site, CO2 is dissolved in groundwater and injected into a permeable basalt formation located 500-800 m below the surface [1]. The injected CO2 is labeled with 14C by dynamically adding calibrated amounts of H14CO3-solution into the injection stream in addition to the non-reactive tracers. Chemical and isotopic analyses of fluid samples collected in a monitoring well, reveal fast fluid-rock reactions. Maximum SF6 concentration in the monitoring well indicates the bulk arrival of the injected CO2 solution but dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentration and pH values close to background, and a potentially lower 14C to SF6 ratio than the injection ratio suggest that most of the injected CO2 has reacted with the basaltic rocks. This is supported by δ13CDIC, which shows a drop from values close to the δ 13C of the injected CO2 gas (-3‰ VPDB) during breakthrough of the CO2 plume to subsequent more depleted values (-11.25‰ VPDB), indicating precipitation of carbonate minerals. Preliminary mass balance calculations using mixing relationships between the background water in the storage formation and the injected solution, suggest that approximately 85% of the injected CO2 must have reacted along the flow path from the injection well to the monitoring well within less than one year. Monitoring is still going on and we will extend the time series and the mass balance accordingly. Our study demonstrates that by combining reactive and non-reactive tracers, we are able to quantify CO2-fluid-rock interactions on a reservoir scale. [1] Gislason et al. (2010), Int. J. Greenh. Gas Con. 4, 537-545.

Analysis of the factors that impact the reliability of high level waste canister materials

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Boyd, W.K.; Hall, A.M.

1977-09-19

The analysis encompassed identification and analysis of potential threats to canister integrity arising in the course of waste solidification, interim storage at the fuels reprocessing plant, wet and dry shipment, and geologic storage. Fabrication techniques and quality assurance requirements necessary to insure optimum canister reliability were considered taking into account such factors as welding procedure, surface preparation, stress relief, remote weld closure, and inspection methods. Alternative canister materials and canister systems were also considered in terms of optimum reliability in the face of threats to the canister's integrity, ease of fabrication, inspection, handling and cost. If interim storage in airmore » is admissible, the sequence suggested comprises producing a glass-type waste product in a continuous ceramic melter, pouring into a carbon steel or low-alloy steel canister of moderately heavy wall thickness, storing in air upright on a pad and surrounded by a concrete radiation shield, and thereafter placing in geologic storage without overpacking. Should the decision be to store in water during the interim period, then use of either a 304 L stainless steel canister overpacked with a solution-annealed and fast-cooled 304 L container, or a single high-alloy canister, is suggested. The high alloy may be Inconel 600, Incoloy Alloy 800, or Incoloy Alloy 825. In either case, it is suggested that the container be overpacked with a moderately heavy wall carbon steel or low-alloy steel cask for geologic storage to ensure ready retrievability. 19 figs., 5 tables.« less

System-level modeling for geological storage of CO2

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, Yingqi; Oldenburg, Curtis M.; Finsterle, Stefan

2006-04-24

One way to reduce the effects of anthropogenic greenhousegases on climate is to inject carbon dioxide (CO2) from industrialsources into deep geological formations such as brine formations ordepleted oil or gas reservoirs. Research has and is being conducted toimprove understanding of factors affecting particular aspects ofgeological CO2 storage, such as performance, capacity, and health, safetyand environmental (HSE) issues, as well as to lower the cost of CO2capture and related processes. However, there has been less emphasis todate on system-level analyses of geological CO2 storage that considergeological, economic, and environmental issues by linking detailedrepresentations of engineering components and associated economic models.Themore » objective of this study is to develop a system-level model forgeological CO2 storage, including CO2 capture and separation,compression, pipeline transportation to the storage site, and CO2injection. Within our system model we are incorporating detailedreservoir simulations of CO2 injection and potential leakage withassociated HSE effects. The platform of the system-level modelingisGoldSim [GoldSim, 2006]. The application of the system model is focusedon evaluating the feasibility of carbon sequestration with enhanced gasrecovery (CSEGR) in the Rio Vista region of California. The reservoirsimulations are performed using a special module of the TOUGH2 simulator,EOS7C, for multicomponent gas mixtures of methane and CO2 or methane andnitrogen. Using this approach, the economic benefits of enhanced gasrecovery can be directly weighed against the costs, risks, and benefitsof CO2 injection.« less

Potential impacts on groundwater resources of deep CO2 storage: natural analogues for assessing potential chemical effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lions, J.; Gale, I.; May, F.; Nygaard, E.; Ruetters, H.; Beaubien, S.; Sohrabi, M.; Hatzignatiou, D. G.; CO2GeoNet Members involved in the present study Team

2011-12-01

Carbon dioxide Capture and Storage (CCS) is considered as one of the promising options for reducing atmospheric emissions of CO2 related to human activities. One of the main concerns associated with the geological storage of CO2 is that the CO2 may leak from the intended storage formation, migrate to the near-surface environment and, eventually, escape from the ground. This is a concern because such leakage may affect aquifers overlying the storage site and containing freshwater that may be used for drinking, industry and agriculture. The IEA Greenhouse Gas R&D Programme (IEAGHG) recently commissioned the CO2GeoNet Association to undertake a review of published and unpublished literature on this topic with the aim of summarizing 'state of the art' knowledge and identifying knowledge gaps and research priorities in this field. Work carried out by various CO2GeoNet members was also used in this study. This study identifies possible areas of conflict by combining available datasets to map the global and regional superposition of deep saline formations (DSF) suitable for CO2 storage and overlying fresh groundwater resources. A scenario classification is developed for the various geological settings where conflict could occur. The study proposes two approaches to address the potential impact mechanisms of CO2 storage projects on the hydrodynamics and chemistry of shallow groundwater. The first classifies and synthesizes changes of water quality observed in natural/industrial analogues and in laboratory experiments. The second reviews hydrodynamic and geochemical models, including coupled multiphase flow and reactive transport. Various models are discussed in terms of their advantages and limitations, with conclusions on possible impacts on groundwater resources. Possible mitigation options to stop or control CO2 leakage are assessed. The effect of CO2 pressure in the host DSF and the potential effects on shallow aquifers are also examined. The study provides a review of CO2 storage-specific regulations in the main countries undertaking CCS evaluation and research. It aims to identify the constraints imposed by existing regulations on the protection of groundwater resources and highlight the inconsistencies and gaps between CCS regulations and Water Protection regulations. The present paper focuses specifically on potential risks on groundwater quality caused by CO2 storage in DSF assessed via natural CO2 analogues from both the literature and detailed European case studies.

Proliferation resistance assessment of various methods of spent nuclear fuel storage and disposal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kollar, Lenka

Many countries are planning to build or already are building new nuclear power plants to match their growing energy needs. Since all nuclear power plants handle nuclear materials that could potentially be converted and used for nuclear weapons, they each present a nuclear proliferation risk. Spent nuclear fuel presents the largest build-up of nuclear material at a power plant. This is a proliferation risk because spent fuel contains plutonium that can be chemically separated and used for a nuclear weapon. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards spent fuel in all non-nuclear weapons states that are party to the Non-Proliferation Treaty. Various safeguards methods are in use at nuclear power plants and research is underway to develop safeguards methods for spent fuel in centralized storage or underground storage and disposal. Each method of spent fuel storage presents different proliferation risks due to the nature of the storage method and the safeguards techniques that are utilized. Previous proliferation resistance and proliferation risk assessments have mainly compared nuclear material through the whole fuel cycle and not specifically focused on spent fuel storage. This project evaluates the proliferation resistance of the three main types of spent fuel storage: spent fuel pool, dry cask storage, and geological repository. The proliferation resistance assessment methodology that is used in this project is adopted from previous work and altered to be applicable to spent fuel storage. The assessment methodology utilizes various intrinsic and extrinsic proliferation-resistant attributes for each spent fuel storage type. These attributes are used to calculate a total proliferation resistant (PR) value. The maximum PR value is 1.00 and a greater number means that the facility is more proliferation resistant. Current data for spent fuel storage in the United States and around the world was collected. The PR values obtained from this data are 0.49 for the spent fuel pool, 0.42 for dry cask storage, 0.36 for the operating geological repository, and 0.28 for the closed geological repository. Therefore, the spent fuel pool is currently the most proliferation resistant method for storing spent fuel. The extrinsic attributes, mainly involving safeguards measures, affect the total PR value the most. As a result, several recommendations are made to improve the proliferation resistance of spent fuel. These recommendations include employing more advanced safeguards measures, such as verification techniques and remote monitoring, for dry cask storage and the geological repository. Dry cask storage facilities should also be located at the plant and in a secure building to minimize the proliferation risk. Finally, the cost-benefit analysis of increased safeguards needs to be considered. Taking these recommendations into account, the PR values of dry cask storage and the closed geological would be significantly increased, to 0.57 and 0.51, respectively. As a result, with increased safeguards to the safeguards level of the spent fuel pool, dry cask storage would be the most proliferation resistant method to store spent fuel. Therefore, the IAEA should continue to develop remote monitoring and cask storage verification techniques in order to improve the proliferation resistance of spent fuel.

Lifetime of carbon capture and storage as a climate-change mitigation technology

PubMed Central

Szulczewski, Michael L.; MacMinn, Christopher W.; Herzog, Howard J.; Juanes, Ruben

2012-01-01

In carbon capture and storage (CCS), CO2 is captured at power plants and then injected underground into reservoirs like deep saline aquifers for long-term storage. While CCS may be critical for the continued use of fossil fuels in a carbon-constrained world, the deployment of CCS has been hindered by uncertainty in geologic storage capacities and sustainable injection rates, which has contributed to the absence of concerted government policy. Here, we clarify the potential of CCS to mitigate emissions in the United States by developing a storage-capacity supply curve that, unlike current large-scale capacity estimates, is derived from the fluid mechanics of CO2 injection and trapping and incorporates injection-rate constraints. We show that storage supply is a dynamic quantity that grows with the duration of CCS, and we interpret the lifetime of CCS as the time for which the storage supply curve exceeds the storage demand curve from CO2 production. We show that in the United States, if CO2 production from power generation continues to rise at recent rates, then CCS can store enough CO2 to stabilize emissions at current levels for at least 100 y. This result suggests that the large-scale implementation of CCS is a geologically viable climate-change mitigation option in the United States over the next century. PMID:22431639

Using semi-analytic solutions to approximate the area of potential impact for carbon dioxide injection

EPA Science Inventory

This study examines using the threshold critical pressure increase and the extent of the carbon dioxide (CO2) plume to delineate the area of potential impact (AoPI) for geologic CO2 storage projects. The combined area covering both the CO2 plume and the region where the pressure ...

The U. S. DOE Carbon Storage Program: Status and Future Directions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Damiani, D.

2016-12-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is taking steps to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions through clean energy innovation, including carbon capture and storage (CCS) research. The Office of Fossil Energy Carbon Storage Program is focused on ensuring the safe and permanent storage and/or utilization of CO2 captured from stationary sources. The Program is developing and advancing geologic storage technologies both onshore and offshore that will significantly improve the effectiveness of CCS, reduce the cost of implementation, and be ready for widespread commercial deployment in the 2025-2035 timeframe. The technology development and field testing conducted through this Program will be used to benefit the existing and future fleet of fossil fuel power generating and industrial facilities by creating tools to increase our understanding of geologic reservoirs appropriate for CO2 storage and the behavior of CO2 in the subsurface. The Program is evaluating the potential for storage in depleted oil and gas reservoirs, saline formations, unmineable coal, organic-rich shale formations, and basalt formations. Since 1997, DOE's Carbon Storage Program has significantly advanced the CCS knowledge base through a diverse portfolio of applied research projects. The Core Storage R&D research component focuses on analytic studies, laboratory, and pilot- scale research to develop technologies that can improve wellbore integrity, increase reservoir storage efficiency, improve management of reservoir pressure, ensure storage permanence, quantitatively assess risks, and identify and mitigate potential release of CO2 in all types of storage formations. The Storage Field Management component focuses on scale-up of CCS and involves field validation of technology options, including large-volume injection field projects at pre-commercial scale to confirm system performance and economics. Future research involves commercial-scale characterization for regionally significant storage locations capable of storing from 50 to 100 million metric tons of CO2 in a saline formation. These projects will lay the foundation for fully integrated carbon capture and storage demonstrations of future first of a kind (FOAK) coal power projects. Future research will also bring added focus on offshore CCS.

Transitioning Groundwater from an Extractive Resource to a Managed Water Storage Resource: Geology and Recharge in Sedimentary Basins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maples, S.; Fogg, G. E.; Maxwell, R. M.; Liu, Y.

2017-12-01

Civilizations have typically obtained water from natural and constructed surface-water resources throughout most of human history. Only during the last 50-70 years has a significant quantity of water for humans been obtained through pumping from wells. During this short time, alarming levels of groundwater depletion have been observed worldwide, especially in some semi-arid and arid regions that rely heavily on groundwater pumping from clastic sedimentary basins. In order to reverse the negative effects of over-exploitation of groundwater resources, we must transition from treating groundwater mainly as an extractive resource to one in which recharge and subsurface storage are pursued more aggressively. However, this remains a challenge because unlike surface-water reservoirs which are typically replenished over annual timescales, the complex geologic architecture of clastic sedimentary basins impedes natural groundwater recharge rates resulting in decadal or longer timescales for aquifer replenishment. In parts of California's Central Valley alluvial aquifer system, groundwater pumping has outpaced natural groundwater recharge for decades. Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) has been promoted to offset continued groundwater overdraft, but MAR to the confined aquifer system remains a challenge because multiple laterally-extensive silt and clay aquitards limit recharge rates in most locations. Here, we simulate the dynamics of MAR and identify potential recharge pathways in this system using a novel combination of (1) a high-resolution model of the subsurface geologic heterogeneity and (2) a physically-based model of variably-saturated, three-dimensional water flow. Unlike most groundwater models, which have coarse spatial resolution that obscures the detailed subsurface geologic architecture of these systems, our high-resolution model can pinpoint specific geologic features and locations that have the potential to `short-circuit' aquitards and provide orders-of-magnitude greater recharge rates and volumes than would be possible over the rest of the landscape. Our results highlight the importance of capturing detailed geologic heterogeneity and physical processes that are not typically included in groundwater models when evaluating groundwater recharge potential.

Methods to assess geological CO2 storage capacity: Status and best practice

USGS Publications Warehouse

Heidug, Wolf; Brennan, Sean T.; Holloway, Sam; Warwick, Peter D.; McCoy, Sean; Yoshimura, Tsukasa

2013-01-01

To understand the emission reduction potential of carbon capture and storage (CCS), decision makers need to understand the amount of CO2 that can be safely stored in the subsurface and the geographical distribution of storage resources. Estimates of storage resources need to be made using reliable and consistent methods. Previous estimates of CO2 storage potential for a range of countries and regions have been based on a variety of methodologies resulting in a correspondingly wide range of estimates. Consequently, there has been uncertainty about which of the methodologies were most appropriate in given settings, and whether the estimates produced by these methods were useful to policy makers trying to determine the appropriate role of CCS. In 2011, the IEA convened two workshops which brought together experts for six national surveys organisations to review CO2 storage assessment methodologies and make recommendations on how to harmonise CO2 storage estimates worldwide. This report presents the findings of these workshops and an internationally shared guideline for quantifying CO2 storage resources.

Potential evaluation of CO2 storage and enhanced oil recovery of tight oil reservoir in the Ordos Basin, China.

PubMed

Tian, Xiaofeng; Cheng, Linsong; Cao, Renyi; Zhang, Miaoyi; Guo, Qiang; Wang, Yimin; Zhang, Jian; Cui, Yu

2015-07-01

Carbon -di-oxide (CO2) is regarded as the most important greenhouse gas to accelerate climate change and ocean acidification. The Chinese government is seeking methods to reduce anthropogenic CO2 gas emission. CO2 capture and geological storage is one of the main methods. In addition, injecting CO2 is also an effective method to replenish formation energy in developing tight oil reservoirs. However, exiting methods to estimate CO2 storage capacity are all based on the material balance theory. This was absolutely correct for normal reservoirs. However, as natural fractures widely exist in tight oil reservoirs and majority of them are vertical ones, tight oil reservoirs are not close. Therefore, material balance theory is not adaptive. In the present study, a new method to calculate CO2 storage capacity is presented. The CO2 effective storage capacity, in this new method, consisted of free CO2, CO2 dissolved in oil and CO2 dissolved in water. Case studies of tight oil reservoir from Ordos Basin was conducted and it was found that due to far lower viscosity of CO2 and larger solubility in oil, CO2 could flow in tight oil reservoirs more easily. As a result, injecting CO2 in tight oil reservoirs could obviously enhance sweep efficiency by 24.5% and oil recovery efficiency by 7.5%. CO2 effective storage capacity of Chang 7 tight oil reservoir in Longdong area was 1.88 x 10(7) t. The Chang 7 tight oil reservoir in Ordos Basin was estimated to be 6.38 x 10(11) t. As tight oil reservoirs were widely distributed in Songliao Basin, Sichuan Basin and so on, geological storage capacity of CO2 in China is potential.

Aggregation of carbon dioxide sequestration storage assessment units

USGS Publications Warehouse

Blondes, Madalyn S.; Schuenemeyer, John H.; Olea, Ricardo A.; Drew, Lawrence J.

2013-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey is currently conducting a national assessment of carbon dioxide (CO2) storage resources, mandated by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. Pre-emission capture and storage of CO2 in subsurface saline formations is one potential method to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the negative impact of global climate change. Like many large-scale resource assessments, the area under investigation is split into smaller, more manageable storage assessment units (SAUs), which must be aggregated with correctly propagated uncertainty to the basin, regional, and national scales. The aggregation methodology requires two types of data: marginal probability distributions of storage resource for each SAU, and a correlation matrix obtained by expert elicitation describing interdependencies between pairs of SAUs. Dependencies arise because geologic analogs, assessment methods, and assessors often overlap. The correlation matrix is used to induce rank correlation, using a Cholesky decomposition, among the empirical marginal distributions representing individually assessed SAUs. This manuscript presents a probabilistic aggregation method tailored to the correlations and dependencies inherent to a CO2 storage assessment. Aggregation results must be presented at the basin, regional, and national scales. A single stage approach, in which one large correlation matrix is defined and subsets are used for different scales, is compared to a multiple stage approach, in which new correlation matrices are created to aggregate intermediate results. Although the single-stage approach requires determination of significantly more correlation coefficients, it captures geologic dependencies among similar units in different basins and it is less sensitive to fluctuations in low correlation coefficients than the multiple stage approach. Thus, subsets of one single-stage correlation matrix are used to aggregate to basin, regional, and national scales.

Three approaches for estimating recovery factors in carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery

USGS Publications Warehouse

Verma, Mahendra K.

2017-07-17

PrefaceThe Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 authorized the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to conduct a national assessment of geologic storage resources for carbon dioxide (CO2) and requested the USGS to estimate the “potential volumes of oil and gas recoverable by injection and sequestration of industrial carbon dioxide in potential sequestration formations” (42 U.S.C. 17271(b)(4)). Geologic CO2 sequestration associated with enhanced oil recovery (EOR) using CO2 in existing hydrocarbon reservoirs has the potential to increase the U.S. hydrocarbon recoverable resource. The objective of this report is to provide detailed information on three approaches that can be used to calculate the incremental recovery factors for CO2-EOR. Therefore, the contents of this report could form an integral part of an assessment methodology that can be used to assess the sedimentary basins of the United States for the hydrocarbon recovery potential using CO2-EOR methods in conventional oil reservoirs.

Development of Science-Based Permitting Guidance for Geological Sequestration of CO2 in Deep Saline Aquifers Based on Modeling and Risk Assessment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jean-Philippe Nicot; Renaud Bouroullec; Hugo Castellanos

2006-06-30

Underground carbon storage may become one of the solutions to address global warming. However, to have an impact, carbon storage must be done at a much larger scale than current CO{sub 2} injection operations for enhanced oil recovery. It must also include injection into saline aquifers. An important characteristic of CO{sub 2} is its strong buoyancy--storage must be guaranteed to be sufficiently permanent to satisfy the very reason that CO{sub 2} is injected. This long-term aspect (hundreds to thousands of years) is not currently captured in legislation, even if the U.S. has a relatively well-developed regulatory framework to handle carbonmore » storage, especially in the operational short term. This report proposes a hierarchical approach to permitting in which the State/Federal Government is responsible for developing regional assessments, ranking potential sites (''General Permit'') and lessening the applicant's burden if the general area of the chosen site has been ranked more favorably. The general permit would involve determining in the regional sense structural (closed structures), stratigraphic (heterogeneity), and petrophysical (flow parameters such as residual saturation) controls on the long-term fate of geologically sequestered CO{sub 2}. The state-sponsored regional studies and the subsequent local study performed by the applicant will address the long-term risk of the particular site. It is felt that a performance-based approach rather than a prescriptive approach is the most appropriate framework in which to address public concerns. However, operational issues for each well (equivalent to the current underground injection control-UIC-program) could follow regulations currently in place. Area ranking will include an understanding of trapping modes. Capillary (due to residual saturation) and structural (due to local geological configuration) trappings are two of the four mechanisms (the other two are solubility and mineral trappings), which are the most relevant to the time scale of interest. The most likely pathways for leakage, if any, are wells and faults. We favor a defense-in-depth approach, in which storage permanence does not rely upon a primary seal only but assumes that any leak can be contained by geologic processes before impacting mineral resources, fresh ground water, or ground surface. We examined the Texas Gulf Coast as an example of an attractive target for carbon storage. Stacked sand-shale layers provide large potential storage volumes and defense-in-depth leakage protection. In the Texas Gulf Coast, the best way to achieve this goal is to establish the primary injection level below the total depth of most wells (>2,400 m-8,000 ft). In addition, most faults, particularly growth faults, present at the primary injection level do not reach the surface. A potential methodology, which includes an integrated approach comprising the whole chain of potential events from leakage from the primary site to atmospheric impacts, is also presented. It could be followed by the State/Federal Government, as well as by the operators.« less

Sub-Seafloor Carbon Dioxide Storage Potential on the Juan de Fuca Plate, Western North America

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jerry Fairley; Robert Podgorney

2012-11-01

The Juan de Fuca plate, off the western coast of North America, has been suggested as a site for geological sequestration of waste carbon dioxide because of its many attractive characteristics (high permeability, large storage capacity, reactive rock types). Here we model CO2 injection into fractured basalts comprising the upper several hundred meters of the sub-seafloor basalt reservoir, overlain with low-permeability sediments and a large saline water column, to examine the feasibility of this reservoir for CO2 storage. Our simulations indicate that the sub-seafloor basalts of the Juan de Fuca plate may be an excellent CO2 storage candidate, as multiplemore » trapping mechanisms (hydrodynamic, density inversions, and mineralization) act to keep the CO2 isolated from terrestrial environments. Questions remain about the lateral extent and connectivity of the high permeability basalts; however, the lack of wells or boreholes and thick sediment cover maximize storage potential while minimizing potential leakage pathways. Although promising, more study is needed to determine the economic viability of this option.« less

Basic Research Needs for Electrical Energy Storage. Report of the Basic Energy Sciences Workshop on Electrical Energy Storage, April 2-4, 2007

DOE R&D Accomplishments Database

Goodenough, J. B.; Abruna, H. D.; Buchanan, M. V.

2007-04-04

To identify research areas in geosciences, such as behavior of multiphase fluid-solid systems on a variety of scales, chemical migration processes in geologic media, characterization of geologic systems, and modeling and simulation of geologic systems, needed for improved energy systems.

Preliminary seismic characterization of parts of the island of Gotland in preparation for a potential CO2 storage test site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lydersen, Ida; Sopher, Daniel; Juhlin, Christopher

2015-04-01

Geological storage of CO2 is one of the available options to reduce CO2-emissions from large point sources. Previous work in the Baltic Sea Basin has inferred a large storage potential in several stratigraphic units. The most promising of these is the Faludden sandstone, exhibiting favorable reservoir properties and forming a regional stratigraphic trap. A potential location for a pilot CO2 injection site, to explore the suitability of the Faludden reservoir is onshore Gotland, Sweden. In this study onshore and offshore data have been digitized and interpreted, along with well data, to provide a detailed characterization of the Faludden reservoir below parts of Gotland. Maps and regional seismic profiles describing the extent and top structure of the Faludden sandstone are presented. The study area covers large parts of the island of Gotland, and extends about 50-70km offshore. The seismic data presented is part of a larger dataset acquired by Oljeprospektering AB (OPAB) between 1970 and 1990. The dataset is to this date largely unpublished, therefore re-processing and interpretation of these data provide improved insight into the subsurface of the study area. Two longer seismic profiles crossing Gotland ENE-WSW have been interpreted to give a large scale, regional control of the Faludden sandstone. A relatively tight grid of land seismic following the extent of the Faludden sandstone along the eastern coast to the southernmost point has been interpreted to better understand the actual distribution and geometry of the Faludden sandstone beneath Gotland. The maps from this study help to identify the most suitable area for a potential test injection site for CO2-storage, and to further the geological understanding of the area in general.

RECONNAISSANCE ASSESSMENT OF CO2 SEQUESTRATION POTENTIAL IN THE TRIASSIC AGE RIFT BASIN TREND OF SOUTH CAROLINA, GEORGIA, AND NORTHERN FLORIDA

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Blount, G.; Millings, M.

2011-08-01

A reconnaissance assessment of the carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) sequestration potential within the Triassic age rift trend sediments of South Carolina, Georgia and the northern Florida Rift trend was performed for the Office of Fossil Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL). This rift trend also extends into eastern Alabama, and has been termed the South Georgia Rift by previous authors, but is termed the South Carolina, Georgia, northern Florida, and eastern Alabama Rift (SGFAR) trend in this report to better describe the extent of the trend. The objectives of the study were to: (1) integrate all pertinent geologic information (literaturemore » reviews, drilling logs, seismic data, etc.) to create an understanding of the structural aspects of the basin trend (basin trend location and configuration, and the thickness of the sedimentary rock fill), (2) estimate the rough CO{sub 2} storage capacity (using conservative inputs), and (3) assess the general viability of the basins as sites of large-scale CO{sub 2} sequestration (determine if additional studies are appropriate). The CO{sub 2} estimates for the trend include South Carolina, Georgia, and northern Florida only. The study determined that the basins within the SGFAR trend have sufficient sedimentary fill to have a large potential storage capacity for CO{sub 2}. The deeper basins appear to have sedimentary fill of over 15,000 feet. Much of this fill is likely to be alluvial and fluvial sedimentary rock with higher porosity and permeability. This report estimates an order of magnitude potential capacity of approximately 137 billion metric tons for supercritical CO{sub 2}. The pore space within the basins represent hundreds of years of potential storage for supercritical CO{sub 2} and CO{sub 2} stored in aqueous form. There are many sources of CO{sub 2} within the region that could use the trend for geologic storage. Thirty one coal fired power plants are located within 100 miles of the deepest portions of these basins. There are also several cement and ammonia plants near the basins. Sixteen coal fired power plants are present on or adjacent to the basins which could support a low pipeline transportation cost. The current geological information is not sufficient to quantify specific storage reservoirs, seals, or traps. There is insufficient hydrogeologic information to quantify the saline nature of the water present within all of the basins. Water data in the Dunbarton Basin of the Savannah River Site indicates dissolved solids concentrations of greater than 10,000 parts per million (not potential drinking water). Additional reservoir characterization is needed to take advantage of the SGFAR trend for anthropogenic CO{sub 2} storage. The authors of this report believe it would be appropriate to study the reservoir potential in the deeper basins that are in close proximity to the current larger coal fired power plants (Albany-Arabi, Camilla-Ocilla, Alamo-Ehrhardt, and Jedburg basin).« less

An Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) System for Continuous and Sustainable Cold Supply in Oman

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Winterleitner, G.; Schütz, F.; Huenges, E.

2016-12-01

The aim of the GeoSolCool research programme between the German Research Centre for Geoscience (GFZ) and The Research Council of Oman (TRC) is the development of an innovative and sustainable cooling system in combination with an aquifer thermal energy storage system in northern Oman. An integral part of this project is the design of a subsurface aquifer reservoir system for storage of thermal energy through hot water injection. An accurate characterisation of potential storage horizons is thus essential to ensure optimal efficiency of the cooling system. The study area, 40 km west of Muscat is characterised by a thick Cenozoic mixed carbonate-siliciclastic sedimentary succession, containing at least 3 aquifer horizons. We used a multidisciplinary approach for the initial ATES development phase, including geological fieldwork dovetailed with remote sensing analyses, thin-section analyses, geological modelling and reservoir fluid flow forecasting. First results indicate two potential storage horizons: (1) a Miocene-aged clastic-dominated alluvial fan system and (2) an Eocene carbonate sequence. The alluvial fan system is a more than 300 m thick, coarse clastic (mainly gravels and sandstones) succession of coalesced individual fans. Thin-section analyses showed that hydraulic parameters are favourable for the gravel and sandstone intervals but reservoir architecture is complex due to multiple generations of interconnecting fans with highly heterogeneous facies distributions. The Eocene carbonates were deposited in a carbonate ramp setting, strongly influenced by currents and storm events. Individual facies belts extend over kilometres and thus horizontal reservoir connectivity is expected to be good with minor facies variability. Thin-section analyses showed that especially the fossil-rich sections show good storage qualities. Fluid flow forecasting indicate that both potential horizons have good to very good storage characteristics. However, intense diagenetic overprint of the succession and a complex reservoir architecture of the Miocene clastics might pose challenges for the ATES implementation. In order to decide which storage horizon will be developed as an ATES system, drilling of an exploration well and subsequent well-logging and hydraulic testing is underway.

Injection and Monitoring at the Wallula Basalt Pilot Project

DOE PAGES

McGrail, B. Peter; Spane, Frank A.; Amonette, James E.; ...

2014-01-01

Continental flood basalts represent one of the largest geologic structures on earth but have received comparatively little attention for geologic storage of CO2. Flood basalt lava flows have flow tops that are porous, permeable, and have large potential capacity for storage of CO2. In appropriate geologic settings, interbedded sediment layers and dense low-permeability basalt rock flow interior sections may act as effective seals allowing time for mineralization reactions to occur. Previous laboratory experiments showed the relatively rapid chemical reaction of CO2-saturated pore water with basalts to form stable carbonate minerals. However, recent laboratory tests with water-saturated supercritical CO2 show thatmore » mineralization reactions occur in this phase as well, providing a second and potentially more important mineralization pathway than was previously understood. Field testing of these concepts is proceeding with drilling of the world’s first supercritical CO2 injection well in flood basalt being completed in May 2009 near the township of Wallula in Washington State and corresponding CO2 injection permit granted by the State of Washington in March 2011. Injection of a nominal 1000 MT of CO2 was completed in August 2013 and site monitoring is in progress. Well logging conducted immediately after injection termination confirmed the presence of CO2 predominantly within the upper flow top region, and showed no evidence of vertical CO2 migration outside the well casing. Shallow soil gas samples collected around the injection well show no evidence of leakage and fluid and gas samples collected from the injection zone show strongly elevated concentrations of Ca, Mg, Mn, and Fe and 13C/18O isotopic shifts that are consistent with basalt-water chemical reactions. If proven viable by this field test and others that are in progress or being planned, major flood basalts in the U.S., India, and perhaps Australia would provide significant additional CO2 storage capacity and additional geologic sequestration options in regions of these countries where conventional storage options are limited.« less

New insights into the nation's carbon storage potential

USGS Publications Warehouse

Warwick, Peter D.; Zhu, Zhi-Liang

2012-01-01

Carbon sequestration is a method of securing carbon dioxide (CO2) to prevent its release into the atmosphere, where it contributes to global warming as a greenhouse gas. Geologic storage of CO2 in porous and permeable rocks involves injecting high-pressure CO2 into a subsurface rock unit that has available pore space. Biologic carbon sequestration refers to both natural and anthropogenic processes by which CO2 is removed from the atmosphere and stored as carbon in vegetation, soils, and sediments.

Metamodeling-based approach for risk assessment and cost estimation: Application to geological carbon sequestration planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Alexander Y.; Jeong, Hoonyoung; González-Nicolás, Ana; Templeton, Thomas C.

2018-04-01

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is being evaluated globally as a geoengineering measure for significantly reducing greenhouse emission. However, long-term liability associated with potential leakage from these geologic repositories is perceived as a main barrier of entry to site operators. Risk quantification and impact assessment help CCS operators to screen candidate sites for suitability of CO2 storage. Leakage risks are highly site dependent, and a quantitative understanding and categorization of these risks can only be made possible through broad participation and deliberation of stakeholders, with the use of site-specific, process-based models as the decision basis. Online decision making, however, requires that scenarios be run in real time. In this work, a Python based, Leakage Assessment and Cost Estimation (PyLACE) web application was developed for quantifying financial risks associated with potential leakage from geologic carbon sequestration sites. PyLACE aims to assist a collaborative, analytic-deliberative decision making processes by automating metamodel creation, knowledge sharing, and online collaboration. In PyLACE, metamodeling, which is a process of developing faster-to-run surrogates of process-level models, is enabled using a special stochastic response surface method and the Gaussian process regression. Both methods allow consideration of model parameter uncertainties and the use of that information to generate confidence intervals on model outputs. Training of the metamodels is delegated to a high performance computing cluster and is orchestrated by a set of asynchronous job scheduling tools for job submission and result retrieval. As a case study, workflow and main features of PyLACE are demonstrated using a multilayer, carbon storage model.

Physical and economic potential of geological CO2 storage in saline aquifers.

PubMed

Eccles, Jordan K; Pratson, Lincoln; Newell, Richard G; Jackson, Robert B

2009-03-15

Carbon sequestration in sandstone saline reservoirs holds great potential for mitigating climate change, but its storage potential and cost per ton of avoided CO2 emissions are uncertain. We develop a general model to determine the maximum theoretical constraints on both storage potential and injection rate and use it to characterize the economic viability of geosequestration in sandstone saline aquifers. When applied to a representative set of aquifer characteristics, the model yields results that compare favorably with pilot projects currently underway. Over a range of reservoir properties, maximum effective storage peaks at an optimal depth of 1600 m, at which point 0.18-0.31 metric tons can be stored per cubic meter of bulk volume of reservoir. Maximum modeled injection rates predict minima for storage costs in a typical basin in the range of $2-7/ ton CO2 (2005 U.S.$) depending on depth and basin characteristics in our base-case scenario. Because the properties of natural reservoirs in the United States vary substantially, storage costs could in some cases be lower or higher by orders of magnitude. We conclude that available geosequestration capacity exhibits a wide range of technological and economic attractiveness. Like traditional projects in the extractive industries, geosequestration capacity should be exploited starting with the low-cost storage options first then moving gradually up the supply curve.

Solubility trapping in formation water as dominant CO(2) sink in natural gas fields.

PubMed

Gilfillan, Stuart M V; Lollar, Barbara Sherwood; Holland, Greg; Blagburn, Dave; Stevens, Scott; Schoell, Martin; Cassidy, Martin; Ding, Zhenju; Zhou, Zheng; Lacrampe-Couloume, Georges; Ballentine, Chris J

2009-04-02

Injecting CO(2) into deep geological strata is proposed as a safe and economically favourable means of storing CO(2) captured from industrial point sources. It is difficult, however, to assess the long-term consequences of CO(2) flooding in the subsurface from decadal observations of existing disposal sites. Both the site design and long-term safety modelling critically depend on how and where CO(2) will be stored in the site over its lifetime. Within a geological storage site, the injected CO(2) can dissolve in solution or precipitate as carbonate minerals. Here we identify and quantify the principal mechanism of CO(2) fluid phase removal in nine natural gas fields in North America, China and Europe, using noble gas and carbon isotope tracers. The natural gas fields investigated in our study are dominated by a CO(2) phase and provide a natural analogue for assessing the geological storage of anthropogenic CO(2) over millennial timescales. We find that in seven gas fields with siliciclastic or carbonate-dominated reservoir lithologies, dissolution in formation water at a pH of 5-5.8 is the sole major sink for CO(2). In two fields with siliciclastic reservoir lithologies, some CO(2) loss through precipitation as carbonate minerals cannot be ruled out, but can account for a maximum of 18 per cent of the loss of emplaced CO(2). In view of our findings that geological mineral fixation is a minor CO(2) trapping mechanism in natural gas fields, we suggest that long-term anthropogenic CO(2) storage models in similar geological systems should focus on the potential mobility of CO(2) dissolved in water.

Predicting possible effects of H2S impurity on CO2 transportation and geological storage.

PubMed

Ji, Xiaoyan; Zhu, Chen

2013-01-02

For CO(2) geological storage, permitting impurities, such as H(2)S, in CO(2) streams can lead to a great potential for capital and energy savings for CO(2) capture and separation, but it also increases costs and risk management for transportation and storage. To evaluate the cost-benefits, using a recently developed model (Ji, X.; Zhu, C. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 2012, 91, 40-59), this study predicts phase equilibria and thermodynamic properties of the system H(2)S-CO(2)-H(2)O-NaCl under transportation and storage conditions and discusses potential effects of H(2)S on transportation and storage. The prediction shows that inclusion of H(2)S in CO(2) streams may lead to two-phase flow. For H(2)S-CO(2) mixtures, at a given temperature, the bubble and dew pressures decrease with increasing H(2)S content, while the mass density increases at low pressures and decreases at high pressures. For the CO(2)-H(2)S-H(2)O system, the total gas solubility increases while the mass density of the aqueous solution with dissolved gas decreases. For the CO(2)-H(2)S-H(2)O-NaCl system, at a given temperature, pressure and NaCl concentration, the solubility of the gas mixture in aqueous phase increases with increasing H(2)S content and then decreases, while the mass density of aqueous solution decreases and may be lower than the mass density of the solution without gas dissolution.

Volumes of recent floods and potential for storage in upland watershed areas of Iowa

USGS Publications Warehouse

Buchmiller, Robert C.; Eash, David A.; Harvey, Craig A.

2000-01-01

During the autumn of 1997, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, began a study to determine the volume of water associated with recent flood events in parts of the Midwestern United States and a preliminary evaluation of the potential upland areas for storage of flood-waters in selected watersheds. This analysis, although preliminary, may be useful in determining the feasibility of conducting additional, more detailed studies into the role of upland areas in a watershed management strategy. The methods and results of this preliminary hydrologic study are presented in this report.

75 FR 39273 - Energy Independence and Security Act (Pub. L. 110-140)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-08

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR U.S. Geological Survey Energy Independence and Security Act (Pub. L... Resource Assessment Methodology. SUMMARY: In 2007, the Energy Independence and Security Act (Pub. L. 110... provide important information to evaluate the potential for CO 2 storage as a mitigation option for global...

Sequestration Options for the West Coast States

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Myer, Larry

The West Coast Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (WESTCARB) is one of seven partnerships that have been established by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to evaluate carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technologies best suited for different regions of the country. The West Coast Region comprises Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and British Columbia. Led by the California Energy Commission, WESTCARB is a consortium of about 70 organizations, including state natural resource and environmental protection agencies; national laboratories and universities; private companies working on carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) capture, transportation, and storage technologies; utilities; oil and gas companies; nonprofit organizations; and policy/governance coordinating organizations. Both terrestrial and geologic sequestration options were evaluated in the Region during the 18-month Phase I project. A centralized Geographic Information System (GIS) database of stationary source, geologic and terrestrial sink data was developed. The GIS layer of source locations was attributed with CO{sub 2} emissions and other data and a spreadsheet was developed to estimate capture costs for the sources in the region. Phase I characterization of regional geological sinks shows that geologic storage opportunities exist in the WESTCARB region in each of the major technology areas: saline formations, oil and gas reservoirs, and coal beds. California offers outstanding sequestration opportunities because of its large capacity and the potential of value-added benefits from enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and enhanced gas recovery. The estimate for storage capacity of saline formations in the ten largest basins in California ranges from about 150 to about 500 Gt of CO{sub 2}, the potential CO{sub 2}-EOR storage was estimated to be 3.4 Gt, and the cumulative production from gas reservoirs suggests a CO{sub 2} storage capacity of 1.7 Gt. A GIS-based method for source-sink matching was implemented and preliminary marginal cost curves developed, which showed that 20, 40, or 80 Mega tonnes (Mt) of CO{sub 2} per year could be sequestered in California at a cost ofmore » $31/tonne (t), $35/t, or $$50/t, respectively. Phase I also addressed key issues affecting deployment of CCS technologies, including storage-site monitoring, injection regulations, and health and environmental risks. A framework for screening and ranking candidate sites for geologic CO{sub 2} storage on the basis of HSE risk was developed. A webbased, state-by-state compilation of current regulations for injection wells, and permits/contracts for land use changes, was developed, and modeling studies were carried out to assess the application of a number of different geophysical techniques for monitoring geologic sequestration. Public outreach activities resulted in heightened awareness of sequestration among state, community and industry leaders in the Region. Assessment of the changes in carbon stocks in agricultural lands showed that Washington, Oregon and Arizona were CO{sub 2} sources for the period from 1987 to 1997. Over the same period, forest carbon stocks decreased in Washington, but increased in Oregon and Arizona. Results of the terrestrial supply curve analyses showed that afforestation of rangelands and crop lands offer major sequestration opportunities; at a price of $$20 per t CO{sub 2}, more than 1,233 MMT could be sequestered over 40-years in Washington and more than 1,813 MMT could be sequestered in Oregon.« less

National assessment of geologic carbon dioxide storage resources: results

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2013-01-01

In 2012, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) completed an assessment of the technically accessible storage resources (TASR) for carbon dioxide (CO2) in geologic formations underlying the onshore and State waters area of the United States. The formations assessed are at least 3,000 feet (914 meters) below the ground surface. The TASR is an estimate of the CO2 storage resource that may be available for CO2 injection and storage that is based on present-day geologic and hydrologic knowledge of the subsurface and current engineering practices. Individual storage assessment units (SAUs) for 36 basins were defined on the basis of geologic and hydrologic characteristics outlined in the assessment methodology of Brennan and others (2010, USGS Open-File Report 2010–1127) and the subsequent methodology modification and implementation documentation of Blondes, Brennan, and others (2013, USGS Open-File Report 2013–1055). The mean national TASR is approximately 3,000 metric gigatons (Gt). The estimate of the TASR includes buoyant trapping storage resources (BSR), where CO2 can be trapped in structural or stratigraphic closures, and residual trapping storage resources, where CO2 can be held in place by capillary pore pressures in areas outside of buoyant traps. The mean total national BSR is 44 Gt. The residual storage resource consists of three injectivity classes based on reservoir permeability: residual trapping class 1 storage resource (R1SR) represents storage in rocks with permeability greater than 1 darcy (D); residual trapping class 2 storage resource (R2SR) represents storage in rocks with moderate permeability, defined as permeability between 1 millidarcy (mD) and 1 D; and residual trapping class 3 storage resource (R3SR) represents storage in rocks with low permeability, defined as permeability less than 1 mD. The mean national storage resources for rocks in residual trapping classes 1, 2, and 3 are 140 Gt, 2,700 Gt, and 130 Gt, respectively. The known recovery replacement storage resource (KRRSR) is a conservative estimate that represents only the amount of CO2 at subsurface conditions that could replace the volume of known hydrocarbon production. The mean national KRRSR, determined from production volumes rather than the geologic model of buoyant and residual traps that make up TASR, is 13 Gt. The estimated storage resources are dominated by residual trapping class 2, which accounts for 89 percent of the total resources. The Coastal Plains Region of the United States contains the largest storage resource of any region. Within the Coastal Plains Region, the resources from the U.S. Gulf Coast area represent 59 percent of the national CO2 storage capacity.

Detection and impacts of leakage from sub-seafloor deep geological carbon dioxide storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blackford, Jerry; Stahl, Henrik; Bull, Jonathan M.; Bergès, Benoît J. P.; Cevatoglu, Melis; Lichtschlag, Anna; Connelly, Douglas; James, Rachael H.; Kita, Jun; Long, Dave; Naylor, Mark; Shitashima, Kiminori; Smith, Dave; Taylor, Peter; Wright, Ian; Akhurst, Maxine; Chen, Baixin; Gernon, Tom M.; Hauton, Chris; Hayashi, Masatoshi; Kaieda, Hideshi; Leighton, Timothy G.; Sato, Toru; Sayer, Martin D. J.; Suzumura, Masahiro; Tait, Karen; Vardy, Mark E.; White, Paul R.; Widdicombe, Steve

2014-11-01

Fossil fuel power generation and other industrial emissions of carbon dioxide are a threat to global climate, yet many economies will remain reliant on these technologies for several decades. Carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) in deep geological formations provides an effective option to remove these emissions from the climate system. In many regions storage reservoirs are located offshore, over a kilometre or more below societally important shelf seas. Therefore, concerns about the possibility of leakage and potential environmental impacts, along with economics, have contributed to delaying development of operational CCS. Here we investigate the detectability and environmental impact of leakage from a controlled sub-seabed release of CO2. We show that the biological impact and footprint of this small leak analogue (<1 tonne CO2 d-1) is confined to a few tens of metres. Migration of CO2 through the shallow seabed is influenced by near-surface sediment structure, and by dissolution and re-precipitation of calcium carbonate naturally present in sediments. Results reported here advance the understanding of environmental sensitivity to leakage and identify appropriate monitoring strategies for full-scale carbon storage operations.

National assessment of geologic carbon dioxide storage resources: allocations of assessed areas to Federal lands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Buursink, Marc L.; Cahan, Steven M.; Warwick, Peter D.

2015-01-01

Following the geologic basin-scale assessment of technically accessible carbon dioxide storage resources in onshore areas and State waters of the United States, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated that an area of about 130 million acres (or about 200,000 square miles) of Federal lands overlies these storage resources. Consequently, about 18 percent of the assessed area associated with storage resources is allocated to Federal land management. Assessed areas are allocated to four other general land-ownership categories as follows: State lands about 4.5 percent, Tribal lands about 2.4 percent, private and other lands about 72 percent, and offshore areas about 2.6 percent.

Current Status of The Romanian National Deep Geological Repository Program

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Radu, M.; Nicolae, R.; Nicolae, D.

2008-07-01

Construction of a deep geological repository is a very demanding and costly task. By now, countries that have Candu reactors, have not processed the spent fuel passing to the interim storage as a preliminary step of final disposal within the nuclear fuel cycle back-end. Romania, in comparison to other nations, represents a rather small territory, with high population density, wherein the geological formation areas with radioactive waste storage potential are limited and restricted not only from the point of view of the selection criteria due to the rocks natural characteristics, but also from the point of view of their involvementmore » in social and economical activities. In the framework of the national R and D Programs, series of 'Map investigations' have been made regarding the selection and preliminary characterization of the host geological formation for the nation's spent fuel deep geological repository. The fact that Romania has many deposits of natural gas, oil, ore and geothermal water, and intensively utilizes soil and also is very forested, cause some of the apparent acceptable sites to be rejected in the subsequent analysis. Currently, according to the Law on the spent fuel and radioactive waste management, including disposal, The National Agency of Radioactive Waste is responsible and coordinates the national strategy in the field and, subsequently, further actions will be decided. The Romanian National Strategy, approved in 2004, projects the operation of a deep geological repository to begin in 2055. (authors)« less

The efieldbook program: A teaching resource for geology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vacas Peña, José Manuel; Chamoso, José M.; Urones, Carmen

2011-04-01

The eFieldBook program is a geology teaching tool with high didactic potential that guides a student's work in the field using multimedia and other resources. This program allows the collection of geo-referenced geological information as well as its storage and transmission, if necessary, as soon as it is collected. The data can be collected as in traditional field notebooks or on maps and photographs. The information can be used as soon as it is collected and can be exported to other programs such as Word, Excel, Georient or statistical packages. eFieldBook safely stores and backs up user information by sending any data collected to a selected Internet target at regular time intervals.

Extending Spent Fuel Storage until Transport for Reprocessing or Disposal

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Carlsen, Brett; Chiguer, Mustapha; Grahn, Per

Spent fuel (SF) must be stored until an end point such as reprocessing or geologic disposal is imple-mented. Selection and implementation of an end point for SF depends upon future funding, legisla-tion, licensing and other factors that cannot be predicted with certainty. Past presumptions related to the availability of an end point have often been wrong and resulted in missed opportunities for properly informing spent fuel management policies and strategies. For example, dry cask storage systems were originally conceived to free up needed space in reactor spent fuel pools and also to provide SFS of up to 20 years untilmore » reprocessing and/or deep geological disposal became available. Hundreds of dry cask storage systems are now employed throughout the world and will be relied upon well beyond the originally envisioned design life. Given present and projected rates for the use of nuclear power coupled with projections for SF repro-cessing and disposal capacities, one concludes that SF storage will be prolonged, potentially for several decades. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has recently considered 300 years of storage to be appropriate for the characterization and prediction of ageing effects and ageing management issues associated with extending SF storage and subsequent transport. This paper encourages addressing the uncertainty associated with the duration of SF storage by de-sign – rather than by default. It suggests ways that this uncertainty may be considered in design, li-censing, policy, and strategy decisions and proposes a framework for safely extending spent fuel storage until SF can be transported for reprocessing or disposal – regardless of how long that may be. The paper however is not intended to either encourage or facilitate needlessly extending spent fuel storage durations. Its intent is to ensure a design and safety basis with sufficient margin to accommodate the full range of potential future scenarios. Although the focus is primarily on storage of SF from commercial operation, the principles described are equally applicable to SF from research and production reactors as well as high-level radioactive waste.« less

Microbial growth under a high-pressure CO2 environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, J. R.; Hernandez, H. H.

2009-12-01

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) of CO2 has the potential to significantly reduce the emission of greenhouse gasses associated with fossil fuel combustion. The largest potential for storing captured CO2 in the United Sates is in deep geologic saline formations. Currently, little is known about the effects of CO2 storage on biologically active microbial communities found in the deep earth biosphere. Therefore, to investigate how deep earth microbial communities will be affected by the storage of CO2, we have built a high-pressure microbial growth system in which microbial samples are subjected to a supercritical CO2 (scCO2) environment. Recently we have isolated a microbial consortium that is capable of growth and extracellular matrix production in nutrient media under a supercritical CO2 headspace. This consortium was cultivated from hydrocarbon residues associated with saline formation waters and includes members of the gram-positive Bacillus genus. The cultivation of actively growing cells in an environment containing scCO2 is unexpected based on previous experimental evidence of microbial sterilization attributed to the acidic, desiccating, and solvent-like properties of scCO2. Such microbial consortia have potential for development as (i) biofilm barriers for geological carbon-dioxide sequestration, and as (ii) agents of biocatalysis in environmentally-friendly supercritical (sc) CO2 solvent systems. The discovery that microbes can remain biologically active, and grow, in these environments opens new frontiers for the use of self-regenerating biological systems in engineering applications.

Active Management of Integrated Geothermal-CO2 Storage Reservoirs in Sedimentary Formations: Data used in Geosphere Journal Article

DOE Data Explorer

Thomas A. Buscheck

2015-06-01

This data submission is for Phase 2 of Active Management of Integrated Geothermal-CO2 Storage Reservoirs in Sedimentary Formations, which focuses on multi-fluid (CO2 and brine) geothermal energy production and diurnal bulk energy storage in geologic settings that are suitable for geologic CO2 storage. This data submission includes all data used in the Geosphere Journal article by Buscheck et al (2016). All assumptions are discussed in that article.

Geological Carbon Sequestration Storage Resource Estimates for the Ordovician St. Peter Sandstone, Illinois and Michigan Basins, USA

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Barnes, David; Ellett, Kevin; Leetaru, Hannes

The Cambro-Ordovician strata of the Midwest of the United States is a primary target for potential geological storage of CO2 in deep saline formations. The objective of this project is to develop a comprehensive evaluation of the Cambro-Ordovician strata in the Illinois and Michigan Basins above the basal Mount Simon Sandstone since the Mount Simon is the subject of other investigations including a demonstration-scale injection at the Illinois Basin Decatur Project. The primary reservoir targets investigated in this study are the middle Ordovician St Peter Sandstone and the late Cambrian to early Ordovician Knox Group carbonates. The topic of thismore » report is a regional-scale evaluation of the geologic storage resource potential of the St Peter Sandstone in both the Illinois and Michigan Basins. Multiple deterministic-based approaches were used in conjunction with the probabilistic-based storage efficiency factors published in the DOE methodology to estimate the carbon storage resource of the formation. Extensive data sets of core analyses and wireline logs were compiled to develop the necessary inputs for volumetric calculations. Results demonstrate how the range in uncertainty of storage resource estimates varies as a function of data availability and quality, and the underlying assumptions used in the different approaches. In the simplest approach, storage resource estimates were calculated from mapping the gross thickness of the formation and applying a single estimate of the effective mean porosity of the formation. Results from this approach led to storage resource estimates ranging from 3.3 to 35.1 Gt in the Michigan Basin, and 1.0 to 11.0 Gt in the Illinois Basin at the P10 and P90 probability level, respectively. The second approach involved consideration of the diagenetic history of the formation throughout the two basins and used depth-dependent functions of porosity to derive a more realistic spatially variable model of porosity rather than applying a single estimate of porosity throughout the entire potential reservoir domains. The second approach resulted in storage resource estimates of 3.0 to 31.6 Gt in the Michigan Basin, and 0.6 to 6.1 Gt in the Illinois Basin. The third approach attempted to account for the local-scale variability in reservoir quality as a function of both porosity and permeability by using core and log analyses to calculate explicitly the net effective porosity at multiple well locations, and interpolate those results throughout the two basins. This approach resulted in storage resource estimates of 10.7 to 34.7 Gt in the Michigan Basin, and 11.2 to 36.4 Gt in the Illinois Basin. A final approach used advanced reservoir characterization as the most sophisticated means to estimating storage resource by defining reservoir properties for multiple facies within the St Peter formation. This approach was limited to the Michigan Basin since the Illinois Basin data set did not have the requisite level of data quality and sampling density to support such an analysis. Results from this approach led to storage resource estimates of 15.4 Gt to 50.1 Gt for the Michigan Basin. The observed variability in results from the four different approaches is evaluated in the context of data and methodological constraints, leading to the conclusion that the storage resource estimates from the first two approaches may be conservative, whereas the net porosity based approaches may over-estimate the resource.« less

Preliminary Modelling of the Effect of Impurity in CO2 Streams on the Storage Capacity and the Plume Migration in Pohang Basin, Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Yongchan; Choi, Byoungyoung; Shinn, Youngjae

2015-04-01

Captured CO2 streams contain various levels of impurities which vary depending on the combustion technology and CO2 sources such as a power plant and iron and steel production processes. Common impurities or contaminants are non-condensable gases like nitrogen, oxygen and hydrogen, and are also air pollutants like sulphur and nitrogen oxides. Specifically for geological storage, the non-condensable gases in CO2 streams are not favourable because they can decrease density of the injected CO2 stream and can affect buoyancy of the plume. However, separation of these impurities to obtain the CO2 purity higher than 99% would greatly increase the cost of capture. In 2010, the Korean Government announced a national framework to develop CCS, with the aim of developing two large scale integrated CCS projects by 2020. In order to achieve this goal, a small scale injection project into Pohang basin near shoreline has begun which is seeking the connection with a capture project, especially at a steel company. Any onshore sites that are suitable for the geological storage are not identified by this time so we turned to the shallow offshore Pohang basin where is close to a large-scale CO2 source. Currently, detailed site surveys are being undertaken and the collected data were used to establish a geological model of the basin. In this study, we performed preliminary modelling study on the effect of impurities on the geological storage using the geological model. Using a potential compositions of impurities in CO2 streams from the steel company, we firstly calculated density and viscosity of CO2 streams as a function of various pressure and temperature conditions with CMG-WINPROP and then investigated the effect of the non-condensable gases on storage capacity, injectivity and plume migrations with CMG-GEM. Further simulations to evaluate the areal and vertical sweep efficiencies by impurities were perform in a 2D vertical cross section as well as in a 3D simulation grid. Also, pressure increases caused by the impurities and the partitioning between CO2 and other non-condensable gases were explored. In addition, the possibility of using these contaminants as a tracer were examined.

Quantifying the benefit of wellbore leakage potential estimates for prioritizing long-term MVA well sampling at a CO2 storage site.

PubMed

Azzolina, Nicholas A; Small, Mitchell J; Nakles, David V; Glazewski, Kyle A; Peck, Wesley D; Gorecki, Charles D; Bromhal, Grant S; Dilmore, Robert M

2015-01-20

This work uses probabilistic methods to simulate a hypothetical geologic CO2 storage site in a depleted oil and gas field, where the large number of legacy wells would make it cost-prohibitive to sample all wells for all measurements as part of the postinjection site care. Deep well leakage potential scores were assigned to the wells using a random subsample of 100 wells from a detailed study of 826 legacy wells that penetrate the basal Cambrian formation on the U.S. side of the U.S./Canadian border. Analytical solutions and Monte Carlo simulations were used to quantify the statistical power of selecting a leaking well. Power curves were developed as a function of (1) the number of leaking wells within the Area of Review; (2) the sampling design (random or judgmental, choosing first the wells with the highest deep leakage potential scores); (3) the number of wells included in the monitoring sampling plan; and (4) the relationship between a well’s leakage potential score and its relative probability of leakage. Cases where the deep well leakage potential scores are fully or partially informative of the relative leakage probability are compared to a noninformative base case in which leakage is equiprobable across all wells in the Area of Review. The results show that accurate prior knowledge about the probability of well leakage adds measurable value to the ability to detect a leaking well during the monitoring program, and that the loss in detection ability due to imperfect knowledge of the leakage probability can be quantified. This work underscores the importance of a data-driven, risk-based monitoring program that incorporates uncertainty quantification into long-term monitoring sampling plans at geologic CO2 storage sites.

Model complexity in carbon sequestration:A design of experiment and response surface uncertainty analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Y.; Li, S.

2014-12-01

Geologic carbon sequestration (GCS) is proposed for the Nugget Sandstone in Moxa Arch, a regional saline aquifer with a large storage potential. For a proposed storage site, this study builds a suite of increasingly complex conceptual "geologic" model families, using subsets of the site characterization data: a homogeneous model family, a stationary petrophysical model family, a stationary facies model family with sub-facies petrophysical variability, and a non-stationary facies model family (with sub-facies variability) conditioned to soft data. These families, representing alternative conceptual site models built with increasing data, were simulated with the same CO2 injection test (50 years at 1/10 Mt per year), followed by 2950 years of monitoring. Using the Design of Experiment, an efficient sensitivity analysis (SA) is conducted for all families, systematically varying uncertain input parameters. Results are compared among the families to identify parameters that have 1st order impact on predicting the CO2 storage ratio (SR) at both end of injection and end of monitoring. At this site, geologic modeling factors do not significantly influence the short-term prediction of the storage ratio, although they become important over monitoring time, but only for those families where such factors are accounted for. Based on the SA, a response surface analysis is conducted to generate prediction envelopes of the storage ratio, which are compared among the families at both times. Results suggest a large uncertainty in the predicted storage ratio given the uncertainties in model parameters and modeling choices: SR varies from 5-60% (end of injection) to 18-100% (end of monitoring), although its variation among the model families is relatively minor. Moreover, long-term leakage risk is considered small at the proposed site. In the lowest-SR scenarios, all families predict gravity-stable supercritical CO2 migrating toward the bottom of the aquifer. In the highest-SR scenarios, supercritical CO2 footprints are relatively insignificant by the end of monitoring.

U.S. DOE methodology for the development of geologic storage potential for carbon dioxide at the national and regional scale

USGS Publications Warehouse

Goodman, Angela; Hakala, J. Alexandra; Bromhal, Grant; Deel, Dawn; Rodosta, Traci; Frailey, Scott; Small, Michael; Allen, Doug; Romanov, Vyacheslav; Fazio, Jim; Huerta, Nicolas; McIntyre, Dustin; Kutchko, Barbara; Guthrie, George

2011-01-01

A detailed description of the United States Department of Energy (US-DOE) methodology for estimating CO2 storage potential for oil and gas reservoirs, saline formations, and unmineable coal seams is provided. The oil and gas reservoirs are assessed at the field level, while saline formations and unmineable coal seams are assessed at the basin level. The US-DOE methodology is intended for external users such as the Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnerships (RCSPs), future project developers, and governmental entities to produce high-level CO2 resource assessments of potential CO2 storage reservoirs in the United States and Canada at the regional and national scale; however, this methodology is general enough that it could be applied globally. The purpose of the US-DOE CO2 storage methodology, definitions of storage terms, and a CO2 storage classification are provided. Methodology for CO2 storage resource estimate calculation is outlined. The Log Odds Method when applied with Monte Carlo Sampling is presented in detail for estimation of CO2 storage efficiency needed for CO2 storage resource estimates at the regional and national scale. CO2 storage potential reported in the US-DOE's assessment are intended to be distributed online by a geographic information system in NatCarb and made available as hard-copy in the Carbon Sequestration Atlas of the United States and Canada. US-DOE's methodology will be continuously refined, incorporating results of the Development Phase projects conducted by the RCSPs from 2008 to 2018. Estimates will be formally updated every two years in subsequent versions of the Carbon Sequestration Atlas of the United States and Canada.

National Assessment of Geologic Carbon Dioxide Storage Resources -- Trends and Interpretations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buursink, M. L.; Blondes, M. S.; Brennan, S.; Drake, R., II; Merrill, M. D.; Roberts-Ashby, T. L.; Slucher, E. R.; Warwick, P.

2013-12-01

In 2012, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) completed an assessment of the technically accessible storage resource (TASR) for carbon dioxide (CO2) in geologic formations underlying the onshore and State waters area of the United States. The formations assessed are at least 3,000 feet (914 meters) below the ground surface. The TASR is an estimate of the CO2 storage resource that may be available for CO2 injection and storage that is based on present-day geologic and hydrologic knowledge of the subsurface and current engineering practices. Individual storage assessment units (SAUs) for 36 basins or study areas were defined on the basis of geologic and hydrologic characteristics outlined in the USGS assessment methodology. The mean national TASR is approximately 3,000 metric gigatons. To augment the release of the assessment, this study reviews input estimates and output results as a part of the resource calculation. Included in this study are a collection of both cross-plots and maps to demonstrate our trends and interpretations. Alongside the assessment, the input estimates were examined for consistency between SAUs and cross-plotted to verify expected trends, such as decreasing storage formation porosity with increasing SAU depth, for instance, and to show a positive correlation between storage formation porosity and permeability estimates. Following the assessment, the output results were examined for correlation with selected input estimates. For example, there exists a positive correlation between CO2 density and the TASR, and between storage formation porosity and the TASR, as expected. These correlations, in part, serve to verify our estimates for the geologic variables. The USGS assessment concluded that the Coastal Plains Region of the eastern and southeastern United States contains the largest storage resource. Within the Coastal Plains Region, the storage resources from the U.S. Gulf Coast study area represent 59 percent of the national CO2 storage capacity. As part of this follow up study, additional maps were generated to show the geographic distribution of the input estimates and the output results across the U.S. For example, the distribution of the SAUs with fresh, saline or mixed formation water quality is shown. Also mapped is the variation in CO2 density as related to basin location and to related properties such as subsurface temperature and pressure. Furthermore, variation in the estimated SAU depth and resulting TASR are shown across the assessment study areas, and these depend on the geologic basin size and filling history. Ultimately, multiple map displays are possible with the complete data set of input estimates and range of reported results. The findings from this study show the effectiveness of the USGS methodology and the robustness of the assessment.

How to Recharge a Confined Alluvial Aquifer System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maples, S.; Fogg, G. E.; Liu, Y.

2016-12-01

Greater water storage capacity is needed to offset future decreases in snowpack-water storage in California. Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) in California's Central Valley aquifer system is a promising alternative to new surface reservoir storage because it has the potential to both reduce overdraft conditions observed in many Central Valley groundwater basins and offset continued decreases in snowpack storage. MAR to the Central Valley's productive confined-aquifer system remains a challenge because, like most alluvial aquifer systems, it is composed mostly of silt and clay sediments that form nearly ubiquitous, multiple confining layers that inhibit direct recharge of the interconnected sand and gravel body networks. Several studies have mapped surficial soil types in the Central Valley that are conducive to MAR, but few studies have evaluated how subsurface geologic heterogeneity controls recharge to the confined aquifer system. Here, we use a transition probability Markov-chain geostatistical model conditioned with 1200 well logs to create a physically-realistic representation of the subsurface geologic heterogeneity in the American and Cosumnes River watersheds on the east side of the Sacramento Valley, CA, where studies have shown the presence of massive, interconnected, highly-permeable gravel deposits that are potentially conducive to considerably higher rates of regional recharge than would be possible over the rest of the landscape. Such localized stratigraphic features to support accelerated recharge occur throughout the Central Valley, but are mostly still undiscovered. A variably-saturated, fully-integrated, groundwater/surface-water code, ParFlow, was used to simulate MAR dynamics in this system. Results show the potential for (1) accelerated, high-volume recharge through interconnected gravels where they outcrop at land surface, and (2) regional repressurization of the deeper confined aquifer system. These findings provide insight into the critical role of subsurface heterogeneity on MAR dynamics in alluvial aquifer systems and highlight the potential for MAR in California and elsewhere.

Coal reserves and resources as well as potentials for underground coal gasification in connection with carbon capture and storage (CCS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ilse, Jürgen

2010-05-01

Coal is the energy source with the largest geological availability worldwide. Of all non-renewable energies coal and lignite accounting for 55 % of the reserves and some 76 % of the resources represent the largest potential. Reserves are those geological quantities of a mineral which can currently be mined under technically and economically viable conditions. Resources are those quantities which are either proven but currently not economically recoverable or quantities which can still be expected or explored on the basis of geological findings. The global availability of energy source does not only depend on geological and economic factors. The technical availability, e.g. mining and preparation capacities, the sufficient availability of land and sea-borne transportation as well as transloading capacities and also a political availability are required likewise. The latter may be disturbed by domestic-policy disputes like strikes or unrest or by foreign-policy disputes like embargos, trade conflicts or even tensions and wars in the producing regions. In the energy-economic discussion the reach of fossil primary energies plays a central role with the most important questions being: when will which energy source be exhausted, which impact will future developments have on the energy price, what does the situation of the other energies look like and which alternatives are there? The reach of coal can only be estimated because of the large deposits on the one hand and the uncertain future coal use and demand on the other. The stronger growth of population and the economic catching-up process in the developing and threshold countries will result in a shift of the production and demand centres in the global economy. However, also in case of further increases the geological potential will be sufficient to reliably cover the global coal demand for the next 100 years. The conventional mining of seams at great depths or of thin seams reaches its technical and economic limits. However, these otherwise unprofitable coal deposits can be mined economically by means of underground coal gasification, during which coal is converted into a gaseous product in the deposit. The synthesis gas can be used for electricity generation, as chemical base material or for the production of petrol. This increases the usability of coal resources tremendously. At present the CCS technologies (carbon capture and storage) are a much discussed alternative to other CO2 abatement techniques like efficiency impovements. The capture and subsequent storage of CO2 in the deposits created by the actual underground gasification process seem to be technically feasible.

REGULATING THE ULTIMATE SINK: MANAGING THE RISKS OF GEOLOGIC CO2 STORAGE

EPA Science Inventory

The paper addresses the issue of geologic storage (GS) of carbon dioxide (CO2) and discusses the risks and regulatory history of deep underground waste injection on the U.S. mainland and surrounding continental shelf. The treatment focuses on the technical and regulatory aspects ...

Influence of geologic layering on heat transport and storage in an aquifer thermal energy storage system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bridger, D. W.; Allen, D. M.

2014-01-01

A modeling study was carried out to evaluate the influence of aquifer heterogeneity, as represented by geologic layering, on heat transport and storage in an aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) system in Agassiz, British Columbia, Canada. Two 3D heat transport models were developed and calibrated using the flow and heat transport code FEFLOW including: a "non-layered" model domain with homogeneous hydraulic and thermal properties; and, a "layered" model domain with variable hydraulic and thermal properties assigned to discrete geological units to represent aquifer heterogeneity. The base model (non-layered) shows limited sensitivity for the ranges of all thermal and hydraulic properties expected at the site; the model is most sensitive to vertical anisotropy and hydraulic gradient. Simulated and observed temperatures within the wells reflect a combination of screen placement and layering, with inconsistencies largely explained by the lateral continuity of high permeability layers represented in the model. Simulation of heat injection, storage and recovery show preferential transport along high permeability layers, resulting in longitudinal plume distortion, and overall higher short-term storage efficiencies.

Multivariate Geostatistical Analysis of Uncertainty for the Hydrodynamic Model of a Geological Trap for Carbon Dioxide Storage. Case study: Multilayered Geological Structure Vest Valcele, ROMANIA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scradeanu, D.; Pagnejer, M.

2012-04-01

The purpose of the works is to evaluate the uncertainty of the hydrodynamic model for a multilayered geological structure, a potential trap for carbon dioxide storage. The hydrodynamic model is based on a conceptual model of the multilayered hydrostructure with three components: 1) spatial model; 2) parametric model and 3) energy model. The necessary data to achieve the three components of the conceptual model are obtained from: 240 boreholes explored by geophysical logging and seismic investigation, for the first two components, and an experimental water injection test for the last one. The hydrodinamic model is a finite difference numerical model based on a 3D stratigraphic model with nine stratigraphic units (Badenian and Oligocene) and a 3D multiparameter model (porosity, permeability, hydraulic conductivity, storage coefficient, leakage etc.). The uncertainty of the two 3D models was evaluated using multivariate geostatistical tools: a)cross-semivariogram for structural analysis, especially the study of anisotropy and b)cokriging to reduce estimation variances in a specific situation where is a cross-correlation between a variable and one or more variables that are undersampled. It has been identified important differences between univariate and bivariate anisotropy. The minimised uncertainty of the parametric model (by cokriging) was transferred to hydrodynamic model. The uncertainty distribution of the pressures generated by the water injection test has been additional filtered by the sensitivity of the numerical model. The obtained relative errors of the pressure distribution in the hydrodynamic model are 15-20%. The scientific research was performed in the frame of the European FP7 project "A multiple space and time scale approach for the quantification of deep saline formation for CO2 storage(MUSTANG)".

Geologic Carbon Sequestration: Mitigating Climate Change by Injecting CO2 Underground (LBNL Summer Lecture Series)

ScienceCinema

Oldenburg, Curtis M. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Earth Sciences Division

2018-05-07

Summer Lecture Series 2009: Climate change provides strong motivation to reduce CO2 emissions from the burning of fossil fuels. Carbon dioxide capture and storage involves the capture, compression, and transport of CO2 to geologically favorable areas, where its injected into porous rock more than one kilometer underground for permanent storage. Oldenburg, who heads Berkeley Labs Geologic Carbon Sequestration Program, will focus on the challenges, opportunities, and research needs of this innovative technology.

Not in My Backyard: CCS Sites and Public Perception of CCS.

PubMed

Braun, Carola

2017-12-01

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a technology that counteracts climate change by capturing atmospheric emissions of CO 2 from human activities, storing them in geological formations underground. However, CCS also involves major risks and side effects, and faces strong public opposition. The whereabouts of 408 potential CCS sites in Germany were released in 2011. Using detailed survey data on the public perception of CCS, this study quantifies how living close to a potential storage site affects the acceptance of CCS. It also analyzes the influence of other regional characteristics on the acceptance of CCS. The study finds that respondents who live close to a potential CCS site have significantly lower acceptance rates than those who do not. Living in a coal-mining region also markedly decreases acceptance. © 2017 Society for Risk Analysis.

Accelerator-driven Transmutation of Waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Venneri, Francesco

1998-04-01

Nuclear waste from commercial power plants contains large quantities of plutonium, other fissionable actinides, and long-lived fission products that are potential proliferation concerns and create challenges for the long-term storage. Different strategies for dealing with nuclear waste are being followed by various countries because of their geologic situations and their views on nuclear energy, reprocessing and non-proliferation. The current United States policy is to store unprocessed spent reactor fuel in a geologic repository. Other countries are opting for treatment of nuclear waste, including partial utilization of the fissile material contained in the spent fuel, prior to geologic storage. Long-term uncertainties are hampering the acceptability and eventual licensing of a geologic repository for nuclear spent fuel in the US, and driving up its cost. The greatest concerns are with the potential for radiation release and exposure from the spent fuel for tens of thousands of years and the possible diversion and use of the actinides contained in the waste for weapons construction. Taking advantage of the recent breakthroughs in accelerator technology and of the natural flexibility of subcritical systems, the Accelerator-driven Transmutation of Waste (ATW) concept offers the United States and other countries the possibility to greatly reduce plutonium, higher actinides and environmentally hazardous fission products from the waste stream destined for permanent storage. ATW does not eliminate the need for, but instead enhances the viability of permanent waste repositories. Far from being limited to waste destruction, the ATW concept also brings to the table new technologies that could be relevant for next-generation power producing reactors. In the ATW concept, spent fuel would be shipped to the ATW site where the plutonium, transuranics and selected long-lived fission products would be destroyed by fission or transmutation in their first and only pass through the facility, using an accelerator-driven subcritical burner cooled by liquid lead/bismuth and limited pyrochemical treatment of the spent fuel and residual waste. This approach contrasts with the present-day practices of aqueous reprocessing (Europe and Japan), in which high purity plutonium is produced and used in the fabrication of fresh mixed oxide fuel (MOX) that is shipped off-site for use in light water reactors.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Myers, C.W.; Giraud, K.M.

Newcomer countries expected to develop new nuclear power programs by 2030 are being encouraged by the International Atomic Energy Agency to explore the use of shared facilities for spent fuel storage and geologic disposal. Multinational underground nuclear parks (M-UNPs) are an option for sharing such facilities. Newcomer countries with suitable bedrock conditions could volunteer to host M-UNPs. M-UNPs would include back-end fuel cycle facilities, in open or closed fuel cycle configurations, with sufficient capacity to enable M-UNP host countries to provide for-fee waste management services to partner countries, and to manage waste from the M-UNP power reactors. M-UNP potential advantagesmore » include: the option for decades of spent fuel storage; fuel-cycle policy flexibility; increased proliferation resistance; high margin of physical security against attack; and high margin of containment capability in the event of beyond-design-basis accidents, thereby reducing the risk of Fukushima-like radiological contamination of surface lands. A hypothetical M-UNP in crystalline rock with facilities for small modular reactors, spent fuel storage, reprocessing, and geologic disposal is described using a room-and-pillar reference-design cavern. Underground construction cost is judged tractable through use of modern excavation technology and careful site selection. (authors)« less

U.S. DOE NETL methodology for estimating the prospective CO 2 storage resource of shales at the national and regional scale

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Levine, Jonathan S.; Fukai, Isis; Soeder, Daniel J.

While the majority of shale formations will serve as reservoir seals for stored anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2), hydrocarbon-bearing shale formations may be potential geologic sinks after depletion through primary production. Here in this paper we present the United States-Department of Energy-National Energy Technology Laboratory (US-DOE-NETL) methodology for screening-level assessment of prospective CO 2 storage resources in shale using a volumetric equation. Volumetric resource estimates are produced from the bulk volume, porosity, and sorptivity of the shale and storage efficiency factors based on formation-scale properties and petrophysical limitations on fluid transport. Prospective shale formations require: (1) prior hydrocarbon production using horizontalmore » drilling and stimulation via staged, high-volume hydraulic fracturing, (2) depths sufficient to maintain CO 2 in a supercritical state, generally >800 m, and (3) an overlying seal. The US-DOE-NETL methodology accounts for storage of CO 2 in shale as a free fluid phase within fractures and matrix pores and as an sorbed phase on organic matter and clays. Uncertainties include but are not limited to poorly-constrained geologic variability in formation thickness, porosity, existing fluid content, organic richness, and mineralogy. Knowledge of how these parameters may be linked to depositional environments, facies, and diagenetic history of the shale will improve the understanding of pore-to-reservoir scale behavior, and provide improved estimates of prospective CO 2 storage.« less

U.S. DOE NETL methodology for estimating the prospective CO 2 storage resource of shales at the national and regional scale

DOE PAGES

Levine, Jonathan S.; Fukai, Isis; Soeder, Daniel J.; ...

2016-05-31

While the majority of shale formations will serve as reservoir seals for stored anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2), hydrocarbon-bearing shale formations may be potential geologic sinks after depletion through primary production. Here in this paper we present the United States-Department of Energy-National Energy Technology Laboratory (US-DOE-NETL) methodology for screening-level assessment of prospective CO 2 storage resources in shale using a volumetric equation. Volumetric resource estimates are produced from the bulk volume, porosity, and sorptivity of the shale and storage efficiency factors based on formation-scale properties and petrophysical limitations on fluid transport. Prospective shale formations require: (1) prior hydrocarbon production using horizontalmore » drilling and stimulation via staged, high-volume hydraulic fracturing, (2) depths sufficient to maintain CO 2 in a supercritical state, generally >800 m, and (3) an overlying seal. The US-DOE-NETL methodology accounts for storage of CO 2 in shale as a free fluid phase within fractures and matrix pores and as an sorbed phase on organic matter and clays. Uncertainties include but are not limited to poorly-constrained geologic variability in formation thickness, porosity, existing fluid content, organic richness, and mineralogy. Knowledge of how these parameters may be linked to depositional environments, facies, and diagenetic history of the shale will improve the understanding of pore-to-reservoir scale behavior, and provide improved estimates of prospective CO 2 storage.« less

The influence of open fracture anisotropy on CO2 movement within geological storage complexes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bond, C. E.; Wightman, R.; Ringrose, P. S.

2012-12-01

Carbon mitigation through the geological storage of carbon dioxide is dependent on the ability of geological formations to store CO2 trapping it within a geological storage complex. Secure long-term containment needs to be demonstrated, due to both political and social drivers, meaning that this containment must be verifiable over periods of 100-105 years. The effectiveness of sub-surface geological storage systems is dependent on trapping CO2 within a volume of rock and is reliant on the integrity of the surrounding rocks, including their chemical and physical properties, to inhibit migration to the surface. Oil and gas reservoir production data, and field evidence show that fracture networks have the potential to act as focused pathways for fluid movement. Fracture networks can allow large volumes of fluid to migrate to the surface within the time scales of interest. In this paper we demonstrate the importance of predicting the effects of fracture networks in storage, using a case study from the In Salah CO2 storage site, and show how the fracture permeability is closely controlled by the stress regime that determines the open fracture network. Our workflow combines well data of imaged fractures, with a discrete fracture network (DFN) model of tectonically induced fractures, within the horizon of interest. The modelled and observed fractures have been compared and combined with present day stress data to predict the open fracture network and its implications for anisotropic movement of CO2 in the sub-surface. The created fracture network model has been used to calculate the 2D permeability tensor for the reservoir for two scenarios: 1) a model in which all fractures are permeable, based on the whole DFN model and 2) those fractures determined to be in dilatational failure under the present day stress regime, a sub-set of the DFN. The resulting permeability anisotropy tensors show distinct anisotropies for the predicted CO2 movement within the reservoir. These predictions have been compared with InSAR imagery of surface uplift, used as an indicator of fluid pressure and movement in the sub-surface, around the CO2 injection wells. The analysis shows that the permeability tensor with the greatest anisotropy, that for the DFN sub-set of open fractures, matches well with the anisotropy in surface uplift imaged by InSAR. We demonstrate that predicting fracture networks alone does not predict fluid movement in the sub-surface, and that fracture permeability is closely controlled by the stress regime that determines the open fracture network. Our results show that a workflow of fracture network prediction combined with present day stress analysis can be used to successfully predict CO2 movement in the sub-surface at an active injection site.

Rates of CO2 Mineralization in Geological Carbon Storage.

PubMed

Zhang, Shuo; DePaolo, Donald J

2017-09-19

Geologic carbon storage (GCS) involves capture and purification of CO 2 at industrial emission sources, compression into a supercritical state, and subsequent injection into geologic formations. This process reverses the flow of carbon to the atmosphere with the intention of returning the carbon to long-term geologic storage. Models suggest that most of the injected CO 2 will be "trapped" in the subsurface by physical means, but the most risk-free and permanent form of carbon storage is as carbonate minerals (Ca,Mg,Fe)CO 3 . The transformation of CO 2 to carbonate minerals requires supply of the necessary divalent cations by dissolution of silicate minerals. Available data suggest that rates of transformation are highly uncertain and difficult to predict by standard approaches. Here we show that the chemical kinetic observations and experimental results, when they can be reduced to a single cation-release time scale that describes the fractional rate at which cations are released to solution by mineral dissolution, show sufficiently systematic behavior as a function of pH, fluid flow rate, and time that the rates of mineralization can be estimated with reasonable certainty. The rate of mineralization depends on both the abundance (determined by the reservoir rock mineralogy) and the rate at which cations are released from silicate minerals by dissolution into pore fluid that has been acidified with dissolved CO 2 . Laboratory-measured rates and field observations give values spanning 8 to 10 orders of magnitude, but when they are evaluated in the context of a reservoir-scale reactive transport simulation, this range becomes much smaller. The reservoir scale simulations provide limits on the applicable conditions under which silicate mineral dissolution and subsequent carbonate mineral precipitation are likely to occur (pH 4.5 to 6, fluid flow velocity less than 5 m/year, and 50-100 years or more after the start of injection). These constraints lead to estimates of 200 to 2000 years for conversion of 60-90% of injected CO 2 when the reservoir rock has a sufficient volume fraction of divalent cation-bearing silicate minerals and confirms that when reservoir rock mineralogy is not favorable the fraction of CO 2 converted to carbonate minerals is minimal over 10 4 years. A sufficient amount of reactive minerals is typically about 20% by volume. Our approach may allow for rapid evaluation of mineralization potential of subsurface storage reservoirs and illustrates how reservoir scale modeling can be integrated with other observations to address key issues relating to engineering of geologic systems.

A laboratory validation study of the time-lapse oscillatory pumping test for leakage detection in geological repositories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Alexander Y.; Lu, Jiemin; Islam, Akand

2017-05-01

Geologic repositories are extensively used for disposing byproducts in mineral and energy industries. The safety and reliability of these repositories are a primary concern to environmental regulators and the public. Time-lapse oscillatory pumping test (OPT) has been introduced recently as a pressure-based technique for detecting potential leakage in geologic repositories. By routinely conducting OPT at a number of pulsing frequencies, an operator may identify the potential repository anomalies in the frequency domain, alleviating the ambiguity caused by reservoir noise and improving the signal-to-noise ratio. Building on previous theoretical and field studies, this work performed a series of laboratory experiments to validate the concept of time-lapse OPT using a custom made, stainless steel tank under relatively high pressures. The experimental configuration simulates a miniature geologic storage repository consisting of three layers (i.e., injection zone, caprock, and above-zone aquifer). Results show that leakage in the injection zone led to deviations in the power spectrum of observed pressure data, and the amplitude of which also increases with decreasing pulsing frequencies. The experimental results are further analyzed by developing a 3D flow model, using which the model parameters are estimated through frequency domain inversion.

Facilitating CCS Business Planning by Extending the Functionality of the SimCCS Integrated System Model

DOE PAGES

Ellett, Kevin M.; Middleton, Richard S.; Stauffer, Philip H.; ...

2017-08-18

The application of integrated system models for evaluating carbon capture and storage technology has expanded steadily over the past few years. To date, such models have focused largely on hypothetical scenarios of complex source-sink matching involving numerous large-scale CO 2 emitters, and high-volume, continuous reservoirs such as deep saline formations to function as geologic sinks for carbon storage. Though these models have provided unique insight on the potential costs and feasibility of deploying complex networks of integrated infrastructure, there remains a pressing need to translate such insight to the business community if this technology is to ever achieve a trulymore » meaningful impact in greenhouse gas mitigation. Here, we present a new integrated system modelling tool termed SimCCUS aimed at providing crucial decision support for businesses by extending the functionality of a previously developed model called SimCCS. The primary innovation of the SimCCUS tool development is the incorporation of stacked geological reservoir systems with explicit consideration of processes and costs associated with the operation of multiple CO 2 utilization and storage targets from a single geographic location. In such locations provide significant efficiencies through economies of scale, effectively minimizing CO 2 storage costs while simultaneously maximizing revenue streams via the utilization of CO 2 as a commodity for enhanced hydrocarbon recovery.« less

Facilitating CCS Business Planning by Extending the Functionality of the SimCCS Integrated System Model

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ellett, Kevin M.; Middleton, Richard S.; Stauffer, Philip H.

The application of integrated system models for evaluating carbon capture and storage technology has expanded steadily over the past few years. To date, such models have focused largely on hypothetical scenarios of complex source-sink matching involving numerous large-scale CO 2 emitters, and high-volume, continuous reservoirs such as deep saline formations to function as geologic sinks for carbon storage. Though these models have provided unique insight on the potential costs and feasibility of deploying complex networks of integrated infrastructure, there remains a pressing need to translate such insight to the business community if this technology is to ever achieve a trulymore » meaningful impact in greenhouse gas mitigation. Here, we present a new integrated system modelling tool termed SimCCUS aimed at providing crucial decision support for businesses by extending the functionality of a previously developed model called SimCCS. The primary innovation of the SimCCUS tool development is the incorporation of stacked geological reservoir systems with explicit consideration of processes and costs associated with the operation of multiple CO 2 utilization and storage targets from a single geographic location. In such locations provide significant efficiencies through economies of scale, effectively minimizing CO 2 storage costs while simultaneously maximizing revenue streams via the utilization of CO 2 as a commodity for enhanced hydrocarbon recovery.« less

Characterizing the subsurface geology in and around the U.S. Army Camp Stanley Storage Activity, south-central Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Blome, Charles D.; Clark, Allan K.

2018-02-15

Several U.S. Geological Survey projects, supported by the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program, have used multi-disciplinary approaches over a 14-year period to reveal the surface and subsurface geologic frameworks of the Edwards and Trinity aquifers of central Texas and the Arbuckle-Simpson aquifer of south-central Oklahoma. Some of the project achievements include advancements in hydrostratigraphic mapping, three-dimensional subsurface framework modeling, and airborne geophysical surveys as well as new methodologies that link geologic and groundwater flow models. One area where some of these milestones were achieved was in and around the U.S. Army Camp Stanley Storage Activity, located in north­western Bexar County, Texas, about 19 miles north­west of downtown San Antonio.

3D Geological Model for "LUSI" - a Deep Geothermal System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sohrabi, Reza; Jansen, Gunnar; Mazzini, Adriano; Galvan, Boris; Miller, Stephen A.

2016-04-01

Geothermal applications require the correct simulation of flow and heat transport processes in porous media, and many of these media, like deep volcanic hydrothermal systems, host a certain degree of fracturing. This work aims to understand the heat and fluid transport within a new-born sedimentary hosted geothermal system, termed Lusi, that began erupting in 2006 in East Java, Indonesia. Our goal is to develop conceptual and numerical models capable of simulating multiphase flow within large-scale fractured reservoirs such as the Lusi region, with fractures of arbitrary size, orientation and shape. Additionally, these models can also address a number of other applications, including Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS), CO2 sequestration (Carbon Capture and Storage CCS), and nuclear waste isolation. Fractured systems are ubiquitous, with a wide-range of lengths and scales, making difficult the development of a general model that can easily handle this complexity. We are developing a flexible continuum approach with an efficient, accurate numerical simulator based on an appropriate 3D geological model representing the structure of the deep geothermal reservoir. Using previous studies, borehole information and seismic data obtained in the framework of the Lusi Lab project (ERC grant n°308126), we present here the first 3D geological model of Lusi. This model is calculated using implicit 3D potential field or multi-potential fields, depending on the geological context and complexity. This method is based on geological pile containing the geological history of the area and relationship between geological bodies allowing automatic computation of intersections and volume reconstruction. Based on the 3D geological model, we developed a new mesh algorithm to create hexahedral octree meshes to transfer the structural geological information for 3D numerical simulations to quantify Thermal-Hydraulic-Mechanical-Chemical (THMC) physical processes.

Simplified models of rates of CO2 mineralization in Geologic Carbon Storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DePaolo, D. J.; Zhang, S.

2017-12-01

Geologic carbon storage (GCS) reverses the flow of carbon to the atmosphere, returning the carbon to long-term geologic storage. Models suggest that most of the injected CO2 will be "trapped" in the subsurface by physical means, but the most risk-free and permanent form of carbon storage is as carbonate minerals (Ca,Mg,Fe)CO3. The transformation of CO2 to carbonate minerals requires supply of divalent cations by dissolution of silicate minerals. Available data suggest that rates of transformation are difficult to predict. We show that the chemical kinetic observations and experimental results, when reduced to a single timescale that describes the fractional rate at which cations are released to solution by mineral dissolution, show sufficiently systematic behavior that the rates of mineralization can be estimated with reasonable certainty. Rate of mineralization depends on both the abundance (determined by the reservoir rock mineralogy) and the rate at which cations are released by dissolution into pore fluid that has been acidified with dissolved CO2. Laboratory-measured rates and field observations give values spanning 8 to 10 orders of magnitude, but when evaluated in the context of reservoir-scale reactive transport simulations, this range becomes much smaller. Reservoir scale simulations indicate that silicate mineral dissolution and subsequent carbonate mineral precipitation occur at pH 4.5 to 6, fluid flow velocity less than 5m/yr, and 50-100 years or more after the start of injection. These constraints lead to estimates of 200 to 2000 years for conversion of 60-90% of injected CO2 when the reservoir rock has a sufficient volume fraction of divalent cation-bearing silicate minerals (ca. 20%), and confirms that when reservoir rock mineralogy is not favorable the fraction of CO2 converted to carbonate minerals is minimal over 104 years. A sufficient amount of reactive minerals represents the condition by which the available cations per volume of rock plus pore space exceeds the locally trapped CO2 by a factor of two or more. Our approach may allow for rapid evaluation of mineralization potential of subsurface storage reservoirs, and illustrates how reservoir scale modeling can be integrated with other observations to address key issues for engineering geologic systems.

Fixed-base flywheel storage systems for electric-utility applications: An assessment of economic viability and R and D priorities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olszewski, M.; Steele, R. S.

1983-02-01

Electric utility side meter storage options were assessed for the daily 2 h peaking spike application. The storage options considered included compressed air, batteries, and flywheels. The potential role for flywheels in this application was assessed and research and development (R and D) priorities were established for fixed base flywheel systems. Results of the worth cost analysis indicate that where geologic conditions are favorable, compressed air energy storage (CAES) is a strong competitor against combustion turbines. Existing battery and flywheel systems rated about equal, both being, at best, marginally uncompetitive with turbines. Advanced batteries, if existing cost and performance goals are met, could be competitive with CAES. A three task R and D effort for flywheel development appears warranted. The first task, directed at reducing fabrication coss and increasing performance of a chopped fiber, F-glass, solid disk concept, could produce a competitive flywheel system.

Potential Coastal Pumped Hydroelectric Energy Storage Locations Identified using GIS-based Topographic Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parsons, R.; Barnhart, C. J.; Benson, S. M.

2013-12-01

Large-scale electrical energy storage could accommodate variable, weather dependent energy resources such as wind and solar. Pumped hydroelectric energy storage (PHS) and compressed energy storage area (CAES) have life cycle energy and financial costs that are an order of magnitude lower than conventional electrochemical storage technologies. However PHS and CAES storage technologies require specific geologic conditions. Conventional PHS requires an upper and lower reservoir separated by at least 100 m of head, but no more than 10 km in horizontal distance. Conventional PHS also impacts fresh water supplies, riparian ecosystems, and hydrologic environments. A PHS facility that uses the ocean as the lower reservoir benefits from a smaller footprint, minimal freshwater impact, and the potential to be located near off shore wind resources and population centers. Although technologically nascent, today one coastal PHS facility exists. The storage potential for coastal PHS is unknown. Can coastal PHS play a significant role in augmenting future power grids with a high faction of renewable energy supply? In this study we employ GIS-based topographic analysis to quantify the coastal PHS potential of several geographic locations, including California, Chile and Peru. We developed automated techniques that seek local topographic minima in 90 m spatial resolution shuttle radar topography mission (SRTM) digital elevation models (DEM) that satisfy the following criteria conducive to PHS: within 10 km from the sea; minimum elevation 150 m; maximum elevation 1000 m. Preliminary results suggest the global potential for coastal PHS could be very significant. For example, in northern Chile we have identified over 60 locations that satisfy the above criteria. Two of these locations could store over 10 million cubic meters of water or several GWh of energy. We plan to report a global database of candidate coastal PHS locations and to estimate their energy storage capacity.

Geologic Storage at the Basin Scale: Region-Based Basin Modeling, Powder River Basin (PRB), NE Wyoming and SE Montana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melick, J. J.; Gardner, M. H.

2008-12-01

Carbon capture and storage from the over 2000 power plants is estimated at 3-5 GT/yr, which requires large- scale geologic storage of greenhouse gasses in sedimentary basins. Unfortunately, determination of basin scale storage capacity is currently based on oversimplified geologic models that are difficult to validate. Simplification involves reducing the number of geologic parameters incorporated into the model, modeling with large grid cells, and treatment of subsurface reservoirs as homogeneous media. The latter problem reflects the focus of current models on fluid and/or fluid-rock interactions rather than fluid movement and migration pathways. For example, homogeneous models over emphasize fluid behavior, like the buoyancy of super-critical CO2, and hence overestimate leakage rates. Fluid mixing and fluid-rock interactions cannot be assessed with models that only investigate these reactions at a human time scale. Preliminary and conservative estimates of the total pore volume for the PRB suggest 200 GT of supercritical CO2 can be stored in this typical onshore sedimentary basin. The connected pore volume (CPV) however is not included in this estimate. Geological characterization of the CPV relates subsurface storage units to the most prolific reservoir classes (RCs). The CPV, number of well penetrations, supercritical storage area, and potential leakage pathways characterize each RC. Within each RC, a hierarchy of stratigraphic cycles is populated with stationary sedimentation regions that control rock property distributions by correlating environment of deposition (EOD) to CPV. The degree to which CPV varies between RCs depends on the geology and attendant heterogeneity retained in the fluid flow model. Region-based modeling of the PRB incorporates 28000 wells correlated across a 70,000 Km2 area, 2 km thick on average. Within this basin, five of the most productive RCs were identified from production history and placed in a fourfold stratigraphic framework (second- through fourth-order cycles). Within the small- scale 4th-order sequences (30-150-m thick, 16 total), sedimentation regions, each corresponding to an EOD, are defined by thickness, lithology and core-calibrated well-log patterns. This talk illustrates the workflow by focusing on one of the 16 layers in the basin-scale model. Isopach maps from this sample layer conform to depositional patterns confirmed through definition of five core-calibrated, well-log defined sedimentation regions. Lithology distributions also conform to thickness trends in nearshore deltas, but not in offshore regions, where sand-rich and sheet-like, but thin-bedded sandstones are flanked by mud-rich intervals of equivalent thickness. These maps represent sedimentation patterns confined by basal erosional sequence boundary and basin-wide bentonite, yet containing up to seven high-frequency sequence boundaries. To illustrate over simplification problems in this same layer, a 14000 km2 sample area is 600 km3 and using standard averaging methods, which are considered to be geologic in origin, the CPV is 16 km3. However, averaging increases connectivity with high CPV more uniformly distributed; significantly, the key mud belt region separating nearshore from offshore sandstones is not represented. Region-based modeling of this layer yields 13 km3 (110 Bbl). Furthermore, significant vertical leakage may exist from the 20000 well penetrations and faults and fractures along the western basin margin. This example illustrates the importance of accurately characterizing heterogeneity and distributing CPV using sedimentation regions.

Scoping Alternatives for Negative Emission Technologies. FRACCC - Possible Routes to Biomass-Derived Carbon Injection in Shallow Aquifers?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Correa Silva, R.; Larter, S.

2016-12-01

Atmospheric CO2 capture into biomass is one of the capture options for negative emission technologies, although proposed sequestration systems such as the permanent burial of total fresh biomass, algal lipids or soil amendment with biochar are yet to be successfully demonstrated as effective at scale. In the context of carbon sequestration, shallow geological reservoirs have not been exhaustively explored, even though they pose, away from groundwater protection zones, potentially low implementation cost, and geographically abundant potential carbon storage reservoirs. Typical carbon storage vectors considered, such as CO2 and biochar, are not suitable for shallow aquifer disposal, due either to cap rock containment requirements, or shallow aquifer CO2 densities, or issues related to formation damage from solid particles. Thus, a cost-effective technology, aimed at converting biomass into a large-scale carbon vector fit-for-disposal in shallow formations could be significant, linking promising carbon capture and containment strategies. In this work, we discuss the development of unconventional carbon vectors for subsurface storage in the form of Functionalized, Refractory and Aqueous Compatible Carbon Compounds (FRACCC), as a potential alternative negative emission technology (Larter et al., 2010). The concept is based on CO2 capture into microbial and algal biomass, followed by the modification of biomass constituents through facile chemical reactions aimed at rendering the biomass efficiently into a stable, biologically refractory but water soluble form, similar in some regards, to dissolved organic matter in the oceans, then sequestering the material in geological settings. As the injected material is not buoyant, containment specifications are more modest than for CO2 injection and potentially, more reservoirs could be accessible! This work analyses the technological, economic and societal implications of such potential FRACCC technologies, and make an assessment of whether such routes are likely to be technically, economically and politically viable.

The Sulcis Storage Project: Status of the First Italian Initiative for Pilot-Scale Geological Sequestration of CO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plaisant, A.; Maggio, E.; Pettinau, A.

2016-12-01

The deep aquifer located at a depth of about 1000-1500 m within fractured carbonate in the Sulcis coal basin (South-West Sardinia, Italy) constitutes a potential reservoir to develop a pilot-scale CO2 storage site. The occurrence of several coal mines and the geology of the basin also provide favourable condition to install a permanent infrastructures where advanced CO2 storage technologies can be developed. Overall, the Sulcis project will allow to characterize the Sulcis coal basin (South West Sardinia, Italy) and to develop a permanent infrastructure (know-how, equipment, laboratories, etc.) for advanced international studies on CO2 storage. The research activities are structured in two different phases: (i) site characterization, including the construction of an underground and a fault laboratories and (ii) the installation of a test site for small-scale injection of CO2. In particular, the underground laboratory will host geochemical and geophysical experiments on rocks, taking advantages of the buried environment and the very well confined conditions in the galleries; in parallel, the fault laboratory will be constructed to study CO2 leakage phenomena in a selected fault. The project is currently ongoing and some preliminary results will be presented in this work as well as the structure of the project as a whole. More in detail, preliminary activities comprise: (i) geochemical monitoring; (ii) the minero-petrographycal, physical and geophysical characterization of the rock samples; (iii) the development of both static and dynamic geological models of the reservoir; (iv) the structural geology and fault analysis; (v) the assessment of natural seismicity through a monitoring network (vi) the re-processing and the analysis of the reflection seismic data. Future activities will comprise: (i) the drilling of shallow exploration wells near the faults; (ii) the construction of both the above mentioned laboratories; (iii) drilling of a deep exploration well (1,500 m); (iv) injection tests. Preliminary analyses show that the rocks of the carbonate formation present a low porosity, but the formation is characterized by a good permeability for fractures and karst. The faults are typically sealed and petrophysical properties of caprock and reservoir are spatially heterogeneous.

Preliminary study of a potential CO2 reservoir area in Hungary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sendula, Eszter; Király, Csilla; Szabó, Zsuzsanna; Falus, György; Szabó, Csaba; Kovács, István; Füri, Judit; Kónya, Péter; Páles, Mariann; Forray, Viktória

2014-05-01

Since the first international agreement in 1997 (the Kyoto Protocol) the reduction of greenhouse gas emission has a key role in the European Union's energy and climate change policy. Following the Directive 2009/31/EC we are experiencing a significant change in the Hungarian national activity. Since the harmonization procedure, which was completed in May 2012, the national regulation obligates the competent authority to collect and regularly update all geological complexes that are potential for CO2 geological storage. In Hungary the most abundant potential storage formations are mostly saline aquifers of the Great Hungarian Plain (SE-Hungary), with sandstone reservoir and clayey caprock. The Neogene basin of the Great Hungarian Plain was subsided and then filled by a prograding delta system from NW and NE during the Late Miocene, mostly in the Pannonian time. The most potential storage rock was formed as a fine-grained sandy turbidite interlayered by thin argillaceous beds in the deepest part of the basin. It has relatively high porosity, depth and more than 1000 m thickness. Providing a regional coverage for the sandy turbidite, a 400-500 m thick argillaceous succession was formed in the slope environment. The composition, thickness and low permeability is expected to make it a suitable, leakage-safe caprock of the storage system. This succession is underlain by argillaceous rocks that were formed in the basin, far from sediment input and overlain by interfingering siltstone, sandstone and claystone succession formed in delta and shoreline environments and in the alluvial plain. Core samples have been collected from the potential reservoir rock and its cap rock in the Great Hungarian Plain's succession. The water compositions of the studied depth were known from well-log database. Using the information, acquired from these archive documents, we have constructed input data for geochemical modeling in order to to study the effect of pCO2 injection in the potential CO2 storage environment. From the potential reservoir rock samples (sandstone) thin sections were prepared to determine the mineral composition, pore distribution, pore geometry and grain size. The volume ratio of the minerals was calculated using pixel counter. To have more accurate mineral composition, petrographic observation and SEM analyzes have been carried out. The caprock samples involved in the study can be divided into mudstone and aleurolite samples. To determine the mineral composition of these samples, XRD, DTA, FTIR, SEM analysis has been carried out. To obtain a picture about the geochemical behavior of the potential CO2 storage system, geochemical models were made for the reservoir rocks. For the equilibrium geochemical model, PHREEQC 3.0 was used applying LLNL database. The data used in the model are real pore water compositions from the studied area and an average mineral composition based on petrographic microscope and SEM images. In the model we considered the cation-anion ratio (<10%) and the partial pressure of CO2. First of all, we were interested in the direction of the geochemical reactions during an injection process. Present work is focused on the mineralogy of the most potential storage rock and its caprock, and their expectable geochemical reactions for the effect of scCO2.

How CO2 Leakage May Impact the Role of Geologic Carbon Storage in Climate Mitigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peters, C. A.; Deng, H.; Bielicki, J. M.; Fitts, J. P.; Oppenheimer, M.

2014-12-01

Among CCUS technologies (Carbon Capture Utilization and Sequestration), geological storage of CO2 has a large potential to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, but confidence in its deployment is often clouded by the possibility and cost of leakage. In this study, we took the Michigan sedimentary basin as an example to investigate the monetized risks associated with leakage, using the Risk Interference of Subsurface CO2 Storage (RISCS) model. The model accounts for spatial heterogeneity and variability of hydraulic properties of the subsurface system and permeability of potential leaking wells. In terms of costs, the model quantifies the financial consequences of CO2 escaping back to the atmosphere as well as the costs incurred if CO2 or brine leaks into overlying formations and interferes with other subsurface activities or resources. The monetized leakage risks derived from the RISCS model were then used to modify existing cost curves by shifting them upwards and changing their curvatures. The modified cost curves were used in the integrated assessment model - GCAM (Global Change Assessment Model), which provides policy-relevant results to help inform the potential role of CCUS in future energy systems when carbon mitigation targets and incentives are in place. The results showed that the extent of leakage risks has a significant effect on the extent of CCUS deployment. Under more stringent carbon mitigation policies such as a high carbon tax, higher leakage risks can be afforded and incorporating leakage risks will have a smaller impact on CCUS deployment. Alternatively, if the leakage risks were accounted for by charging a fixed premium, similar to how the risk of nuclear waste disposal is treated, the contribution of CCUS in mitigating climate change varies, depending on the value of the premium.

Assessment of the Potential for Flux Estimation Using Concentration Data from Mobile Surveys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gyenis, A.; Zahasky, C.; Moriarty, D. M.; Benson, S. M.

2014-12-01

Carbon capture and storage is a climate change mitigation technology with the potential to serve as a bridge technology as society transitions from a fossil fuel dependent energy system to a renewable energy dominated system. One of the greatest concerns associated with wide-scale adoption of carbon capture and storage technology is the risk of carbon dioxide leakage from sequestration reservoirs. Thus there is a need to develop efficient and effective strategies for monitoring and verification of geologically stored carbon dioxide. To evaluate the potential for estimating leakage fluxes based on mobile surveys, we establish correlations between concentration data and flux measurements made with a flux chamber. These correlations are then used to estimate leakage fluxes over a 70-meter long horizontal well buried approximately 1.8 meters below the surface at the Zero Emissions Research and Technology (ZERT) facility operated by Montana State University. The CO2 had a leakage rate of 0.15 t/d, which is comparable to a small leak in an industrial scale project (0.005% of a 1 Mt/yr storage project). A Picarro gas analyzer was used to measure 12CO2 and 13CO2 at heights of 3 cm above the ground surface. Previous studies (Moriarty, 2014) show that concentration data at this height provides a very high likelihood (>95%) of detecting leaks within a distance of 2.5 m of the leak. Measured concentration data show a noisy but significant correlation with flux measurements, thus providing the possibility to obtain rough estimates of leakage fluxes from mobile measurements. Moriarty, Dylan, 2014. Rapid Surface Detection of CO2 Leaks from Geologic Sequestration Sites. MS Thesis, Stanford University.

Barriers and Prospects of Carbon Sequestration in India.

PubMed

Gupta, Anjali; Nema, Arvind K

2014-04-01

Carbon sequestration is considered a leading technology for reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil-fuel based electricity generating power plants and could permit the continued use of coal and gas whilst meeting greenhouse gas targets. India will become the world's third largest emitter of CO2 by 2015. Considering the dependence of health of the Indian global economy, there is an imperative need to develop a global approach which could address the capturing and securely storing carbon dioxide emitted from an array of energy. Therefore technology such as carbon sequestration will deliver significant CO2 reductions in a timely fashion. Considerable energy is required for the capture, compression, transport and storage steps. With the availability of potential technical storage methods for carbon sequestration like forest, mineral and geological storage options with India, it would facilitate achieving stabilization goal in the near future. This paper examines the potential carbon sequestration options available in India and evaluates them with respect to their strengths, weakness, threats and future prospects.

CCS in the Southern Pyrenees?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pueyo, E. L.; Klimowitz, J.; García-Lobón, J. L.; Calvín, P.; Casas, A. M.; Oliva, B.; Algeco2 Team

2012-04-01

The project "Identification and preliminary characterization of geological structures for geological storage of CO2" (ALGECO2) led by the IGME between 2009 and 2010 has made the first rigorous selection of potential CO2 reservoirs in Spain; more than one hundred structures were identified and subjected to preliminary evaluation. This assortment comprises more than thirty structures within the Pyrenees and the Ebro Basin (PE) domain. The discussion, based on the oil-exploration experience and regional geological knowledge (with the compilation of over 500 cross sections) has finally chosen 8 structures in the Pyrenees. Seismic data, oil industry wells and surface mapping have allowed building three-dimensional preliminary models of these structures. These potential reservoirs display storage capacities from a few Mt to hundreds Mt CO2. Besides, some Pyrenean structures are among the most favorable and reliable in the national ranking according to the panel of more than 150 experts of the ALGECO2 project. Two Pyrenean structural traps are notable for their large potential capacity; they have been coded as PE-GE-13 and PE-GE-14. The first one is a large and wide basement antiform located in the Northern Jaca-Pamplona Basin. There is an extensive seismic coverage in the area and a dozen of deep wells (2 of them 4,000 m deep). The reservoir consists of Buntsandstein sands (>80 m in thickness), being the Röt and Keuper facies the seal. The top of the reservoir is 1,720 m deep and the structure has a map-view surface > 500 km2. Preliminary 3D models allow estimating storage capacity > 300 Mt. On the other hand, the PE-GE-14 structure (partially overlapped in map-view with PE-GE-13) is a cover anticline related to an underneath thrust (but structurally higher than PE-GE-13). In this case, the reservoir-seal pair is formed by upper Paleocene platform limestones and the Eocene flysch and talus marls respectively. The structure has an area > 100 km2. The top of the reservoir is 1,300 m in depth and its thickness ≈ 80 m. It has an estimated storage capacity > 100 Mt of CO2. The exhaustive analysis of several hundreds of available seismic sections (surveys PP, DP, JAT, PJ, BB, P & SA) and the subsequent construction of balanced cross sections would allow improving the geometric definition of these two structures. The derived accurate 3D models would quantify the effectiveness of both traps. In order to support these underground reconstructions, an inexpensive geophysical survey (potential fields) would better constraint the basement-cover interface (where the reservoir is located). In conclusion, these structures represent two suggestive potential reservoirs; besides, an advanced evaluation of them requires modest investments.

Geologic framework for the national assessment of carbon dioxide storage resources: Williston Basin, Central Montana Basins, and Montana Thrust Belt study areas: Chapter J in Geologic framework for the national assessment of carbon dioxide storage resources

USGS Publications Warehouse

Buursink, Marc L.; Merrill, Matthew D.; Craddock, William H.; Roberts-Ashby, Tina L.; Brennan, Sean T.; Blondes, Madalyn S.; Freeman, P.A.; Cahan, Steven M.; DeVera, Christina A.; Lohr, Celeste D.; Warwick, Peter D.; Corum, Margo D.

2014-01-01

Figures in this report show the study area boundaries along with the SAU extent and cell maps of well penetrations through sealing units into the top of the storage formations. The USGS does not necessarily know the location of all wells and cannot guarantee the full extent of drilling through specific formations in any given cell shown on the cell maps.

Public perceptions of geology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gibson, Hazel; Stewart, Iain; Anderson, Mark; Pahl, Sabine; Stokes, Alison

2014-05-01

Geological issues are increasingly intruding on the everyday lives of ordinary people. Whether it be onshore exploration and extraction of oil and gas, deep injection of water for geothermal power or underground storage of carbon dioxide and radioactive waste, many communities across Europe are being faced with potentially contested geological activity under their backyard. As well as being able to communicate the technical aspects of such work, geoscience professionals also need to appreciate that for most people the subsurface is an unfamiliar realm. In order to engage communities and individuals in effective dialogue about geological activities, an appreciation of what 'the public' already know and what they want to know is needed, but this is a subject that is in its infancy. In an attempt to provide insight into these key issues, this study examines the concerns the public have, relating to geology, by constructing 'Mental Models' of people's perceptions of the subsurface. General recommendations for public engagement strategies will be presented based on the results of selected case studies; specifically expert and non-expert mental models for communities in the south-west of England.

Risk, liability, and economic issues with long-term CO2 storage—A review

USGS Publications Warehouse

Anderson, Steven T.

2017-01-01

Given a scarcity of commercial-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects, there is a great deal of uncertainty in the risks, liability, and their cost implications for geologic storage of carbon dioxide (CO2). The probabilities of leakage and the risk of induced seismicity could be remote, but the volume of geologic CO2 storage (GCS) projected to be necessary to have a significant impact on increasing CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere is far greater than the volumes of CO2 injected thus far. National-level estimates of the technically accessible CO2storage resource (TASR) onshore in the United States are on the order of thousands of gigatons of CO2 storage capacity, but such estimates generally assume away any pressure management issues. Pressure buildup in the storage reservoir is expected to be a primary source of risk associated with CO2 storage, and only a fraction of the theoretical TASR could be available unless the storage operator extracts the saltwater brines or other formation fluids that are already present in the geologic pore space targeted for CO2 storage. Institutions, legislation, and processes to manage the risk, liability, and economic issues with CO2 storage in the United States are beginning to emerge, but will need to progress further in order to allow a commercial-scale CO2 storage industry to develop in the country. The combination of economic tradeoffs, property rights definitions, liability issues, and risk considerations suggests that CO2 storage offshore of the United States may be more feasible than onshore, especially during the current (early) stages of industry development.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dooley, James J.

Shaffer’s (2010) article reports on the long term impact of less than perfect retention of anthropogenic CO2 stored in deep geologic reservoirs and in the ocean. The central thesis of this article is predicated on two deeply flawed assumptions. The first and most glaring is the implicit assumption that society has only one means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS). Secondly, there is absolutely no geophysical nor geomechanical basis for assuming an exponential decay of CO2 stored in deep geologic formations as done by Schaffer. Shaffer’s analysis of the impact of leakage from anthropogenic CO2more » stored in deep geologic reservoirs are based upon two fundamentally flawed assumptions and therefore the reported results as well as the public policy conclusions presented in the paper need to be read with this understanding in mind as far less CO2 stored below ground because society drew upon a broad portfolio of advanced energy technologies over the coming century coupled with a more technically accurate conceptualization of CO2 storage in the deep subsurface and the important role of secondary and tertiary trapping mechanisms would have yield a far less pessimistic view of the potential role that CCS can play in a broader portfolio of societal responses to the very serious threat posed by climate change.« less

Do scaly clays control seismicity on faulted shale rocks?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orellana, Luis Felipe; Scuderi, Marco M.; Collettini, Cristiano; Violay, Marie

2018-04-01

One of the major challenges regarding the disposal of radioactive waste in geological formations is to ensure isolation of radioactive contamination from the environment and the population. Shales are suitable candidates as geological barriers. However, the presence of tectonic faults within clay formations put the long-term safety of geological repositories into question. In this study, we carry out frictional experiments on intact samples of Opalinus Clay, i.e. the host rock for nuclear waste storage in Switzerland. We report experimental evidence suggesting that scaly clays form at low normal stress (≤20 MPa), at sub-seismic velocities (≤300 μm/s) and is related to pre-existing bedding planes with an ongoing process where frictional sliding is the controlling deformation mechanism. We have found that scaly clays show a velocity-weakening and -strengthening behaviour, low frictional strength, and poor re-strengthening over time, conditions required to allow the potential nucleation and propagation of earthquakes within the scaly clays portion of the formation. The strong similarities between the microstructures of natural and experimental scaly clays suggest important implications for the slip behaviour of shallow faults in shales. If natural and anthropogenic perturbations modify the stress conditions of the fault zone, earthquakes might have the potential to nucleate within zones of scaly clays controlling the seismicity of the clay-rich tectonic system, thus, potentially compromising the long-term safeness of geological repositories situated in shales.

Onshore/ Offshore Geologic Assessment for Carbon Storage in the Southeastern United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knapp, C. C.; Knapp, J. H.; Brantley, D.; Lakshmi, V.; Almutairi, K.; Almayahi, D.; Akintunde, O. M.; Ollmann, J.

2017-12-01

Eighty percent of the world's energy relies on fossil fuels and under increasingly stricter national and international regulations on greenhouse gas emissions storage of CO2 in geologic repositories seems to be not only a feasible, but also and vital solution for near/ mid-term reduction of carbon emissions. We have evaluated the feasibility of CO2 storage in saline formations of the Eastern North American Margin (ENAM) including (1) the Jurassic/Triassic (J/TR) sandstones of the buried South Georgia Rift (SGR) basin, and (2) the Mesozoic and Cenozoic geologic formations along the Mid- and South Atlantic seaboard. These analyses have included integration of subsurface geophysical data (2- and 3-D seismic surveys) with core samples, well logs as well as uses of geological databases and geospatial analysis leading to CO2 injection simulation models. ENAM is a complex and regionally extensive mature Mesozoic passive margin rift system encompassing: (1) a large volume and regional extent of related magmatism known as the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (CAMP), (2) a complete stratigraphic column that records the post-rift evolution in several basins, (3) preserved lithospheric-scale pre-rift structures including Paleozoic sutures, and (4) a wide range of geological, geochemical, and geophysical studies both onshore and offshore. While the target reservoirs onshore show heterogeneity and a highly complex geologic evolution they also show promising conditions for significant safe CO2 storage away from the underground acquifers. Our offshore study (the Southeast Offshore Storage Resource Assessment - SOSRA) is focused on the outer continental shelf from North Carolina to the southern tip of Florida. Three old exploration wells are available to provide additional constraints on the seismic reflection profiles. Two of these wells (TRANSCO 1005-1 and COST GE-1) penetrate the pre-rift Paleozoic sedimentary formations while the EXXON 564-1 well penetrates the post-rift unconformity into the Mesozoic rocks. Preliminary results from the southeast Georgia Embayment suggest that Mesozoic strata can be good reservoirs for CO2 storage while Paleozoic and Cenozoic strata can be good lower and, respectively, upper seals.

Microfluidic study for investigating migration and residual phenomena of supercritical CO2 in porous media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Gyuryeong; Wang, Sookyun; Lee, Minhee; Um, Jeong-Gi; Kim, Seon-Ok

2017-04-01

The storage of CO2 in underground geological formation such as deep saline aquifers or depleted oil and gas reservoirs is one of the most promising technologies for reducing the atmospheric CO2 release. The processes in geological CO2 storage involves injection of supercritical CO2 (scCO2) into porous formations saturated with brine and initiates CO2 flooding with immiscible displacement. The CO2 migration and porewater displacement within geological formations, and , consequentially, the storage efficiency are governed by the interaction of fluid and rock properties and are affected by the interfacial tension, capillarity, and wettability in supercritical CO2-brine-mineral systems. This study aims to observe the displacement pattern and estimate storage efficiency by using micromodels. This study aims to conduct scCO2 injection experiments for visualization of distribution of injected scCO2 and residual porewater in transparent pore networks on microfluidic chips under high pressure and high temperature conditions. In order to quantitatively analyze the porewater displacement by scCO2 injection under geological CO2 storage conditions, the images of invasion patterns and distribution of CO2 in the pore network are acquired through a imaging system with a microscope. The results from image analysis were applied in quantitatively investigating the effects of major environmental factors and scCO2 injection methods on porewater displacement process by scCO2 and storage efficiency. The experimental observation results could provide important fundamental information on capillary characteristics of reservoirs and improve our understanding of CO2 sequestration progress.

A laboratory validation study of the time-lapse oscillatory pumping test concept for leakage detection in geological repositories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, A. Y.; Islam, A.; Lu, J.

2017-12-01

Time-lapse oscillatory pumping test (OPT) has been introduced recently as a pressure-based monitoring technique for detecting potential leakage in geologic repositories. By routinely conducting OPT at a number of pulsing frequencies, a site operator may identify the potential anomalies in the frequency domain, alleviating the ambiguity caused by reservoir noise and improving the signal-to-noise ratio. Building on previous theoretical and field studies, this work performed a series of laboratory experiments to validate the concept of time-lapse OPT using a custom made, stainless steel tank under relatively high pressures ( 120psi). The experimental configuration simulates a miniature geologic storage repository consisting of three layers (i.e., injection zone, caprock, and above-zone aquifer). Results show that leakage in the injection zone led to deviations in the power spectrum of observed pressure data, and the amplitude of which also increases with decreasing pulsing frequencies. The experimental results were further analyzed by developing a 3D flow model, using which the model parameters were estimated through frequency domain inversion.

Assessment of Factors Influencing Effective CO 2 Storage Capacity and Injectivity in Eastern Gas Shales

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Godec, Michael

Building upon advances in technology, production of natural gas from organic-rich shales is rapidly developing as a major hydrocarbon supply option in North America and around the world. The same technology advances that have facilitated this revolution - dense well spacing, horizontal drilling, and hydraulic fracturing - may help to facilitate enhanced gas recovery (EGR) and carbon dioxide (CO 2) storage in these formations. The potential storage of CO 2 in shales is attracting increasing interest, especially in Appalachian Basin states that have extensive shale deposits, but limited CO 2 storage capacity in conventional reservoirs. The goal of this cooperativemore » research project was to build upon previous and on-going work to assess key factors that could influence effective EGR, CO 2 storage capacity, and injectivity in selected Eastern gas shales, including the Devonian Marcellus Shale, the Devonian Ohio Shale, the Ordovician Utica and Point Pleasant shale and equivalent formations, and the late Devonian-age Antrim Shale. The project had the following objectives: (1) Analyze and synthesize geologic information and reservoir data through collaboration with selected State geological surveys, universities, and oil and gas operators; (2) improve reservoir models to perform reservoir simulations to better understand the shale characteristics that impact EGR, storage capacity and CO 2 injectivity in the targeted shales; (3) Analyze results of a targeted, highly monitored, small-scale CO 2 injection test and incorporate into ongoing characterization and simulation work; (4) Test and model a smart particle early warning concept that can potentially be used to inject water with uniquely labeled particles before the start of CO 2 injection; (5) Identify and evaluate potential constraints to economic CO 2 storage in gas shales, and propose development approaches that overcome these constraints; and (6) Complete new basin-level characterizations for the CO 2 storage capacity and injectivity potential of the targeted eastern shales. In total, these Eastern gas shales cover an area of over 116 million acres, may contain an estimated 6,000 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of gas in place, and have a maximum theoretical storage capacity of over 600 million metric tons. Not all of this gas in-place will be recoverable, and economics will further limit how much will be economic to produce using EGR techniques with CO 2 injection. Reservoir models were developed and simulations were conducted to characterize the potential for both CO 2 storage and EGR for the target gas shale formations. Based on that, engineering costing and cash flow analyses were used to estimate economic potential based on future natural gas prices and possible financial incentives. The objective was to assume that EGR and CO 2 storage activities would commence consistent with the historical development practices. Alternative CO 2 injection/EGR scenarios were considered and compared to well production without CO 2 injection. These simulations were conducted for specific, defined model areas in each shale gas play. The resulting outputs were estimated recovery per typical well (per 80 acres), and the estimated CO 2 that would be injected and remain in the reservoir (i.e., not produced), and thus ultimately assumed to be stored. The application of this approach aggregated to the entire area of the four shale gas plays concluded that they contain nearly 1,300 Tcf of both primary production and EGR potential, of which an estimated 460 Tcf could be economic to produce with reasonable gas prices and/or modest incentives. This could facilitate the storage of nearly 50 Gt of CO 2 in the Marcellus, Utica, Antrim, and Devonian Ohio shales.« less

Assessment of feasible strategies for seasonal underground hydrogen storage in a saline aquifer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sáinz-García, Alvaro; Abarca, Elena; Rubí, Violeta; Grandia, Fidel

2017-04-01

Renewable energies are unsteady, which results in temporary mismatches between demand and supply. The conversion of surplus energy to hydrogen and its storage in geological formations is one option to balance this energy gap. This study evaluates the feasibility of seasonal storage of hydrogen produced from wind power in Castilla-León region (northern Spain). A 3D multiphase numerical model is used to test different extraction well configurations during three annual injection-production cycles in a saline aquifer. Results demonstrate that underground hydrogen storage in saline aquifers can be operated with reasonable recovery ratios. A maximum hydrogen recovery ratio of 78%, which represents a global energy efficiency of 30%, has been estimated. Hydrogen upconing emerges as the major risk on saline aquifer storage. However, shallow extraction wells can minimize its effects. Steeply dipping geological structures are key for an efficient hydrogen storage.

3D geological modeling for complex aquifer system conception and groundwater storage assessment: Case of Sisseb El Alem Nadhour Saouaf basin, northeastern Tunisia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamdi, Mohamed; Zagrarni, Mohamed Faouzi; Djamai, Najib; Jerbi, Hamza; Goita, Kalifa; Tarhouni, Jamila

2018-07-01

With water table drop, managers got extremely concerned about the future of the groundwater resources sustainability of the Sisseb El Alem Nadhour Saouaf aquifer (SANS). In order to understand the groundwater flow dynamic and to assess the functioning of the aquifer system, a three-dimensional (3D) regional geological model of the SANS basin was carried on. The 3D geological model was developed by the combination of 2D seismic reflection profiles, calibrated by wireline logging data of oil wells, hydraulic wells and geological field sections. The 3D geological model shows that the Oligo-Neogene and Eocene aquifers in the study area represent important geometric variations and cumulated thickness affected by intensive fractures. The modeled stratigraphic units were combined with the hydraulic properties to estimate the groundwater storage. The estimated storage in 2016 was around 11 × 109 m3 and in 1971, it was 16 × 109 m3, so, 30% of the groundwater stored previously was consumed in 45 years. Yet, a variable spatial distribution of storativity was demonstrated, ranging from 1 to 3.4 × 106 m3/km2. These results prove the importance of hydro-geophysical investigation and numerical modeling to depicting hydrostratigraphic trends and suggest, that the fate of groundwater resources in the SANS aquifer seems though to be more a matter of the disparity of the groundwater storage than a matter of quantity.

Thermodynamic Performance and Cost Optimization of a Novel Hybrid Thermal-Compressed Air Energy Storage System Design

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Houssainy, Sammy; Janbozorgi, Mohammad; Kavehpour, Pirouz

Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) can potentially allow renewable energy sources to meet electricity demands as reliably as coal-fired power plants. However, conventional CAES systems rely on the combustion of natural gas, require large storage volumes, and operate at high pressures, which possess inherent problems such as high costs, strict geological locations, and the production of greenhouse gas emissions. A novel and patented hybrid thermal-compressed air energy storage (HT-CAES) design is presented which allows a portion of the available energy, from the grid or renewable sources, to operate a compressor and the remainder to be converted and stored in themore » form of heat, through joule heating in a sensible thermal storage medium. The HT-CAES design incudes a turbocharger unit that provides supplementary mass flow rate alongside the air storage. The hybrid design and the addition of a turbocharger have the beneficial effect of mitigating the shortcomings of conventional CAES systems and its derivatives by eliminating combustion emissions and reducing storage volumes, operating pressures, and costs. Storage efficiency and cost are the two key factors, which upon integration with renewable energies would allow the sources to operate as independent forms of sustainable energy. The potential of the HT-CAES design is illustrated through a thermodynamic optimization study, which outlines key variables that have a major impact on the performance and economics of the storage system. The optimization analysis quantifies the required distribution of energy between thermal and compressed air energy storage, for maximum efficiency, and for minimum cost. This study provides a roundtrip energy and exergy efficiency map of the storage system and illustrates a trade off that exists between its capital cost and performance.« less

Assessing the health risks of natural CO2 seeps in Italy

PubMed Central

Roberts, Jennifer J.; Wood, Rachel A.; Haszeldine, R. Stuart

2011-01-01

Industrialized societies which continue to use fossil fuel energy sources are considering adoption of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology to meet carbon emission reduction targets. Deep geological storage of CO2 onshore faces opposition regarding potential health effects of CO2 leakage from storage sites. There is no experience of commercial scale CCS with which to verify predicted risks of engineered storage failure. Studying risk from natural CO2 seeps can guide assessment of potential health risks from leaking onshore CO2 stores. Italy and Sicily are regions of intense natural CO2 degassing from surface seeps. These seeps exhibit a variety of expressions, characteristics (e.g., temperature/flux), and location environments. Here we quantify historical fatalities from CO2 poisoning using a database of 286 natural CO2 seeps in Italy and Sicily. We find that risk of human death is strongly influenced by seep surface expression, local conditions (e.g., topography and wind speed), CO2 flux, and human behavior. Risk of accidental human death from these CO2 seeps is calculated to be 10-8 year-1 to the exposed population. This value is significantly lower than that of many socially accepted risks. Seepage from future storage sites is modeled to be less that Italian natural flux rates. With appropriate hazard management, health risks from unplanned seepage at onshore storage sites can be adequately minimized. PMID:21911398

A data driven model for the impact of IFT and density variations on CO2 storage capacity in geologic formations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nomeli, Mohammad A.; Riaz, Amir

2017-09-01

Carbon dioxide (CO2) storage in depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs and deep saline aquifers is one of the most promising solutions for decreasing CO2 concentration in the atmosphere. One of the important issues for CO2 storage in subsurface environments is the sealing efficiency of low-permeable cap-rocks overlying potential CO2 storage reservoirs. Though we focus on the effect of IFT in this study as a factor influencing sealing efficiency or storage capacity, other factors such as interfacial interactions, wettability, pore radius and interfacial mass transfer also affect the mobility and storage capacity of CO2 phase in the pore space. The study of the variation of IFT is however important because the pressure needed to penetrate a pore depends on both the pore size and the interfacial tension. Hence small variations in IFT can affect flow across a large population of pores. A novel model is proposed to find the IFT of the ternary systems (CO2/brine-salt) in a range of temperatures (300-373 K), pressures (50-250 bar), and up to 6 molal salinity applicable to CO2 storage in geological formations through a multi-variant non-linear regression of experimental data. The method uses a general empirical model for the quaternary system CO2/brine-salts that can be made to coincide with experimental data for a variety of solutions. We introduce correction parameters into the model, which compensates for uncertainties, and enforce agreement with experimental data. The results for IFT show a strong dependence on temperature, pressure, and salinity. The model has been found to describe the experimental data in the appropriate parameter space with reasonable precision. Finally, we use the new model to evaluate the effects of formation depth on the actual efficiency of CO2 storage. The results indicate that, in the case of CO2 storage in deep subsurface environments as a global-warming mitigation strategy, CO2 storage capacity increases with reservoir depth.

CO2 storage resources, reserves, and reserve growth: Toward a methodology for integrated assessment of the storage capacity of oil and gas reservoirs and saline formations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Burruss, Robert

2009-01-01

Geologically based methodologies to assess the possible volumes of subsurface CO2 storage must apply clear and uniform definitions of resource and reserve concepts to each assessment unit (AU). Application of the current state of knowledge of geologic, hydrologic, geochemical, and geophysical parameters (contingencies) that control storage volume and injectivity allows definition of the contingent resource (CR) of storage. The parameters known with the greatest certainty are based on observations on known traps (KTs) within the AU that produced oil, gas, and water. The aggregate volume of KTs within an AU defines the most conservation volume of contingent resource. Application of the concept of reserve growth to CR volume provides a logical path for subsequent reevaluation of the total resource as knowledge of CO2 storage processes increases during implementation of storage projects. Increased knowledge of storage performance over time will probably allow the volume of the contingent resource of storage to grow over time, although negative growth is possible.

CO2 storage resources, reserves, and reserve growth: Toward a methodology for integrated assessment of the storage capacity of oil and gas reservoirs and saline formations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Burruss, R.C.

2009-01-01

Geologically based methodologies to assess the possible volumes of subsurface CO2 storage must apply clear and uniform definitions of resource and reserve concepts to each assessment unit (AU). Application of the current state of knowledge of geologic, hydrologic, geochemical, and geophysical parameters (contingencies) that control storage volume and injectivity allows definition of the contingent resource (CR) of storage. The parameters known with the greatest certainty are based on observations on known traps (KTs) within the AU that produced oil, gas, and water. The aggregate volume of KTs within an AU defines the most conservation volume of contingent resource. Application of the concept of reserve growth to CR volume provides a logical path for subsequent reevaluation of the total resource as knowledge of CO2 storage processes increases during implementation of storage projects. Increased knowledge of storage performance over time will probably allow the volume of the contingent resource of storage to grow over time, although negative growth is possible. ?? 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Probabilistic Assessment of Above Zone Pressure Predictions at a Geologic Carbon Storage Site

PubMed Central

Namhata, Argha; Oladyshkin, Sergey; Dilmore, Robert M.; Zhang, Liwei; Nakles, David V.

2016-01-01

Carbon dioxide (CO2) storage into geological formations is regarded as an important mitigation strategy for anthropogenic CO2 emissions to the atmosphere. This study first simulates the leakage of CO2 and brine from a storage reservoir through the caprock. Then, we estimate the resulting pressure changes at the zone overlying the caprock also known as Above Zone Monitoring Interval (AZMI). A data-driven approach of arbitrary Polynomial Chaos (aPC) Expansion is then used to quantify the uncertainty in the above zone pressure prediction based on the uncertainties in different geologic parameters. Finally, a global sensitivity analysis is performed with Sobol indices based on the aPC technique to determine the relative importance of different parameters on pressure prediction. The results indicate that there can be uncertainty in pressure prediction locally around the leakage zones. The degree of such uncertainty in prediction depends on the quality of site specific information available for analysis. The scientific results from this study provide substantial insight that there is a need for site-specific data for efficient predictions of risks associated with storage activities. The presented approach can provide a basis of optimized pressure based monitoring network design at carbon storage sites. PMID:27996043

Probabilistic Assessment of Above Zone Pressure Predictions at a Geologic Carbon Storage Site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Namhata, Argha; Oladyshkin, Sergey; Dilmore, Robert M.; Zhang, Liwei; Nakles, David V.

2016-12-01

Carbon dioxide (CO2) storage into geological formations is regarded as an important mitigation strategy for anthropogenic CO2 emissions to the atmosphere. This study first simulates the leakage of CO2 and brine from a storage reservoir through the caprock. Then, we estimate the resulting pressure changes at the zone overlying the caprock also known as Above Zone Monitoring Interval (AZMI). A data-driven approach of arbitrary Polynomial Chaos (aPC) Expansion is then used to quantify the uncertainty in the above zone pressure prediction based on the uncertainties in different geologic parameters. Finally, a global sensitivity analysis is performed with Sobol indices based on the aPC technique to determine the relative importance of different parameters on pressure prediction. The results indicate that there can be uncertainty in pressure prediction locally around the leakage zones. The degree of such uncertainty in prediction depends on the quality of site specific information available for analysis. The scientific results from this study provide substantial insight that there is a need for site-specific data for efficient predictions of risks associated with storage activities. The presented approach can provide a basis of optimized pressure based monitoring network design at carbon storage sites.

Geoelectrical image of the subsurface for CO2 geological storage in the Changhua site, Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiang, C. W.; Chiao, C. H.; Yang, M. W.; Yu, C. W.; Yang, C. H.; Chen, C. C.

2016-12-01

Global warming has recently become an important worldwide issue. Reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) emission is recommended by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which geological storage is one of possible way to reduce the CO2 issue. The Taichung Power Plant is a coal-fired power plant operated by the Taiwan Power Company in Taichung, Taiwan, which is the largest coal-fired power station in the world. The power plant emits approximately 40 million tons annually which is also the world's largest CO2 emitter. Geophysical techniques are presented as the most useful tool to characterize the reservoir. The electrical resistivity tool was carried out applying audio-magnetotelluric (AMT) method, which could provide the depth resolution for evaluating the subsurface. A first survey of 20 AMT soundings was acquired to study the viability of the method to characterize the subsurface. Stations were deployed at approximately 500 m intervals and the data were recorded in the frequency range of 104-100 Hz. The dimensionality analysis proved the validity of the 1-D or 2-D assumption. The visualized model shows a layered electrical resistivity structure from shallow to depth of 3000 m. The preliminary result corresponds to seismic reflection and geological investigations that suggests a simple geological structure without complex geological processes in the area. It could be a suitable site for geological storage.

Review: Role of chemistry, mechanics, and transport on well integrity in CO 2 storage environments

DOE PAGES

Carroll, Susan A.; Carey, William J.; Dzombak, David; ...

2016-03-22

Among the various risks associated with CO 2 storage in deep geologic formations, wells are important potential pathways for fluid leaks and groundwater contamination. Injection of CO 2 will perturb the storage reservoir and any wells that penetrate the CO 2 or pressure footprints are potential pathways for leakage of CO 2 and/or reservoir brine. Well leakage is of particular concern for regions with a long history of oil and gas exploration because they are top candidates for geologic CO 2storage sites. This review explores in detail the ability of wells to retain their integrity against leakage with careful examinationmore » of the coupled physical and chemical processes involved. Understanding time-dependent leakage is complicated by the changes in fluid flow, solute transport, chemical reactions, and mechanical stresses over decade or longer time frames for site operations and monitoring. Almost all studies of the potential for well leakage have been laboratory based, as there are limited data on field-scale leakage. When leakage occurs by diffusion only, laboratory experiments show that while CO 2 and CO 2-saturated brine react with cement and casing, the rate of degradation is transport-limited and alteration of cement and casing properties is low. When a leakage path is already present due to cement shrinkage or fracturing, gaps along interfaces (e.g. casing/cement or cement/rock), or casing failures, chemical and mechanical alteration have the potential to decrease or increase leakage risks. Laboratory experiments and numerical simulations have shown that mineral precipitation or closure of strain-induced fractures can seal a leak pathway over time or conversely open pathways depending on flow-rate, chemistry, and the stress state. Experiments with steel/cement and cement/rock interfaces have indicated that protective mechanisms such as metal passivation, chemical alteration, mechanical deformation, and pore clogging can also help mitigate leakage. The specific rate and nature of alteration depends on the cement, brine, and injected fluid compositions. For example, the presence of co-injected gases (e.g. O 2, H 2S, and SO 2) and pozzolan amendments (fly ash) to cement influences the rate and the nature of cement reactions. A more complete understanding of the coupled physical-chemical mechanisms involved with sealing and opening of leakage pathways is needed. An important challenge is to take empirically based chemical, mechanical, and transport models reviewed here and assess leakage risk for carbon storage at the field scale. Furthermore, field observations to accompany laboratory and modeling studies are critical to validating understanding of leakage risk. Long-term risk at the field scale is an area of active research made difficult by the large variability of material types (cement, geologic material, casing), field conditions (pressure, temperature, gradient in potential, residence time), and leaking fluid composition (CO 2, co-injected gases, brine). Of particular interest are the circumstances when sealing and other protective mechanisms are likely to be effective, when they are likely to fail, and the zone of uncertainty between these two extremes.« less

Monitored retrievable storage submission to Congress: Volume 2, Environmental assessment for a monitored retrievable storage facility. [Contains glossary

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

1986-02-01

This Environmental Assessment (EA) supports the DOE proposal to Congress to construct and operate a facility for monitored retrievable storage (MRS) of spent fuel at a site on the Clinch River in the Roane County portion of Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The first part of this document is an assessment of the value of, need for, and feasibility of an MRS facility as an integral component of the waste management system. The second part is an assessment and comparison of the potential environmental impacts projected for each of six site-design combinations. The MRS facility would be centrally located with respect tomore » existing reactors, and would receive and canister spent fuel in preparation for shipment to and disposal in a geologic repository. 207 refs., 57 figs., 132 tabs.« less

Developing a concept for a national used fuel interim storage facility in the United States

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lewis, Donald Wayne

2013-07-01

In the United States (U.S.) the nuclear waste issue has plagued the nuclear industry for decades. Originally, spent fuel was to be reprocessed but with the threat of nuclear proliferation, spent fuel reprocessing has been eliminated, at least for now. In 1983, the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 [1] was established, authorizing development of one or more spent fuel and high-level nuclear waste geological repositories and a consolidated national storage facility, called a 'Monitored Retrievable Storage' facility, that could store the spent nuclear fuel until it could be placed into the geological repository. Plans were under way to buildmore » a geological repository, Yucca Mountain, but with the decision by President Obama to terminate the development of Yucca Mountain, a consolidated national storage facility that can store spent fuel for an interim period until a new repository is established has become very important. Since reactor sites have not been able to wait for the government to come up with a storage or disposal location, spent fuel remains in wet or dry storage at each nuclear plant. The purpose of this paper is to present a concept developed to address the DOE's goals stated above. This concept was developed over the past few months by collaboration between the DOE and industry experts that have experience in designing spent nuclear fuel facilities. The paper examines the current spent fuel storage conditions at shutdown reactor sites, operating reactor sites, and the type of storage systems (transportable versus non-transportable, welded or bolted). The concept lays out the basis for a pilot storage facility to house spent fuel from shutdown reactor sites and then how the pilot facility can be enlarged to a larger full scale consolidated interim storage facility. (authors)« less

A method for examining the geospatial distribution of CO2 storage resources applied to the Pre-Punta Gorda Composite and Dollar Bay reservoirs of the South Florida Basin, U.S.A

USGS Publications Warehouse

Roberts-Ashby, Tina; Brandon N. Ashby,

2016-01-01

This paper demonstrates geospatial modification of the USGS methodology for assessing geologic CO2 storage resources, and was applied to the Pre-Punta Gorda Composite and Dollar Bay reservoirs of the South Florida Basin. The study provides detailed evaluation of porous intervals within these reservoirs and utilizes GIS to evaluate the potential spatial distribution of reservoir parameters and volume of CO2 that can be stored. This study also shows that incorporating spatial variation of parameters using detailed and robust datasets may improve estimates of storage resources when compared to applying uniform values across the study area derived from small datasets, like many assessment methodologies. Geospatially derived estimates of storage resources presented here (Pre-Punta Gorda Composite = 105,570 MtCO2; Dollar Bay = 24,760 MtCO2) were greater than previous assessments, which was largely attributed to the fact that detailed evaluation of these reservoirs resulted in higher estimates of porosity and net-porous thickness, and areas of high porosity and thick net-porous intervals were incorporated into the model, likely increasing the calculated volume of storage space available for CO2 sequestration. The geospatial method for evaluating CO2 storage resources also provides the ability to identify areas that potentially contain higher volumes of storage resources, as well as areas that might be less favorable.

Field-Scale Modeling of Local Capillary Trapping During CO2 Injection into a Saline Aquifer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, B.; Lake, L. W.; Bryant, S. L.

2015-12-01

Local capillary trapping is the small-scale (10-2 to 10+1 m) CO2 trapping that is caused by the capillary pressure heterogeneity. The benefit of LCT, applied specially to CO2 sequestration, is that saturation of stored CO2 is larger than the residual gas, yet these CO2 are not susceptible to leakage through failed seals. Thus quantifying the extent of local capillary trapping is valuable in design and risk assessment of geologic storage projects. Modeling local capillary trapping is computationally expensive and may even be intractable using a conventional reservoir simulator. In this paper, we propose a novel method to model local capillary trapping by combining geologic criteria and connectivity analysis. The connectivity analysis originally developed for characterizing well-to-reservoir connectivity is adapted to this problem by means of a newly defined edge weight property between neighboring grid blocks, which accounts for the multiphase flow properties, injection rate, and gravity effect. Then the connectivity is estimated from shortest path algorithm to predict the CO2 migration behavior and plume shape during injection. A geologic criteria algorithm is developed to estimate the potential local capillary traps based only on the entry capillary pressure field. The latter is correlated to a geostatistical realization of permeability field. The extended connectivity analysis shows a good match of CO2 plume computed by the full-physics simulation. We then incorporate it into the geologic algorithm to quantify the amount of LCT structures identified within the entry capillary pressure field that can be filled during CO2 injection. Several simulations are conducted in the reservoirs with different level of heterogeneity (measured by the Dykstra-Parsons coefficient) under various injection scenarios. We find that there exists a threshold Dykstra-Parsons coefficient, below which low injection rate gives rise to more LCT; whereas higher injection rate increases LCT in heterogeneous reservoirs. Both the geologic algorithm and connectivity analysis are very fast; therefore, the integrated methodology can be used as a quick tool to estimate local capillary trapping. It can also be used as a potential complement to the full-physics simulation to evaluate safe storage capacity.

Science in bullet points: How to compile scientific results to underpin guidelines for CO2 storage for the German transposition of the European CCS Directive

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Streibel, Martin

2015-04-01

In 2012 the German Parliament passed the transposition of the EC Directive 2009/31/EC the "Carbon Dioxide Storage Law" (KSpG). The law focuses on the demonstration of the CO2 storage technology and mainly regulates the storage part of the Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) chain. As the law has a conceptual character, appendix 1 provides a description of criteria for the characterisation and assessment of a potential CO2 storage site starting with field data ending with requirements for dynamic modelling of the storage complex. Appendix 2 describes the expected monitoring system during all relevant phases of a life cycle of a CO2 storage site. The criteria given in the appendices are of general nature, which reflects on one hand that the CO2 storage technology is still being developed and on the other hand that site specific aspects needs to be considered. In 2004 the Federal Ministry of Education and Research of Germany launched the programme GEOTECHNOLOGIEN with one key aspect being the development of technologies for a sustainable storage of carbon dioxide in geological formations. Within this research field more than 30 projects in three phases have been funded until the end of 2014. In order to benefit from the gathered knowledge and use the experiences for the policy/law making process the umbrella project AUGE has been launched in October 2012 with a life time of three years. The aim of the project is to review and compile all results of projects funded during the three phases to underpin the appendices of the KSpG. In the first part of the paper the most important findings of the project with regard to the overall risk of a geological CO2 storage and the procedure of compiling the guidance document will be discussed. Milestones of this project were • the compilation of the results of national, European and international projects; • interviews with stakeholders; • a workshops to define state of the art for certain involved technologies and existing gaps; • a workshop to understand the limitations of existing simulation tools for large scale CO2 storage. In a second part of the paper it is discussed what kind of guidance documents are actually still required for regulation of large scale CO2 storage sites.

SUBSURFACE PROPERTY RIGHTS: IMPLICATIONS FOR GEOLOGIC CO2 STORAGE

EPA Science Inventory

The paper discusses subsurface property rights as they apply to geologic sequestration (GS) of carbon dioxide (CO2). GS projects inject captured CO2 into deep (greater than ~1 km) geologic formations for the explicit purpose of avoiding atmospheric emission of CO2. Because of the...

Using improved technology for widespread application of a geological carbon sequestration study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raney, J.

2013-12-01

The Kansas Geological Survey is part of an ongoing collaboration between DOE-NETL, academia, and the petroleum industry to investigate the feasibility of carbon utilization and storage in Kansas. Latest findings in the 25,000 mi2 study area in southern Kansas estimate CO2 storage capacity ranges from 8.8 to 75.5 billion metric tons in a deep Lower Orodovican-age Arbuckle saline aquifer. In addition, an estimated 100 million tonnes of CO2 could be used for extracting additional oil from Kansas' fields, making transitions to carbon management economic. This partnership has a rare opportunity to synchronize abundant, yet previously disseminated knowledge into a cohesive scientific process to optimize sequestration site selection and implementation strategies. Following a thorough characterization, a small-scale CO2 injection of 70,000 tonnes will be implemented in Wellington Field in Sumner County, including a five-plot miscible CO2-EOR flood of a Mississippian reservoir followed by the underlying Arbuckle saline aquifer. Best practices and lessons learned from the field study will improve estimates on CO2 storage capacity, plume migration models, and identify potential leakage pathways to pursue safe and effective geological carbon sequestration at commercial scales. A highly accessible and multifunctional online database is being developed throughout the study that integrates all acquired geological, physical, chemical, and hydrogeologic knowledge. This public database incorporates tens of thousands of data points into easily viewable formats for user downloads. An Interactive Project Map Viewer is a key mechanism to present the scientific research, and will delineate compartment candidates and reservoirs matching reference criteria or user defined attributes. This tool uses a familiar pan and zoom interface to filter regional project data or scale down to detailed digitized information from over 3,300 carefully selected preexisting Kansas wells. A Java-based log analysis program can combine public LAS data with privately owned digital petrophysical information to create refined cross sections with details on lithology and geochemistry. The interactive mapper displays geophysical surveys such as depth and time converted 3D seismic, gravity, magnetic, remote sensing, simulations, regional geologic base layers, and launches web-based well profile tools. Geocelluar models that demonstrate porosity, fault boundaries, seal continuity, and other hydrostratigraphic parameters will illustrate the presence of aquifers and caprocks. Dynamic models will use this input to simulate in situ CO2 plume migration and entrapment mechanisms over time. Additional outreach activities such as core workshops that showcase geological samples, conference presentations to describe technology experiences, and publishing peer-review journal articles will ensure the scientific research is delivered to the general public and useful in academia. Next steps will seek to enhance the current 3D depiction of the subsurface, leading to a direct visual connection between conceptual models and their supporting scientific evidence. Together, these tools aim to unite various industries to perform streamlined data analysis leading to a greater understanding of future geological carbon utilization and storage.

18 CFR 157.214 - Increase in storage capacity.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Increase in storage... Act for Certain Transactions and Abandonment § 157.214 Increase in storage capacity. (a) Prior notice... maximum volume of natural gas authorized to be stored in a storage field to the extent that geological...

18 CFR 157.214 - Increase in storage capacity.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Increase in storage... Act for Certain Transactions and Abandonment § 157.214 Increase in storage capacity. (a) Prior notice... maximum volume of natural gas authorized to be stored in a storage field to the extent that geological...

18 CFR 157.214 - Increase in storage capacity.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Increase in storage... Act for Certain Transactions and Abandonment § 157.214 Increase in storage capacity. (a) Prior notice... maximum volume of natural gas authorized to be stored in a storage field to the extent that geological...

43 CFR 3138.11 - How do I apply for a subsurface storage agreement?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... participation factor for all parties to the subsurface storage agreement; and (11) Supporting data (geologic maps showing the storage formation, reservoir data, etc.) demonstrating the capability of the reservoir... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false How do I apply for a subsurface storage...

43 CFR 3138.11 - How do I apply for a subsurface storage agreement?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... participation factor for all parties to the subsurface storage agreement; and (11) Supporting data (geologic maps showing the storage formation, reservoir data, etc.) demonstrating the capability of the reservoir... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false How do I apply for a subsurface storage...

18 CFR 157.214 - Increase in storage capacity.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Increase in storage... Act for Certain Transactions and Abandonment § 157.214 Increase in storage capacity. (a) Prior notice... maximum volume of natural gas authorized to be stored in a storage field to the extent that geological...

43 CFR 3138.11 - How do I apply for a subsurface storage agreement?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... participation factor for all parties to the subsurface storage agreement; and (11) Supporting data (geologic maps showing the storage formation, reservoir data, etc.) demonstrating the capability of the reservoir... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false How do I apply for a subsurface storage...

18 CFR 157.214 - Increase in storage capacity.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Increase in storage... Act for Certain Transactions and Abandonment § 157.214 Increase in storage capacity. (a) Prior notice... maximum volume of natural gas authorized to be stored in a storage field to the extent that geological...

43 CFR 3138.11 - How do I apply for a subsurface storage agreement?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... participation factor for all parties to the subsurface storage agreement; and (11) Supporting data (geologic maps showing the storage formation, reservoir data, etc.) demonstrating the capability of the reservoir... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false How do I apply for a subsurface storage...

Experimental study on effects of geologic heterogeneity in enhancing dissolution trapping of supercritical CO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agartan, Elif; Trevisan, Luca; Cihan, Abdullah; Birkholzer, Jens; Zhou, Quanlin; Illangasekare, Tissa H.

2015-03-01

Dissolution trapping is one of the primary mechanisms that enhance the storage security of supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) in saline geologic formations. When scCO2 dissolves in formation brine produces an aqueous solution that is denser than formation brine, which leads to convective mixing driven by gravitational instabilities. Convective mixing can enhance the dissolution of CO2 and thus it can contribute to stable trapping of dissolved CO2. However, in the presence of geologic heterogeneities, diffusive mixing may also contribute to dissolution trapping. The effects of heterogeneity on mixing and its contribution to stable trapping are not well understood. The goal of this experimental study is to investigate the effects of geologic heterogeneity on mixing and stable trapping of dissolved CO2. Homogeneous and heterogeneous media experiments were conducted in a two-dimensional test tank with various packing configurations using surrogates for scCO2 (water) and brine (propylene glycol) under ambient pressure and temperature conditions. The results show that the density-driven flow in heterogeneous formations may not always cause significant convective mixing especially in layered systems containing low-permeability zones. In homogeneous formations, density-driven fingering enhances both storage in the deeper parts of the formation and contact between the host rock and dissolved CO2 for the potential mineralization. On the other hand, for layered systems, dissolved CO2 becomes immobilized in low-permeability zones with low-diffusion rates, which reduces the risk of leakage through any fault or fracture. Both cases contribute to the permanence of the dissolved plume in the formation.

Co-Optimization of CO 2-EOR and Storage Processes in Mature Oil Reservoirs

DOE PAGES

Ampomah, William; Balch, Robert S.; Grigg, Reid B.; ...

2016-08-02

This article presents an optimization methodology for CO 2 enhanced oil recovery in partially depleted reservoirs. A field-scale compositional reservoir flow model was developed for assessing the performance history of an active CO 2 flood and for optimizing both oil production and CO 2 storage in the Farnsworth Unit (FWU), Ochiltree County, Texas. A geological framework model constructed from geophysical, geological, and engineering data acquired from the FWU was the basis for all reservoir simulations and the optimization method. An equation of state was calibrated with laboratory fluid analyses and subsequently used to predict the thermodynamic minimum miscible pressure (MMP).more » Initial history calibrations of primary, secondary and tertiary recovery were conducted as the basis for the study. After a good match was achieved, an optimization approach consisting of a proxy or surrogate model was constructed with a polynomial response surface method (PRSM). The PRSM utilized an objective function that maximized both oil recovery and CO 2 storage. Experimental design was used to link uncertain parameters to the objective function. Control variables considered in this study included: water alternating gas cycle and ratio, production rates and bottom-hole pressure of injectors and producers. Other key parameters considered in the modeling process were CO 2 purchase, gas recycle and addition of infill wells and/or patterns. The PRSM proxy model was ‘trained’ or calibrated with a series of training simulations. This involved an iterative process until the surrogate model reached a specific validation criterion. A sensitivity analysis was first conducted to ascertain which of these control variables to retain in the surrogate model. A genetic algorithm with a mixed-integer capability optimization approach was employed to determine the optimum developmental strategy to maximize both oil recovery and CO 2 storage. The proxy model reduced the computational cost significantly. The validation criteria of the reduced order model ensured accuracy in the dynamic modeling results. The prediction outcome suggested robustness and reliability of the genetic algorithm for optimizing both oil recovery and CO 2 storage. The reservoir modeling approach used in this study illustrates an improved approach to optimizing oil production and CO 2 storage within partially depleted oil reservoirs such as FWU. Lastly, this study may serve as a benchmark for potential CO 2–EOR projects in the Anadarko basin and/or geologically similar basins throughout the world.« less

Co-Optimization of CO 2-EOR and Storage Processes in Mature Oil Reservoirs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ampomah, William; Balch, Robert S.; Grigg, Reid B.

This article presents an optimization methodology for CO 2 enhanced oil recovery in partially depleted reservoirs. A field-scale compositional reservoir flow model was developed for assessing the performance history of an active CO 2 flood and for optimizing both oil production and CO 2 storage in the Farnsworth Unit (FWU), Ochiltree County, Texas. A geological framework model constructed from geophysical, geological, and engineering data acquired from the FWU was the basis for all reservoir simulations and the optimization method. An equation of state was calibrated with laboratory fluid analyses and subsequently used to predict the thermodynamic minimum miscible pressure (MMP).more » Initial history calibrations of primary, secondary and tertiary recovery were conducted as the basis for the study. After a good match was achieved, an optimization approach consisting of a proxy or surrogate model was constructed with a polynomial response surface method (PRSM). The PRSM utilized an objective function that maximized both oil recovery and CO 2 storage. Experimental design was used to link uncertain parameters to the objective function. Control variables considered in this study included: water alternating gas cycle and ratio, production rates and bottom-hole pressure of injectors and producers. Other key parameters considered in the modeling process were CO 2 purchase, gas recycle and addition of infill wells and/or patterns. The PRSM proxy model was ‘trained’ or calibrated with a series of training simulations. This involved an iterative process until the surrogate model reached a specific validation criterion. A sensitivity analysis was first conducted to ascertain which of these control variables to retain in the surrogate model. A genetic algorithm with a mixed-integer capability optimization approach was employed to determine the optimum developmental strategy to maximize both oil recovery and CO 2 storage. The proxy model reduced the computational cost significantly. The validation criteria of the reduced order model ensured accuracy in the dynamic modeling results. The prediction outcome suggested robustness and reliability of the genetic algorithm for optimizing both oil recovery and CO 2 storage. The reservoir modeling approach used in this study illustrates an improved approach to optimizing oil production and CO 2 storage within partially depleted oil reservoirs such as FWU. Lastly, this study may serve as a benchmark for potential CO 2–EOR projects in the Anadarko basin and/or geologically similar basins throughout the world.« less

A guide to potential soil carbon sequestration; land-use management for mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Markewich, H.W.; Buell, G.R.

2001-01-01

Terrestrial carbon sequestration has a potential role in reducing the recent increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) that is, in part, contributing to global warming. Because the most stable long-term surface reservoir for carbon is the soil, changes in agriculture and forestry can potentially reduce atmospheric CO2 through increased soil-carbon storage. If local governments and regional planning agencies are to effect changes in land-use management that could mitigate the impacts of increased greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, it is essential to know how carbon is cycled and distributed on the landscape. Only then can a cost/benefit analysis be applied to carbon sequestration as a potential land-use management tool for mitigation of GHG emissions. For the past several years, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has been researching the role of terrestrial carbon in the global carbon cycle. Data from these investigations now allow the USGS to begin to (1) 'map' carbon at national, regional, and local scales; (2) calculate present carbon storage at land surface; and (3) identify those areas having the greatest potential to sequester carbon.

Classification of CO2 Geologic Storage: Resource and Capacity

USGS Publications Warehouse

Frailey, S.M.; Finley, R.J.

2009-01-01

The use of the term capacity to describe possible geologic storage implies a realistic or likely volume of CO2 to be sequestered. Poor data quantity and quality may lead to very high uncertainty in the storage estimate. Use of the term "storage resource" alleviates the implied certainty of the term "storage capacity". This is especially important to non- scientists (e.g. policy makers) because "capacity" is commonly used to describe the very specific and more certain quantities such as volume of a gas tank or a hotel's overnight guest limit. Resource is a term used in the classification of oil and gas accumulations to infer lesser certainty in the commercial production of oil and gas. Likewise for CO2 sequestration, a suspected porous and permeable zone can be classified as a resource, but capacity can only be estimated after a well is drilled into the formation and a relatively higher degree of economic and regulatory certainty is established. Storage capacity estimates are lower risk or higher certainty compared to storage resource estimates. In the oil and gas industry, prospective resource and contingent resource are used for estimates with less data and certainty. Oil and gas reserves are classified as Proved and Unproved, and by analogy, capacity can be classified similarly. The highest degree of certainty for an oil or gas accumulation is Proved, Developed Producing (PDP) Reserves. For CO2 sequestration this could be Proved Developed Injecting (PDI) Capacity. A geologic sequestration storage classification system is developed by analogy to that used by the oil and gas industry. When a CO2 sequestration industry emerges, storage resource and capacity estimates will be considered a company asset and consequently regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Additionally, storage accounting and auditing protocols will be required to confirm projected storage estimates and assignment of credits from actual injection. An example illustrates the use of these terms and how storage classification changes as new data become available. ?? 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of methane in CO2 transport and storage for CCS technology.

PubMed

Blanco, Sofía T; Rivas, Clara; Fernández, Javier; Artal, Manuela; Velasco, Inmaculada

2012-12-04

CO(2) Capture and Storage (CCS) is a good strategy to mitigate levels of atmospheric greenhouse gases. The type and quantity of impurities influence the properties and behavior of the anthropogenic CO(2), and so must be considered in the design and operation of CCS technology facilities. Their study is necessary for CO(2) transport and storage, and to develop theoretical models for specific engineering applications to CCS technology. In this work we determined the influence of CH(4), an important impurity of anthropogenic CO(2), within different steps of CCS technology: transport, injection, and geological storage. For this, we obtained new pressure-density-temperature (PρT) and vapor-liquid equilibrium (VLE) experimental data for six CO(2) + CH(4) mixtures at compositions which represent emissions from the main sources in the European Union and United States. The P and T ranges studied are within those estimated for CO(2) pipelines and geological storage sites. From these data we evaluated the minimal pressures for transport, regarding the density and pipeline's capacity requirements, and values for the solubility parameter of the mixtures, a factor which governs the solubility of substances present in the reservoir before injection. We concluded that the presence of CH(4) reduces the storage capacity and increases the buoyancy of the CO(2) plume, which diminishes the efficiency of solubility and residual trapping of CO(2), and reduces the injectivity into geological formations.

Delineation of Magnesium-rich Ultramafic Rocks Available for Mineral Carbon Sequestration in the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Krevor, S.C.; Graves, C.R.; Van Gosen, B. S.; McCafferty, A.E.

2009-01-01

The 2005 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report on Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage suggested that a major gap in mineral carbon sequestration is locating the magnesium-silicate bedrock available to sequester CO2. It is generally known that silicate minerals with high concentrations of magnesium are suitable for mineral carbonation. However, no assessment has been made covering the entire United States detailing their geographical distribution and extent, or evaluating their potential for use in mineral carbonation. Researchers at Columbia University and the U.S. Geological Survey have developed a digital geologic database of ultramafic rocks in the continental United States. Data were compiled from varied-scale geologic maps of magnesium-silicate ultramafic rocks. These rock types are potentially suitable as source material for mineral carbon-dioxide sequestration. The focus of the national-scale map is entirely on suitable ultramafic rock types, which typically consist primarily of olivine and serpentine minerals. By combining the map with digital datasets that show non-mineable lands (such as urban areas and National Parks), estimates on potential depth of a surface mine, and the predicted reactivities of the mineral deposits, one can begin to estimate the capacity for CO2 mineral sequestration within the United States. ?? 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Our trial to develop a risk assessment tool for CO2 geological storage (GERAS-CO2GS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanaka, A.; Sakamoto, Y.; Komai, T.

2012-12-01

We will introduce our researches about to develop a risk assessment tool named 'GERAS-CO2GS' (Geo-environmental Risk Assessment System, CO2 Geological Storage Risk Assessment System) for 'Carbon Dioxide Geological Storage (Geological CCS)'. It aims to facilitate understanding of size of impact of risks related with upper migration of injected CO2. For gaining public recognition about feasibility of Geological CCS, quantitative estimation of risks is essential, to let public knows the level of the risk: whether it is negligible or not. Generally, in preliminary hazard analysis procedure, potential hazards could be identified within Geological CCS's various facilities such as: reservoir, cap rock, upper layers, CO2 injection well, CO2 injection plant and CO2 transport facilities. Among them, hazard of leakage of injected C02 is crucial, because it is the clue to estimate risks around a specific injection plan in terms of safety, environmental protection effect and economy. Our risk assessment tool named GERAS-CO2GS evaluates volume and rate of retention and leakage of injected CO2 in relation with fractures and/or faults, and then it estimates impact of seepages on the surface of the earth. GERAS-CO2GS has four major processing segments: (a) calculation of CO2 retention and leakage volume and rate, (b) data processing of CO2 dispersion on the surface and ambient air, (c) risk data definition and (d) evaluation of risk. Concerning to the injection site, we defined a model, which is consisted from an injection well and a geological strata model: which involves a reservoir, a cap rock, an upper layer, faults, seabed, sea, the surface of the earth and the surface of the sea. For retention rate of each element of CO2 injection site model, we use results of our experimental and numerical studies on CO2 migration within reservoirs and faults with specific lithological conditions. For given CO2 injection rate, GERAS-CO2GS calculates CO2 retention and leakage of each segment of injection site model. It also evaluates dispersion of CO2 on the surface of the earth and ambient air, and displays evaluated risk level on Goole earth contour of risk levels with color classification. As regard with numerical estimation of CO2's surface dispersion, we use ADMER 2.5 (Atmospheric Dispersion Model for Exposure and Risk Assessment, AIST), which assesses ambient dispersion of materials using real observed atmospheric data such as wind direction and temperatures by meteorological observatory. As far as our simulations, it is obvious that cause of Lake Nyos type accident is owes its maar topography of the lake and the volume and duration of the CO2 outburst (about 1 km3). It's unlikely to cause similar happenings in geological CCS site, because there are significant difference amount of CO2 and topography. At this moment, GERAS-CO2GS is prototype system. We are going to extend GERAS-CO2GS functions and evaluate risks of further risk scenarios. Concerning to the route of seabed to sea and the surface of the sea, we hope to implement outer research findings into our logics. In the course of further research, we are going to develop GERAS-CO2GS will be able to estimate broader risks, and to contribute to the efforts for legislations and standards of CO2 Geological storage.

Effects on the mobility of metals from acidification caused by possible CO₂ leakage from sub-seabed geological formations.

PubMed

de Orte, Manoela Romanó; Sarmiento, Aguasanta M; Basallote, Maria Dolores; Rodríguez-Romero, Araceli; Riba, Inmaculada; Delvalls, Angel

2014-02-01

Carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) in submarine geological formations has been proposed as a mitigation measure for the prevention of global warming. However, leakage of CO2 to overlying sediments may occur over time, leading to various effects on ecosystems. Laboratory-scale experiments were performed, involving direct release of carbon dioxide into sediment, inside non-pressurized chambers, in order to provide data on the possible effects of CO2 leakage from geological storage sites on the fate of several metals. Marine sediments from three sites with different levels of contamination were sampled and submitted to acidification by means of CO2 injection. The experiment lasted 10 days and sediment samples were collected at the beginning and end of the experiment and pore water was extracted for metal analysis. The results revealed that mobility of metals from sediment to pore water depends on the site, metal and length of time exposed. Mobilization of the metals Al, Fe, Zn, Co, Pb and Cu increases with acidification, and this response generally increases with time of exposure to CO2 injection. The geochemical model applied suggests that acidification also influences the speciation of metals, transforming metals and metalloids, like As, into species much more toxic to biota. The data obtained from this study will be useful for calculating the potential risk of CCS activities to the marine environment. © 2013.

Geologic CO2 Sequestration: Predicting and Confirming Performance in Oil Reservoirs and Saline Aquifers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, J. W.; Nitao, J. J.; Newmark, R. L.; Kirkendall, B. A.; Nimz, G. J.; Knauss, K. G.; Ziagos, J. P.

2002-05-01

Reducing anthropogenic CO2 emissions ranks high among the grand scientific challenges of this century. In the near-term, significant reductions can only be achieved through innovative sequestration strategies that prevent atmospheric release of large-scale CO2 waste streams. Among such strategies, injection into confined geologic formations represents arguably the most promising alternative; and among potential geologic storage sites, oil reservoirs and saline aquifers represent the most attractive targets. Oil reservoirs offer a unique "win-win" approach because CO2 flooding is an effective technique of enhanced oil recovery (EOR), while saline aquifers offer immense storage capacity and widespread distribution. Although CO2-flood EOR has been widely used in the Permian Basin and elsewhere since the 1980s, the oil industry has just recently become concerned with the significant fraction of injected CO2 that eludes recycling and is therefore sequestered. This "lost" CO2 now has potential economic value in the growing emissions credit market; hence, the industry's emerging interest in recasting CO2 floods as co-optimized EOR/sequestration projects. The world's first saline aquifer storage project was also catalyzed in part by economics: Norway's newly imposed atmospheric emissions tax, which spurred development of Statoil's unique North Sea Sleipner facility in 1996. Successful implementation of geologic sequestration projects hinges on development of advanced predictive models and a diverse set of remote sensing, in situ sampling, and experimental techniques. The models are needed to design and forecast long-term sequestration performance; the monitoring techniques are required to confirm and refine model predictions and to ensure compliance with environmental regulations. We have developed a unique reactive transport modeling capability for predicting sequestration performance in saline aquifers, and used it to simulate CO2 injection at Sleipner; we are now extending this capability to address CO2-flood EOR/sequestration in oil reservoirs. We have also developed a suite of innovative geophysical and geochemical techniques for monitoring sequestration performance in both settings. These include electromagnetic induction imaging and electrical resistance tomography for tracking migration of immiscible CO2, noble gas isotopes for assessing trace CO2 leakage through the cap rock, and integrated geochemical sampling, analytical, and experimental methods for determining sequestration partitioning among solubility and mineral trapping mechanisms. We have proposed to demonstrate feasibility of the co-optimized EOR/sequestration concept and utility of our modeling and monitoring technologies to design and evaluate its implementation by conducting a demonstration project in the Livermore Oil Field. This small, mature, shallow field, located less than a mile east of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, is representative of many potential EOR/sequestration sites in California. In approach, this proposed demonstration is analogous to the Weyburn EOR/CO2 monitoring project, to which it will provide an important complement by virtue of its contrasting depth (immiscible versus Weyburn's miscible CO2 flood) and geologic setting (clay-capped sand versus Weyburn's anhydrite-capped carbonate reservoir).

Water-resources data index for Osceola National Forest, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Seaber, Paul R.; Hull, Robert W.

1979-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey conducted an intensive investigation from December 1975 to December 1977 of the geohydrology of Osceola National Forest, Fla. The primary purpose was to provide the geohydrological understanding needed to predict the impact of potential phosphate industry operations in the forest on the natural hydrologic system. The investigation involved test drilling, implementation of a hydrologic monitoring network, water-quality sampling, comprehensive aquifer tests, and literature study. This report is an index to the type, source, location, and availability of the data used in the interpretive investigation. The indexes include: geological, geophysical, ground water, surface water, quality of water, meteorological, climatological, aquifer tests, maps, photographs, elevations, and reference publications. The manner of storage and retrieval of the data is decribed also. (Woodard-USGS).

Coal bed sequestration of carbon dioxide

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stanton, Robert; Flores, Romeo M.; Warwick, Peter D.; Gluskoter, Harold J.; Stricker, Gary D.

2001-01-01

Geologic sequestration of CO2 generated from fossil fuel combustion may be an environmentally attractive method to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions. Of the geologic options, sequestering CO2 in coal beds has several advantages. For example, CO2 injection can enhance methane production from coal beds; coal can trap CO2 for long periods of time; and potential major coal basins that contain ideal beds for sequestration are near many emitting sources of CO2.One mission of the Energy Resources Program of the U.S. Geological Survey is to maintain assessment information of the Nation’s resources of coal, oil, and gas. The National Coal Resources Assessment Project is currently completing a periodic assessment of 5 major coal-producing regions of the US. These regions include the Powder River and Williston and other Northern Rocky Mountain basins (Fort Union Coal Assessment Team, 1999), Colorado Plateau area (Kirschbaum and others, 2000), Gulf Coast Region, Appalachian Basin, and Illinois Basin. The major objective of this assessment is to estimate available coal resources and quality for the major producing coal beds of the next 25 years and produce digital databases and maps. Although the focus of this work has been on coal beds with the greatest potential for mining, it serves as a basis for future assessments of the coal beds for other uses such as coal bed methane resources, in situ gasification, and sites for sequestration of CO2. Coal bed methane production combined with CO2 injection and storage expands the use of a coal resource and can provide multiple benefits including increased methane recovery, methane drainage of a resource area, and the long-term storage of CO2.

A Feasibility Study of Geologic Water Storage in Arid Regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fairley, J. P.; Preuit, T.

2001-05-01

An important control on the carrying capacity of arid and semi-arid regions is the ability to develop and maintain a reliable water supply for domestic and agricultural use. In the semi-arid highlands of southern Peru, the pre-Columbian Incas developed a technique of collecting and storing basin yields by controlling the discharge boundary of an existing aquifer. This water resource management strategy has been dubbed "Geologic Water Storage" (Fairley, in review). Yield from at least one such system near Cuzco, Peru, has provided a reliable source of irrigation water for rural farmers to the present day. The geologic water storage systems of southern Peru suggested the possibility of developing a similar system to water stock in rural Idaho. Annual precipitation in Idaho is about one-third that of southern Peru, and obtaining an adequate stock water supply is often problematic. The application of a simple lumped capacitance model to a selected basin in central Idaho showed that it may be physically and economically feasible to modify the basin characteristics to prolong water availability at the site. A more detailed study of this problem, that includes field characterization of the site, is necessary to substantiate the model results. If further studies and field trials confirm the viability of geologic water storage, this approach may find applications in many rural and developing areas, both nationally and internationally.

Geologic carbon storage is unlikely to trigger large earthquakes and reactivate faults through which CO2 could leak

PubMed Central

Vilarrasa, Victor; Carrera, Jesus

2015-01-01

Zoback and Gorelick [(2012) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 109(26):10164–10168] have claimed that geologic carbon storage in deep saline formations is very likely to trigger large induced seismicity, which may damage the caprock and ruin the objective of keeping CO2 stored deep underground. We argue that felt induced earthquakes due to geologic CO2 storage are unlikely because (i) sedimentary formations, which are softer than the crystalline basement, are rarely critically stressed; (ii) the least stable situation occurs at the beginning of injection, which makes it easy to control; (iii) CO2 dissolution into brine may help in reducing overpressure; and (iv) CO2 will not flow across the caprock because of capillarity, but brine will, which will reduce overpressure further. The latter two mechanisms ensure that overpressures caused by CO2 injection will dissipate in a moderate time after injection stops, hindering the occurrence of postinjection induced seismicity. Furthermore, even if microseismicity were induced, CO2 leakage through fault reactivation would be unlikely because the high clay content of caprocks ensures a reduced permeability and increased entry pressure along the localized deformation zone. For these reasons, we contend that properly sited and managed geologic carbon storage in deep saline formations remains a safe option to mitigate anthropogenic climate change. PMID:25902501

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gutierrez, Marte

Colorado School of Mines conducted research and training in the development and validation of an advanced CO{sub 2} GS (Geological Sequestration) probabilistic simulation and risk assessment model. CO{sub 2} GS simulation and risk assessment is used to develop advanced numerical simulation models of the subsurface to forecast CO2 behavior and transport; optimize site operational practices; ensure site safety; and refine site monitoring, verification, and accounting efforts. As simulation models are refined with new data, the uncertainty surrounding the identified risks decrease, thereby providing more accurate risk assessment. The models considered the full coupling of multiple physical processes (geomechanical and fluidmore » flow) and describe the effects of stochastic hydro-mechanical (H-M) parameters on the modeling of CO{sub 2} flow and transport in fractured porous rocks. Graduate students were involved in the development and validation of the model that can be used to predict the fate, movement, and storage of CO{sub 2} in subsurface formations, and to evaluate the risk of potential leakage to the atmosphere and underground aquifers. The main major contributions from the project include the development of: 1) an improved procedure to rigorously couple the simulations of hydro-thermomechanical (H-M) processes involved in CO{sub 2} GS; 2) models for the hydro-mechanical behavior of fractured porous rocks with random fracture patterns; and 3) probabilistic methods to account for the effects of stochastic fluid flow and geomechanical properties on flow, transport, storage and leakage associated with CO{sub 2} GS. The research project provided the means to educate and train graduate students in the science and technology of CO{sub 2} GS, with a focus on geologic storage. Specifically, the training included the investigation of an advanced CO{sub 2} GS simulation and risk assessment model that can be used to predict the fate, movement, and storage of CO{sub 2} in underground formations, and the evaluation of the risk of potential CO{sub 2} leakage to the atmosphere and underground aquifers.« less

Underground gas storage in the Leyden lignite mine

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Meddles, R.M.

1978-01-01

Underground gas storage in the Leyden lignite mine by Public Service Co. of Colorado was preceded by careful studies of mine records with respect to geologic conditions and investigation of the gas-sealing potential of the rocks surrounding the cavern. The water level in shaft No. 3 in Sept. 1958 was about 100 ft above the coal seam at that point. Wells were drilled into the mine up-dip (east) of the structurally highest point that a mine shaft intersected the coal seams, and gas was injected into the mine, using the mine water as a seal. At least the up-dip partmore » of the mine was gas-tight, and tests were expanded to the rest of the mine, which also proved to be gas-tight. All that remained to complete the preparation of the mine for permanent gas storage was sealing of the old mine shafts.« less

Potential for using the Upper Coachella Valley ground-water basin, California, for storage of artificially recharged water

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mallory, Michael J.; Swain, Lindsay A.; Tyley, Stephen J.

1980-01-01

This report presents a preliminary evaluation of the geohydrologic factors affecting storage of water by artificial recharge in the upper Coachella Valley, Calif. The ground-water basin of the upper Coachella Valley seems to be geologically suitable for large-scale artificial recharge. A minimum of 900 ,000 acre-feet of water could probably be stored in the basin without raising basinwide water levels above those that existed in 1945. Preliminary tests indicate that a long-term artificial recharge rate of 5 feet per day may be feasible for spreading grounds in the basin if such factors as sediment and bacterial clogging can be controlled. The California Department of Water Resources, through the Future Water Supply Program, is investigating the use of ground-water basins for storage of State Water Project water in order to help meet maximum annual entitlements to water project contractors. (USGS)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

W. L. Poe, Jr.; P.F. Wise

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is preparing a proposal to construct, operate 2nd monitor, and eventually close a repository at Yucca Mountain in Nye County, Nevada, for the geologic disposal of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high-level radioactive waste (HLW). As part of this effort, DOE has prepared a viability assessment and an assessment of potential consequences that may exist if the repository is not constructed. The assessment of potential consequences if the repository is not constructed assumes that all SNF and HLW would be left at the generator sites. These include 72 commercial generator sites (three commercial facilitymore » pairs--Salem and Hope Creek, Fitzpatrick and Nine Mile Point, and Dresden and Morris--would share common storage due to their close proximity to each other) and five DOE sites across the country. DOE analyzed the environmental consequences of the effects of the continued storage of these materials at these sites in a report titled Continued Storage Analysis Report (CSAR; Reference 1 ) . The CSAR analysis includes a discussion of the degradation of these materials when exposed to the environment. This document describes the environmental parameters that influence the degradation analyzed in the CSAR. These include temperature, relative humidity, precipitation chemistry (pH and chemical composition), annual precipitation rates, annual number of rain-days, and annual freeze/thaw cycles. The document also tabulates weather conditions for each storage site, evaluates the degradation of concrete storage modules and vaults in different regions of the country, and provides a thermal analysis of commercial SNF in storage.« less

Model for CO2 leakage including multiple geological layers and multiple leaky wells.

PubMed

Nordbotten, Jan M; Kavetski, Dmitri; Celia, Michael A; Bachu, Stefan

2009-02-01

Geological storage of carbon dioxide (CO2) is likely to be an integral component of any realistic plan to reduce anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. In conjunction with large-scale deployment of carbon storage as a technology, there is an urgent need for tools which provide reliable and quick assessments of aquifer storage performance. Previously, abandoned wells from over a century of oil and gas exploration and production have been identified as critical potential leakage paths. The practical importance of abandoned wells is emphasized by the correlation of heavy CO2 emitters (typically associated with industrialized areas) to oil and gas producing regions in North America. Herein, we describe a novel framework for predicting the leakage from large numbers of abandoned wells, forming leakage paths connecting multiple subsurface permeable formations. The framework is designed to exploit analytical solutions to various components of the problem and, ultimately, leads to a grid-free approximation to CO2 and brine leakage rates, as well as fluid distributions. We apply our model in a comparison to an established numerical solverforthe underlying governing equations. Thereafter, we demonstrate the capabilities of the model on typical field data taken from the vicinity of Edmonton, Alberta. This data set consists of over 500 wells and 7 permeable formations. Results show the flexibility and utility of the solution methods, and highlight the role that analytical and semianalytical solutions can play in this important problem.

Optimizing and Quantifying CO 2 Storage Resource in Saline Formations and Hydrocarbon Reservoirs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bosshart, Nicholas W.; Ayash, Scott C.; Azzolina, Nicholas A.

In an effort to reduce carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions from large stationary sources, carbon capture and storage (CCS) is being investigated as one approach. This work assesses CO 2 storage resource estimation methods for deep saline formations (DSFs) and hydrocarbon reservoirs undergoing CO 2 enhanced oil recovery (EOR). Project activities were conducted using geologic modeling and simulation to investigate CO 2 storage efficiency. CO 2 storage rates and efficiencies in DSFs classified by interpreted depositional environment were evaluated at the regional scale over a 100-year time frame. A focus was placed on developing results applicable to future widespread commercial-scalemore » CO 2 storage operations in which an array of injection wells may be used to optimize storage in saline formations. The results of this work suggest future investigations of prospective storage resource in closed or semiclosed formations need not have a detailed understanding of the depositional environment of the reservoir to generate meaningful estimates. However, the results of this work also illustrate the relative importance of depositional environment, formation depth, structural geometry, and boundary conditions on the rate of CO 2 storage in these types of systems. CO 2 EOR occupies an important place in the realm of geologic storage of CO 2, as it is likely to be the primary means of geologic CO 2 storage during the early stages of commercial implementation, given the lack of a national policy and the viability of the current business case. This work estimates CO 2 storage efficiency factors using a unique industry database of CO 2 EOR sites and 18 different reservoir simulation models capturing fluvial clastic and shallow shelf carbonate depositional environments for reservoir depths of 1219 and 2438 meters (4000 and 8000 feet) and 7.6-, 20-, and 64-meter (25-, 66,- and 209-foot) pay zones. The results of this work provide practical information that can be used to quantify CO 2 storage resource estimates in oil reservoirs during CO 2 EOR operations (as opposed to storage following depletion) and the uncertainty associated with those estimates.« less

Final Environmental Assessment: Proposed Fire Crash Rescue Station, Hill Air Force Base, Utah

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-10-02

storage shed (Building 16) would be demolished and converted to parking ( see Figure 1 for the approximate locations). 1.3 Need for the Action The...existing facilities ( see Section 2.3.3.1), and other potential locations for siting the proposed fire crash rescue station ( see Section 2.3.3.2). 2.3...during scoping meetings, but eliminated from detailed consideration ( see Section 1.7.3) include: • geology and surface soils (seismicity, topography

Modeling CO2 distribution in a heterogeneous sandstone reservoir: the Johansen Formation, northern North Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sundal, Anja; Miri, Rohaldin; Petter Nystuen, Johan; Dypvik, Henning; Aagaard, Per

2013-04-01

The last few years there has been broad attention towards finding permanent storage options for CO2. The Norwegian continental margin holds great potential for storage in saline aquifers. Common for many of these reservoir candidates, however, is that geological data are sparse relative to thoroughly mapped hydrocarbon reservoirs in the region. Scenario modeling provides a method for estimating reservoir performances for potential CO2 storage sites and for testing injection strategies. This approach is particularly useful in the evaluation of uncertainties related to reservoir properties and geometry. In this study we have tested the effect of geological heterogeneities in the Johansen Formation, which is a laterally extensive sandstone and saline aquifer at burial depths of 2 - 4 km, proposed as a suitable candidate for CO2 storage by Norwegian authorities. The central parts of the Johansen Formation are underlying the operating hydrocarbon field Troll. In order not to interfere with ongoing gas production, a potential CO2 injection well should be located at a safe distance from the gas reservoir, which consequently implies areas presently without well control. From 3D seismic data, prediction of spatial extent of sandstone is possible to a certain degree, whereas intra-reservoir flow baffles such as draping mudstone beds and calcite cemented layers are below seismic resolution. The number and lateral extent of flow baffles, as well as porosity- and permeability distributions are dependent of sedimentary facies and diagenesis. The interpretation of depositional environment and burial history is thus of crucial importance. A suite of scenario models was established for a potential injection area south of the Troll field. The model grids where made in Petrel based on our interpretations of seismic data, wire line logs, core and cuttings samples. Using Eclipse 300 the distribution of CO2 is modeled for different geological settings; with and without the presence of pervasive low permeability draping mudstone layers, and with varying lateral extent of potential calcite cemented layers in 8 to 15 intra-reservoir depth levels. The modeled area covers 10 x 15.8 km, with a thickness of 110 m at the injection point. Simulations were run with an injection phase of 30 years plus 100 years of migration. The presence of meso-scale flow baffles causes a reduction in vertical permeability in addition to the facies related variation on the micro-scale. Scenarios including potential flow baffles as separate layers in the model grids were compared to scenarios in which the effect of flow baffles were included using harmonic mean average of vertical permeability. The subsequent differences in CO2 distribution are important in estimating the contact area between the plume front and reservoir brine. A heterogeneous reservoir with internal flow baffles is not necessarily a disadvantage as long as sufficient injectivity is maintained within individual sandstone bodies. In each scenario we aim to adapt a suitable injection strategy with respect to utilizing local effects such as the delimitation of gravitational flow, in order to increase reservoir sweep and maximize the effect of trapping mechanisms (i.e. residual, stratigraphic, mineral and dissolution).

Regional-scale brine migration along vertical pathways due to CO2 injection - Part 1: The participatory modeling approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scheer, Dirk; Konrad, Wilfried; Class, Holger; Kissinger, Alexander; Knopf, Stefan; Noack, Vera

2017-06-01

Saltwater intrusion into potential drinking water aquifers due to the injection of CO2 into deep saline aquifers is one of the potential hazards associated with the geological storage of CO2. Thus, in a site selection process, models for predicting the fate of the displaced brine are required, for example, for a risk assessment or the optimization of pressure management concepts. From the very beginning, this research on brine migration aimed at involving expert and stakeholder knowledge and assessment in simulating the impacts of injecting CO2 into deep saline aquifers by means of a participatory modeling process. The involvement exercise made use of two approaches. First, guideline-based interviews were carried out, aiming at eliciting expert and stakeholder knowledge and assessments of geological structures and mechanisms affecting CO2-induced brine migration. Second, a stakeholder workshop including the World Café format yielded evaluations and judgments of the numerical modeling approach, scenario selection, and preliminary simulation results. The participatory modeling approach gained several results covering brine migration in general, the geological model sketch, scenario development, and the review of the preliminary simulation results. These results were included in revised versions of both the geological model and the numerical model, helping to improve the analysis of regional-scale brine migration along vertical pathways due to CO2 injection.

Draft Geologic Disposal Requirements Basis for STAD Specification

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ilgen, Anastasia G.; Bryan, Charles R.; Hardin, Ernest

2015-03-25

This document provides the basis for requirements in the current version of Performance Specification for Standardized Transportation, Aging, and Disposal Canister Systems, (FCRD-NFST-2014-0000579) that are driven by storage and geologic disposal considerations. Performance requirements for the Standardized Transportation, Aging, and Disposal (STAD) canister are given in Section 3.1 of that report. Here, the requirements are reviewed and the rationale for each provided. Note that, while FCRD-NFST-2014-0000579 provides performance specifications for other components of the STAD storage system (e.g. storage overpack, transfer and transportation casks, and others), these have no impact on the canister performance during disposal, and are not discussedmore » here.« less

A national look at carbon capture and storage-National carbon sequestration database and geographical information system (NatCarb)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carr, T.R.; Iqbal, A.; Callaghan, N.; ,; Look, K.; Saving, S.; Nelson, K.

2009-01-01

The US Department of Energy's Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnerships (RCSPs) are responsible for generating geospatial data for the maps displayed in the Carbon Sequestration Atlas of the United States and Canada. Key geospatial data (carbon sources, potential storage sites, transportation, land use, etc.) are required for the Atlas, and for efficient implementation of carbon sequestration on a national and regional scale. The National Carbon Sequestration Database and Geographical Information System (NatCarb) is a relational database and geographic information system (GIS) that integrates carbon storage data generated and maintained by the RCSPs and various other sources. The purpose of NatCarb is to provide a national view of the carbon capture and storage potential in the U.S. and Canada. The digital spatial database allows users to estimate the amount of CO2 emitted by sources (such as power plants, refineries and other fossil-fuel-consuming industries) in relation to geologic formations that can provide safe, secure storage sites over long periods of time. The NatCarb project is working to provide all stakeholders with improved online tools for the display and analysis of CO2 carbon capture and storage data. NatCarb is organizing and enhancing the critical information about CO2 sources and developing the technology needed to access, query, model, analyze, display, and distribute natural resource data related to carbon management. Data are generated, maintained and enhanced locally at the RCSP level, or at specialized data warehouses, and assembled, accessed, and analyzed in real-time through a single geoportal. NatCarb is a functional demonstration of distributed data-management systems that cross the boundaries between institutions and geographic areas. It forms the first step toward a functioning National Carbon Cyberinfrastructure (NCCI). NatCarb provides access to first-order information to evaluate the costs, economic potential and societal issues of CO2 capture and storage, including public perception and regulatory aspects. NatCarb online access has been modified to address the broad needs of a spectrum of users. NatCarb includes not only GIS and database query tools for high-end user, but simplified display for the general public using readily available web tools such as Google Earth???and Google Maps???. Not only is NatCarb connected to all the RCSPs, but data are also pulled from public servers including the U.S. Geological Survey-EROS Data Center and from the Geography Network. Data for major CO2 sources have been obtained from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) databases, and data on major coal basins and coalbed methane wells were obtained from the Energy Information Administration (EIA). ?? 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Carbon Sequestration in Unconventional Reservoirs: Advantages and Limitations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zakharova, N. V.; Slagle, A. L.; Goldberg, D.

2014-12-01

To make a significant impact on anthropogenic CO2 emissions, geologic carbon sequestration would require thousands of CO2 repositories around the world. Unconventional reservoirs, such as igneous rocks and fractured formations, may add substantial storage capacity and diversify CO2 storage options. In particular, basaltic rocks represent a promising target due to their widespread occurrence, potentially suitable reservoir structure and high reactivity with CO2, but a comprehensive evaluation of worldwide CO2 sequestration capacity in unconventional reservoirs is lacking. In this presentation we summarize available data on storage potential of basaltic rocks and fractured formations illustrated by field examples from the Columbia River Basalt, the Newark Rift Basin and IODP Site 1256, and discuss potential limiting factors, such as effective porosity and the risk of inducing earthquakes by CO2 injections. Large Igneous Provinces (LIPs), low-volume flows and intrusions, and ocean floor basalt represent three general classes of basaltic reservoirs, each characterized by different structure and storage capacity. Oceanic plateaus and LIPs are projected to have the highest CO2 storage capacity, on the order of thousands gigatons (Gt) per site, followed by continental LIPs and ocean floor basalts (hundreds to thousands Gt per site). Isolated basalt flows and intrusions are likely to offer only low- to moderate-capacity options. An important limiting factor on CO2 injection volumes and rates is the risk of inducing earthquakes by increasing pore pressure in the subsurface. On continents, available in situ stress analysis suggests that local stress perturbations at depth may create relaxed stress conditions, allowing for pore pressure increase without reactivating fractures and faults. Remote storage sites on oceanic plateaus and below the seafloor are advantageous due to low impact of potential seismic and/or leakage events. Other effects, such as thermal stresses created by temperature difference between injected fluid and the host formation, may be particularly important for reservoir stability in high-temperature offshore locations. Overall, unconventional reservoirs in offshore locations offer the potential benefits of vast and safe storage for captured CO2 emissions.

Observational evidence confirms modelling of the long-term integrity of CO 2-reservoir caprocks

DOE PAGES

Kampman, N.; Busch, A.; Bertier, P.; ...

2016-07-28

Storage of anthropogenic CO 2 in geological formations relies on a caprock as the primary seal preventing buoyant super-critical CO 2 escaping. Although natural CO 2 reservoirs demonstrate that CO 2 may be stored safely for millions of years, uncertainty remains in predicting how caprocks will react with CO 2-bearing brines. The resulting uncertainty poses a significant challenge to the risk assessment of geological carbon storage. We describe mineral reaction fronts in a CO 2 reservoir-caprock system exposed to CO 2 over a timescale comparable with that needed for geological carbon storage. Moreover, the propagation of the reaction front ismore » retarded by redox-sensitive mineral dissolution reactions and carbonate precipitation, which reduces its penetration into the caprock to ~7 cm in ~10 5 years. This distance is an order-of-magnitude smaller than previous predictions. The results attest to the significance of transport-limited reactions to the long-term integrity of sealing behaviour in caprocks exposed to CO 2.« less

Observational evidence confirms modelling of the long-term integrity of CO2-reservoir caprocks

PubMed Central

Kampman, N.; Busch, A.; Bertier, P.; Snippe, J.; Hangx, S.; Pipich, V.; Di, Z.; Rother, G.; Harrington, J. F.; Evans, J. P.; Maskell, A.; Chapman, H. J.; Bickle, M. J.

2016-01-01

Storage of anthropogenic CO2 in geological formations relies on a caprock as the primary seal preventing buoyant super-critical CO2 escaping. Although natural CO2 reservoirs demonstrate that CO2 may be stored safely for millions of years, uncertainty remains in predicting how caprocks will react with CO2-bearing brines. This uncertainty poses a significant challenge to the risk assessment of geological carbon storage. Here we describe mineral reaction fronts in a CO2 reservoir-caprock system exposed to CO2 over a timescale comparable with that needed for geological carbon storage. The propagation of the reaction front is retarded by redox-sensitive mineral dissolution reactions and carbonate precipitation, which reduces its penetration into the caprock to ∼7 cm in ∼105 years. This distance is an order-of-magnitude smaller than previous predictions. The results attest to the significance of transport-limited reactions to the long-term integrity of sealing behaviour in caprocks exposed to CO2. PMID:27464840

Characterization of the Helderberg Group as a geologic seal for CO 2 sequestration

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lewis, J.E.; McDowell, R.R.; Avary, K.L.; Carter, K.M.

2009-01-01

The Midwest Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership recognizes that both the Devonian Oriskany Sandstone and the Silurian Salina Group offer potential for subsurface carbon dioxide storage in northern West Virginia. The Silurian-Devonian Helderberg Group lies stratigraphically between these two units, and consequendy, its potential as a geologic seal must be evaluated. Predominantly a carbonate interval with minor interbedded siliciclastics and chert, the Helderberg Group was deposited in an ancient epeiric sea. Although most previous investigations of this unit have concentrated on outcrops in eastern West Virginia, new information is available from an injection well drilled along the Ohio River at First Energy's R. E. Burger electric power plant near Shadyside, Ohio. Geophysical, seismic, and core data from this well have been combined with existing outcrop information to evaluate the Helderberg Group's potential as a seal. The data collected suggest that only secondary porosity remains, and permeability, if it exists, most likely occurs along faults or within fractures. ?? 2009. The American Association of Petroleum Geologists/Division of Environmental Geosciences. All rights reserved.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stein, Joshua S.; Rautman, Christopher Arthur

The Bryan Mound salt dome, located near Freeport, Texas, is home to one of four underground crude oil-storage facilities managed by the U. S. Department of Energy Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) Program. Sandia National Laboratories, as the geotechnical advisor to the SPR, conducts site-characterization investigations and other longer-term geotechnical and engineering studies in support of the program. This report describes the conversion of two-dimensional geologic interpretations of the Bryan Mound site into three-dimensional geologic models. The new models include the geometry of the salt dome, the surrounding sedimentary units, mapped faults, and the 20 oil-storage caverns at the site. Thismore » work provides an internally consistent geologic model of the Bryan Mound site that can be used in support of future work.« less

Soil and geologic controls on recharge and groundwater flow response to climate perturbation: A case study of the Yakima River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, T. T.; Pham, H. V.; Bachmann, M.; Tague, C.; Adam, J. C.

2017-12-01

The Yakima River Basin (YRB) is one of the most important agricultural basins in Washington State with annual revenues in excess of $3.2 billion. This intensively irrigated basin is, however, one of the state's most climatically sensitive water resources system as it heavily relies on winter snowpack and limited reservoir storage. Water shortages and drought are expected to be more frequent with climate change, population growth and increasing agricultural demand. This could result in significant impacts on the groundwater system and subsequently the Yakima River. The goal of this study is to assess how soil and geologic characteristics affect catchment recharge and groundwater flow across three catchments within the YRB using a coupled framework including a physically based hydro-ecological model, the Regional Hydro-Ecologic Simulation System (RHESSys) and a groundwater model, MODFLOW. Soil and geologic-related parameters were randomly sampled to use within the Distributed Evaluation of Local Sensitivity Analysis (DELSA) framework to explore their roles in governing catchment recharge and groundwater flow to climate perturbation. Preliminarily results show that catchment recharge is most sensitive to variation in soil transmissivity in two catchments. However, in the other catchment, recharge is more influenced by soil field capacity and bypass recharge. Recharge is also more sensitive to geologic related parameters in catchments where a portion of its flow comes from deep groundwater. When including the effect of climate perturbations, the sensitivity of recharge responses to soil and geologic characteristics varies with temperature and precipitation change. On the other hand, horizontal hydraulic conductivity is the dominant factor that controls groundwater flow responses in catchments with low permeability soil; alternatively, specific storage (and, to some extent, vertical anisotropy) are important in catchments with more conductive soil. The modeling framework developed in this study will be used to investigate the impacts of both climate and drought-relief supplemental pumping on potential recharge, groundwater and streamflow changes in the YRB.

Evaluation of Lithofacies Up-Scaling Methods for Probabilistic Prediction of Carbon Dioxide Behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, J. Y.; Lee, S.; Lee, Y. I.; Kihm, J. H.; Kim, J. M.

2017-12-01

Behavior of carbon dioxide injected into target reservoir (storage) formations is highly dependent on heterogeneities of geologic lithofacies and properties. These heterogeneous lithofacies and properties basically have probabilistic characteristics. Thus, their probabilistic evaluation has to be implemented properly into predicting behavior of injected carbon dioxide in heterogeneous storage formations. In this study, a series of three-dimensional geologic modeling is performed first using SKUA-GOCAD (ASGA and Paradigm) to establish lithofacies models of the Janggi Conglomerate in the Janggi Basin, Korea within a modeling domain. The Janggi Conglomerate is composed of mudstone, sandstone, and conglomerate, and it has been identified as a potential reservoir rock (clastic saline formation) for geologic carbon dioxide storage. Its lithofacies information are obtained from four boreholes and used in lithofacies modeling. Three different up-scaling methods (i.e., nearest to cell center, largest proportion, and random) are applied, and lithofacies modeling is performed 100 times for each up-scaling method. The lithofacies models are then compared and analyzed with the borehole data to evaluate the relative suitability of the three up-scaling methods. Finally, the lithofacies models are converted into coarser lithofacies models within the same modeling domain with larger grid blocks using the three up-scaling methods, and a series of multiphase thermo-hydrological numerical simulation is performed using TOUGH2-MP (Zhang et al., 2008) to predict probabilistically behavior of injected carbon dioxide. The coarser lithofacies models are also compared and analyzed with the borehole data and finer lithofacies models to evaluate the relative suitability of the three up-scaling methods. Three-dimensional geologic modeling, up-scaling, and multiphase thermo-hydrological numerical simulation as linked methodologies presented in this study can be utilized as a practical probabilistic evaluation tool to predict behavior of injected carbon dioxide and even to analyze its leakage risk. This work was supported by the Korea CCS 2020 Project of the Korea Carbon Capture and Sequestration R&D Center (KCRC) funded by the National Research Foundation (NRF), Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT), Korea.

Induction conductivity and natural gamma logs collected in 15 wells at Camp Stanley Storage Activity, Bexar County, Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stanton, Gregory P.

2005-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Camp Stanley Storage Activity conducted electromagnetic induction conductivity and natural gamma logging of 15 selected wells on the Camp Stanley Storage Activity, located in northern Bexar County, Texas, during March 28–30, 2005. In late 2004, a helicopter electromagnetic survey was flown of the Camp Stanley Storage Activity as part of a U.S. Geological Survey project to better define subsurface geologic units, the structure, and the catchment area of the Trinity aquifer. The electromagnetic induction conductivity and natural gamma log data in this report were collected to constrain the calculation of resistivity depth sections and to provide subsurface controls for interpretation of the helicopter electromagnetic data collected for the Camp Stanley Storage Activity. Logs were recorded digitally while moving the probe in an upward direction to maintain proper depth control. Logging speed was no greater than 30 feet per minute. During logging, a repeat section of at least 100 feet was recorded to check repeatability of log responses. Several of the wells logged were completed with polyvinyl chloride casing that can be penetrated by electromagnetic induction fields and allows conductivity measurement. However, some wells were constructed with steel centralizers and stainless steel screen that caused spikes on both conductivity and resulting resistivity log curves. These responses are easily recognizable and appear at regular intervals on several logs.

Lessons from Iowa : development of a 270 megawatt compressed air energy storage project in midwest Independent System Operator : a study for the DOE Energy Storage Systems Program.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Holst, Kent; Huff, Georgianne; Schulte, Robert H.

2012-01-01

The Iowa Stored Energy Park was an innovative, 270 Megawatt, $400 million compressed air energy storage (CAES) project proposed for in-service near Des Moines, Iowa, in 2015. After eight years in development the project was terminated because of site geological limitations. However, much was learned in the development process regarding what it takes to do a utility-scale, bulk energy storage facility and coordinate it with regional renewable wind energy resources in an Independent System Operator (ISO) marketplace. Lessons include the costs and long-term economics of a CAES facility compared to conventional natural gas-fired generation alternatives; market, legislative, and contract issuesmore » related to enabling energy storage in an ISO market; the importance of due diligence in project management; and community relations and marketing for siting of large energy projects. Although many of the lessons relate to CAES applications in particular, most of the lessons learned are independent of site location or geology, or even the particular energy storage technology involved.« less

Surficial geologic map of the southwest Memphis Quadrangle, Shelby County, Tennessee, and Crittenden County, Arkansas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moore, David W.; Diehl, Sharon F.

2004-01-01

This map is one of seven 1:24,000-scale (7.5-minute) quadrangle maps of the surficial geology of the Memphis, Tennessee, area--part of a series of urban hazard maps. Wind-deposited silt and clayey silt (loess) is the predominant surficial deposit in this quadrangle. The loess was deposited as dust during the last major continental glaciation of the region and it covers the upland to depths of 4.5-16 m. River alluvium (unit Qal), which is chiefly a sandy and gravelly sand deposit about 30 m thick, underlies the Mississippi River floodplain. This unit supports extensive artificial fill and infrastructure used for shipping storage and petroleum processing and storage. Based on paleoliquefaction structures (sand boils) documented in Mississippi River alluvium elsewhere, this unit probably has the potential to liquefy during strong earthquake shaking. No paleoliquefaction structures were observed within the Southwest Memphis quadrangle. Another deposit in the quadrangle is silty alluvium of the Nonconnah Creek floodplain, and is 1-10 m thick. Sparse, unconsolidated pebbly sand deposits are 0.5-3 m thick and make up point bars and channel deposits of Nonconnah Creek.

A laboratory study of supercritical CO2 adsorption on cap rocks in the geological storage conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jedli, Hedi; Jbara, Abdessalem; Hedfi, Hachem; Bouzgarrou, Souhail; Slimi, Khalifa

2017-04-01

In the present study, various cap rocks have been experimentally reacted in water with supercritical CO2 in geological storage conditions ( P = 8 × 106 Pa and T = 80 °C) for 25 days. To characterize the potential CO2-water-rock interactions, an experimental setup has been built to provide additional information concerning the effects of structure, thermal and surface characteristics changes due to CO2 injection with cap rocks. In addition, CO2 adsorption capacities of different materials (i.e., clay evaporate and sandstone) are measured. These samples were characterized by XRD technique. The BET specific surface area was determined by nitrogen isotherms. In addition, thermal characteristics of untreated adsorbents were analyzed via TGA method and topography surfaces are identified by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Taking into account pressure and temperature, the physical as well as chemical mechanisms of CO2 retention were determined. Isotherm change profiles of samples for relative pressure range indicate clearly that CO2 was adsorbed in different quantities. In accordance with the X-ray diffraction, a crystalline phase was formed due to the carbonic acid attack and precipitation of some carbonate.

Summertime Minimum Streamflow Elasticity to Antecendent Winter Precipitation, Peak Snow Water Equivalent and Summertime Evaporative Demand in the Western US Maritime Mountains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schaperow, J.; Cooper, M. G.; Cooley, S. W.; Alam, S.; Smith, L. C.; Lettenmaier, D. P.

2017-12-01

As climate regimes shift, streamflows and our ability to predict them will change, as well. Elasticity of summer minimum streamflow is estimated for 138 unimpaired headwater river basins across the maritime western US mountains to better understand how climatologic variables and geologic characteristics interact to determine the response of summer low flows to winter precipitation (PPT), spring snow water equivalent (SWE), and summertime potential evapotranspiration (PET). Elasticities are calculated using log log linear regression, and linear reservoir storage coefficients are used to represent basin geology. Storage coefficients are estimated using baseflow recession analysis. On average, SWE, PET, and PPT explain about 1/3 of the summertime low flow variance. Snow-dominated basins with long timescales of baseflow recession are least sensitive to changes in SWE, PPT, and PET, while rainfall-dominated, faster draining basins are most sensitive. There are also implications for the predictability of summer low flows. The R2 between streamflow and SWE drops from 0.62 to 0.47 from snow-dominated to rain-dominated basins, while there is no corresponding increase in R2 between streamflow and PPT.

Reviews and syntheses: Calculating the global contribution of coralline algae to total carbon burial

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van der Heijden, L. H.; Kamenos, N. A.

2015-11-01

The ongoing increase in anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions is changing the global marine environment and is causing warming and acidification of the oceans. Reduction of CO2 to a sustainable level is required to avoid further marine change. Many studies investigate the potential of marine carbon sinks (e.g. seagrass) to mitigate anthropogenic emissions, however, information on storage by coralline algae and the beds they create is scant. Calcifying photosynthetic organisms, including coralline algae, can act as a CO2 sink via photosynthesis and CaCO3 dissolution and act as a CO2 source during respiration and CaCO3 production on short-term timescales. Long-term carbon storage potential might come from the accumulation of coralline algae deposits over geological timescales. Here, the carbon storage potential of coralline algae is assessed using meta-analysis of their global organic and inorganic carbon production and the processes involved in this metabolism. Net organic and inorganic production were estimated at 330 g C m-2 yr-1 and 900 g CaCO3 m-2 yr-1 respectively giving global organic/inorganic C production of 0.7/1.8 × 109 t C yr-1. Calcium carbonate production by free-living/crustose coralline algae (CCA) corresponded to a sediment accretion of 70/450 mm kyr-1. Using this potential carbon storage for coralline algae, the global production of free-living algae/CCA was 0.4/1.2 × 109 t C yr-1 suggesting a total potential carbon sink of 1.6 × 109 tonnes per year. Coralline algae therefore have production rates similar to mangroves, salt marshes and seagrasses representing an as yet unquantified but significant carbon store, however, further empirical investigations are needed to determine the dynamics and stability of that store.

Improved understanding of geologic CO{sub 2} storage processes requires risk-driven field experiments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Oldenburg, C.M.

2011-06-01

The need for risk-driven field experiments for CO{sub 2} geologic storage processes to complement ongoing pilot-scale demonstrations is discussed. These risk-driven field experiments would be aimed at understanding the circumstances under which things can go wrong with a CO{sub 2} capture and storage (CCS) project and cause it to fail, as distinguished from accomplishing this end using demonstration and industrial scale sites. Such risk-driven tests would complement risk-assessment efforts that have already been carried out by providing opportunities to validate risk models. In addition to experimenting with high-risk scenarios, these controlled field experiments could help validate monitoring approaches to improvemore » performance assessment and guide development of mitigation strategies.« less

Influence of Chemical, Mechanical, and Transport Processes on Wellbore Leakage from Geologic CO2 Storage Reservoirs.

PubMed

Carroll, Susan A; Iyer, Jaisree; Walsh, Stuart D C

2017-08-15

Wells are considered to be high-risk pathways for fluid leakage from geologic CO 2 storage reservoirs, because breaches in this engineered system have the potential to connect the reservoir to groundwater resources and the atmosphere. Given these concerns, a few studies have assessed leakage risk by evaluating regulatory records, often self-reported, documenting leakage in gas fields. Leakage is thought to be governed largely by initial well-construction quality and the method of well abandonment. The geologic carbon storage community has raised further concerns because acidic fluids in the CO 2 storage reservoir, alkaline cement meant to isolate the reservoir fluids from the overlying strata, and steel casings in wells are inherently reactive systems. This is of particular concern for storage of CO 2 in depleted oil and gas reservoirs with numerous legacy wells engineered to variable standards. Research suggests that leakage risks are not as great as initially perceived because chemical and mechanical alteration of cement has the capacity to seal damaged zones. Our work centers on defining the coupled chemical and mechanical processes governing flow in damaged zones in wells. We have developed process-based models, constrained by experiments, to better understand and forecast leakage risk. Leakage pathways can be sealed by precipitation of carbonate minerals in the fractures and deformation of the reacted cement. High reactivity of cement hydroxides releases excess calcium that can precipitate as carbonate solids in the fracture network under low brine flow rates. If the flow is fast, then the brine remains undersaturated with respect to the solubility of calcium carbonate minerals, and zones depleted in calcium hydroxides, enriched in calcium carbonate precipitates, and made of amorphous silicates leached of original cement minerals are formed. Under confining pressure, the reacted cement is compressed, which reduces permeability and lowers leakage risks. The broader context of this paper is to use our experimentally calibrated chemical, mechanical, and transport model to illustrate when, where, and in what conditions fracture pathways seal in CO 2 storage wells, to reduce their risk to groundwater resources. We do this by defining the amount of cement and the time required to effectively seal the leakage pathways associated with peak and postinjection overpressures, within the context of oil and gas industry standards for leak detection, mitigation, and repairs. Our simulations suggest that for many damage scenarios chemical and mechanical processes lower leakage risk by reducing or sealing fracture pathways. Leakage risk would remain high in wells with a large amount of damage, modeled here as wide fracture apertures, where fast flowing fluids are too dilute for carbonate precipitation and subsurface stress does not compress the altered cement. Fracture sealing is more likely as reservoir pressures decrease during the postinjection phase where lower fluxes aid chemical alteration and mechanical deformation of cement. Our results hold promise for the development of mitigation framework to avoid impacting groundwater resources above any geologic CO 2 storage reservoir by correlating operational pressures and barrier lengths.

Influence of Chemical, Mechanical, and Transport Processes on Wellbore Leakage from Geologic CO 2 Storage Reservoirs

DOE PAGES

Carroll, Susan A.; Iyer, Jaisree; Walsh, Stuart D. C.

2017-07-25

Wells are considered to be high-risk pathways for fluid leakage from geologic CO 2 storage reservoirs, because breaches in this engineered system have the potential to connect the reservoir to groundwater resources and the atmosphere. Given these concerns, a few studies have assessed leakage risk by evaluating regulatory records, often self-reported, documenting leakage in gas fields. Leakage is thought to be governed largely by initial well-construction quality and the method of well abandonment. The geologic carbon storage community has raised further concerns because acidic fluids in the CO 2 storage reservoir, alkaline cement meant to isolate the reservoir fluids frommore » the overlying strata, and steel casings in wells are inherently reactive systems. This is of particular concern for storage of CO 2 in depleted oil and gas reservoirs with numerous legacy wells engineered to variable standards. Research suggests that leakage risks are not as great as initially perceived because chemical and mechanical alteration of cement has the capacity to seal damaged zones. Our work centers on defining the coupled chemical and mechanical processes governing flow in damaged zones in wells. We have developed process-based models, constrained by experiments, to better understand and forecast leakage risk. Leakage pathways can be sealed by precipitation of carbonate minerals in the fractures and deformation of the reacted cement. High reactivity of cement hydroxides releases excess calcium that can precipitate as carbonate solids in the fracture network under low brine flow rates. If the flow is fast, then the brine remains undersaturated with respect to the solubility of calcium carbonate minerals, and zones depleted in calcium hydroxides, enriched in calcium carbonate precipitates, and made of amorphous silicates leached of original cement minerals are formed. Under confining pressure, the reacted cement is compressed, which reduces permeability and lowers leakage risks. The broader context of this paper is to use our experimentally calibrated chemical, mechanical, and transport model to illustrate when, where, and in what conditions fracture pathways seal in CO 2 storage wells, to reduce their risk to groundwater resources. We do this by defining the amount of cement and the time required to effectively seal the leakage pathways associated with peak and postinjection overpressures, within the context of oil and gas industry standards for leak detection, mitigation, and repairs. Our simulations suggest that for many damage scenarios chemical and mechanical processes lower leakage risk by reducing or sealing fracture pathways. Leakage risk would remain high in wells with a large amount of damage, modeled here as wide fracture apertures, where fast flowing fluids are too dilute for carbonate precipitation and subsurface stress does not compress the altered cement. Fracture sealing is more likely as reservoir pressures decrease during the postinjection phase where lower fluxes aid chemical alteration and mechanical deformation of cement. Our results hold promise for the development of mitigation framework to avoid impacting groundwater resources above any geologic CO 2 storage reservoir by correlating operational pressures and barrier lengths.« less

Influence of Chemical, Mechanical, and Transport Processes on Wellbore Leakage from Geologic CO 2 Storage Reservoirs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Carroll, Susan A.; Iyer, Jaisree; Walsh, Stuart D. C.

Wells are considered to be high-risk pathways for fluid leakage from geologic CO 2 storage reservoirs, because breaches in this engineered system have the potential to connect the reservoir to groundwater resources and the atmosphere. Given these concerns, a few studies have assessed leakage risk by evaluating regulatory records, often self-reported, documenting leakage in gas fields. Leakage is thought to be governed largely by initial well-construction quality and the method of well abandonment. The geologic carbon storage community has raised further concerns because acidic fluids in the CO 2 storage reservoir, alkaline cement meant to isolate the reservoir fluids frommore » the overlying strata, and steel casings in wells are inherently reactive systems. This is of particular concern for storage of CO 2 in depleted oil and gas reservoirs with numerous legacy wells engineered to variable standards. Research suggests that leakage risks are not as great as initially perceived because chemical and mechanical alteration of cement has the capacity to seal damaged zones. Our work centers on defining the coupled chemical and mechanical processes governing flow in damaged zones in wells. We have developed process-based models, constrained by experiments, to better understand and forecast leakage risk. Leakage pathways can be sealed by precipitation of carbonate minerals in the fractures and deformation of the reacted cement. High reactivity of cement hydroxides releases excess calcium that can precipitate as carbonate solids in the fracture network under low brine flow rates. If the flow is fast, then the brine remains undersaturated with respect to the solubility of calcium carbonate minerals, and zones depleted in calcium hydroxides, enriched in calcium carbonate precipitates, and made of amorphous silicates leached of original cement minerals are formed. Under confining pressure, the reacted cement is compressed, which reduces permeability and lowers leakage risks. The broader context of this paper is to use our experimentally calibrated chemical, mechanical, and transport model to illustrate when, where, and in what conditions fracture pathways seal in CO 2 storage wells, to reduce their risk to groundwater resources. We do this by defining the amount of cement and the time required to effectively seal the leakage pathways associated with peak and postinjection overpressures, within the context of oil and gas industry standards for leak detection, mitigation, and repairs. Our simulations suggest that for many damage scenarios chemical and mechanical processes lower leakage risk by reducing or sealing fracture pathways. Leakage risk would remain high in wells with a large amount of damage, modeled here as wide fracture apertures, where fast flowing fluids are too dilute for carbonate precipitation and subsurface stress does not compress the altered cement. Fracture sealing is more likely as reservoir pressures decrease during the postinjection phase where lower fluxes aid chemical alteration and mechanical deformation of cement. Our results hold promise for the development of mitigation framework to avoid impacting groundwater resources above any geologic CO 2 storage reservoir by correlating operational pressures and barrier lengths.« less

The potential of near-surface geophysical methods in a hierarchical monitoring approach for the detection of shallow CO2 seeps at geological storage sites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sauer, U.; Schuetze, C.; Dietrich, P.

2013-12-01

The MONACO project (Monitoring approach for geological CO2 storage sites using a hierarchic observation concept) aims to find reliable monitoring tools that work on different spatial and temporal scales at geological CO2 storage sites. This integrative hierarchical monitoring approach based on different levels of coverage and resolutions is proposed as a means of reliably detecting CO2 degassing areas at ground surface level and for identifying CO2 leakages from storage formations into the shallow subsurface, as well as CO2 releases into the atmosphere. As part of this integrative hierarchical monitoring concept, several methods and technologies from ground-based remote sensing (Open-path Fourier-transform infrared (OP-FTIR) spectroscopy), regional measurements (near-surface geophysics, chamber-based soil CO2 flux measurement) and local in-situ measurements (using shallow boreholes) will either be combined or used complementary to one another. The proposed combination is a suitable concept for investigating CO2 release sites. This also presents the possibility of adopting a modular monitoring concept whereby our monitoring approach can be expanded to incorporate other methods in various coverage scales at any temporal resolution. The link between information obtained from large-scale surveys and local in-situ monitoring can be realized by sufficient geophysical techniques for meso-scale monitoring, such as geoelectrical and self-potential (SP) surveys. These methods are useful for characterizing fluid flow and transport processes in permeable near-surface sedimentary layers and can yield important information concerning CO2-affected subsurface structures. Results of measurements carried out a natural analogue site in the Czech Republic indicate that the hierarchical monitoring approach represents a successful multidisciplinary modular concept that can be used to monitor both physical and chemical processes taking place during CO2 migration and seepage. The application of FTIR spectroscopy in combination with soil gas surveys and geophysical investigations results in a comprehensive site characterization, including atmospheric and near-surface CO2 distribution, as well as subsurface structural features. We observed a correlation of higher CO2 concentration and flux rates at the meso-scale that coincides with distinct geophysical anomalies. Here, we found prominent SP anomalies and zones of lower resistivity in the geoelectrical images compared to undisturbed regions nearby. This presentation will discuss the results we obtained and illustrate the influence of CO2 on electrical parameters measured under field conditions in relation to environmental parameters.

Comparison of geomechanical deformation induced by megatonne-scale CO2 storage at Sleipner, Weyburn, and In Salah

PubMed Central

Verdon, James P.; Kendall, J.-Michael; Stork, Anna L.; Chadwick, R. Andy; White, Don J.; Bissell, Rob C.

2013-01-01

Geological storage of CO2 that has been captured at large, point source emitters represents a key potential method for reduction of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. However, this technology will only be viable if it can be guaranteed that injected CO2 will remain trapped in the subsurface for thousands of years or more. A significant issue for storage security is the geomechanical response of the reservoir. Concerns have been raised that geomechanical deformation induced by CO2 injection will create or reactivate fracture networks in the sealing caprocks, providing a pathway for CO2 leakage. In this paper, we examine three large-scale sites where CO2 is injected at rates of ∼1 megatonne/y or more: Sleipner, Weyburn, and In Salah. We compare and contrast the observed geomechanical behavior of each site, with particular focus on the risks to storage security posed by geomechanical deformation. At Sleipner, the large, high-permeability storage aquifer has experienced little pore pressure increase over 15 y of injection, implying little possibility of geomechanical deformation. At Weyburn, 45 y of oil production has depleted pore pressures before increases associated with CO2 injection. The long history of the field has led to complicated, sometimes nonintuitive geomechanical deformation. At In Salah, injection into the water leg of a gas reservoir has increased pore pressures, leading to uplift and substantial microseismic activity. The differences in the geomechanical responses of these sites emphasize the need for systematic geomechanical appraisal before injection in any potential storage site. PMID:23836635

Comparison of geomechanical deformation induced by megatonne-scale CO2 storage at Sleipner, Weyburn, and In Salah.

PubMed

Verdon, James P; Kendall, J-Michael; Stork, Anna L; Chadwick, R Andy; White, Don J; Bissell, Rob C

2013-07-23

Geological storage of CO2 that has been captured at large, point source emitters represents a key potential method for reduction of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. However, this technology will only be viable if it can be guaranteed that injected CO2 will remain trapped in the subsurface for thousands of years or more. A significant issue for storage security is the geomechanical response of the reservoir. Concerns have been raised that geomechanical deformation induced by CO2 injection will create or reactivate fracture networks in the sealing caprocks, providing a pathway for CO2 leakage. In this paper, we examine three large-scale sites where CO2 is injected at rates of ~1 megatonne/y or more: Sleipner, Weyburn, and In Salah. We compare and contrast the observed geomechanical behavior of each site, with particular focus on the risks to storage security posed by geomechanical deformation. At Sleipner, the large, high-permeability storage aquifer has experienced little pore pressure increase over 15 y of injection, implying little possibility of geomechanical deformation. At Weyburn, 45 y of oil production has depleted pore pressures before increases associated with CO2 injection. The long history of the field has led to complicated, sometimes nonintuitive geomechanical deformation. At In Salah, injection into the water leg of a gas reservoir has increased pore pressures, leading to uplift and substantial microseismic activity. The differences in the geomechanical responses of these sites emphasize the need for systematic geomechanical appraisal before injection in any potential storage site.

Evaluating Potential for Large Releases from CO2 StorageReservoirs: Analogs, Scenarios, and Modeling Needs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Birkholzer, Jens; Pruess, Karsten; Lewicki, Jennifer

2005-09-19

While the purpose of geologic storage of CO{sub 2} in deep saline formations is to trap greenhouse gases underground, the potential exists for CO{sub 2} to escape from the target reservoir, migrate upward along permeable pathways, and discharge at the land surface. Such discharge is not necessarily a serious concern, as CO{sub 2} is a naturally abundant and relatively benign gas in low concentrations. However, there is a potential risk to health, safety and environment (HSE) in the event that large localized fluxes of CO{sub 2} were to occur at the land surface, especially where CO{sub 2} could accumulate. Inmore » this paper, we develop possible scenarios for large CO{sub 2} fluxes based on the analysis of natural analogues, where large releases of gas have been observed. We are particularly interested in scenarios which could generate sudden, possibly self-enhancing, or even eruptive release events. The probability for such events may be low, but the circumstances under which they might occur and potential consequences need to be evaluated in order to design appropriate site selection and risk management strategies. Numerical modeling of hypothetical test cases is needed to determine critical conditions for such events, to evaluate whether such conditions may be possible at designated storage sites, and, if applicable, to evaluate the potential HSE impacts of such events and design appropriate mitigation strategies.« less

On sorption and swelling of CO 2 in clays

DOE PAGES

Busch, A.; Bertier, P.; Gensterblum, Y.; ...

2016-03-23

One well-studied technology is the geological storage of carbon dioxide (CO 2), and a number of demonstration projects around the world have proven its feasibility and challenges. Storage conformance and seal integrity are among the most important aspects, as they determine risk of leakage as well as limits for storage capacity and injectivity. By providing evidence for safe storage is critical for improving public acceptance. Most caprocks are composed of clays as dominant mineral type which can typically be illite, kaolinite, chlorite or smectite. A number of recent studies addressed the interaction between CO 2 and these different clays andmore » it was shown that clay minerals adsorb considerable quantities of CO 2. For smectite this uptake can lead to volumetric expansion followed by the generation of swelling pressures. On the one hand CO 2 adsorption traps CO 2, on the other hand swelling pressures can potentially change local stress regimes and in unfavourable situations shear-type failure is assumed to occur. Moreover, for storage in a reservoir having high clay contents the CO 2 uptake can add to storage capacity which is widely underestimated so far. Smectite-rich seals in direct contact with a dry CO 2 plume at the interface to the reservoir might dehydrate leading to dehydration cracks. Such dehydration cracks can provide pathways for CO 2 ingress and further accelerate dewatering and penetration of the seal by supercritical CO 2. At the same time, swelling may also lead to the closure of fractures or the reduction of fracture apertures, thereby improving seal integrity. Finally, the goal of this communication is to theoretically evaluate and discuss these scenarios in greater detail in terms of phenomenological mechanisms, but also in terms of potential risks or benefits for carbon storage.« less

Final Report: Optimal Model Complexity in Geological Carbon Sequestration: A Response Surface Uncertainty Analysis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, Ye

The critical component of a risk assessment study in evaluating GCS is an analysis of uncertainty in CO2 modeling. In such analyses, direct numerical simulation of CO2 flow and leakage requires many time-consuming model runs. Alternatively, analytical methods have been developed which allow fast and efficient estimation of CO2 storage and leakage, although restrictive assumptions on formation rock and fluid properties are employed. In this study, an intermediate approach is proposed based on the Design of Experiment and Response Surface methodology, which consists of using a limited number of numerical simulations to estimate a prediction outcome as a combination ofmore » the most influential uncertain site properties. The methodology can be implemented within a Monte Carlo framework to efficiently assess parameter and prediction uncertainty while honoring the accuracy of numerical simulations. The choice of the uncertain properties is flexible and can include geologic parameters that influence reservoir heterogeneity, engineering parameters that influence gas trapping and migration, and reactive parameters that influence the extent of fluid/rock reactions. The method was tested and verified on modeling long-term CO2 flow, non-isothermal heat transport, and CO2 dissolution storage by coupling two-phase flow with explicit miscibility calculation using an accurate equation of state that gives rise to convective mixing of formation brine variably saturated with CO2. All simulations were performed using three-dimensional high-resolution models including a target deep saline aquifer, overlying caprock, and a shallow aquifer. To evaluate the uncertainty in representing reservoir permeability, sediment hierarchy of a heterogeneous digital stratigraphy was mapped to create multiple irregularly shape stratigraphic models of decreasing geologic resolutions: heterogeneous (reference), lithofacies, depositional environment, and a (homogeneous) geologic formation. To ensure model equivalency, all the stratigraphic models were successfully upscaled from the reference heterogeneous model for bulk flow and transport predictions (Zhang & Zhang, 2015). GCS simulation was then simulated with all models, yielding insights into the level of parameterization complexity that is needed for the accurate simulation of reservoir pore pressure, CO2 storage, leakage, footprint, and dissolution over both short (i.e., injection) and longer (monitoring) time scales. Important uncertainty parameters that impact these key performance metrics were identified for the stratigraphic models as well as for the heterogeneous model, leading to the development of reduced/simplified models at lower characterization cost that can be used for the reservoir uncertainty analysis. All the CO2 modeling was conducted using PFLOTRAN – a massively parallel, multiphase, multi-component, and reactive transport simulator developed by a multi-laboratory DOE/SciDAC (Scientific Discovery through Advanced Computing) project (Zhang et al., 2017, in review). Within the uncertainty analysis framework, increasing reservoir depth were investigated to explore its effect on the uncertainty outcomes and the potential for developing gravity-stable injection with increased storage security (Dai et al., 20126; Dai et al., 2017, in review). Finally, to accurately model CO2 fluid-rock reactions and resulting long-term storage as secondary carbonate minerals, a modified kinetic rate law for general mineral dissolution and precipitation was proposed and verified that is invariant to a scale transformation of the mineral formula weight. This new formulation will lead to more accurate assessment of mineral storage over geologic time scales (Lichtner, 2016).« less

Co-optimization of CO 2 -EOR and Storage Processes under Geological Uncertainty

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ampomah, William; Balch, Robert; Will, Robert

This paper presents an integrated numerical framework to co-optimize EOR and CO 2 storage performance in the Farnsworth field unit (FWU), Ochiltree County, Texas. The framework includes a field-scale compositional reservoir flow model, an uncertainty quantification model and a neural network optimization process. The reservoir flow model has been constructed based on the field geophysical, geological, and engineering data. A laboratory fluid analysis was tuned to an equation of state and subsequently used to predict the thermodynamic minimum miscible pressure (MMP). A history match of primary and secondary recovery processes was conducted to estimate the reservoir and multiphase flow parametersmore » as the baseline case for analyzing the effect of recycling produced gas, infill drilling and water alternating gas (WAG) cycles on oil recovery and CO 2 storage. A multi-objective optimization model was defined for maximizing both oil recovery and CO 2 storage. The uncertainty quantification model comprising the Latin Hypercube sampling, Monte Carlo simulation, and sensitivity analysis, was used to study the effects of uncertain variables on the defined objective functions. Uncertain variables such as bottom hole injection pressure, WAG cycle, injection and production group rates, and gas-oil ratio among others were selected. The most significant variables were selected as control variables to be used for the optimization process. A neural network optimization algorithm was utilized to optimize the objective function both with and without geological uncertainty. The vertical permeability anisotropy (Kv/Kh) was selected as one of the uncertain parameters in the optimization process. The simulation results were compared to a scenario baseline case that predicted CO 2 storage of 74%. The results showed an improved approach for optimizing oil recovery and CO 2 storage in the FWU. The optimization process predicted more than 94% of CO 2 storage and most importantly about 28% of incremental oil recovery. The sensitivity analysis reduced the number of control variables to decrease computational time. A risk aversion factor was used to represent results at various confidence levels to assist management in the decision-making process. The defined objective functions were proved to be a robust approach to co-optimize oil recovery and CO 2 storage. The Farnsworth CO 2 project will serve as a benchmark for future CO 2–EOR or CCUS projects in the Anadarko basin or geologically similar basins throughout the world.« less

Co-optimization of CO 2 -EOR and Storage Processes under Geological Uncertainty

DOE PAGES

Ampomah, William; Balch, Robert; Will, Robert; ...

2017-07-01

This paper presents an integrated numerical framework to co-optimize EOR and CO 2 storage performance in the Farnsworth field unit (FWU), Ochiltree County, Texas. The framework includes a field-scale compositional reservoir flow model, an uncertainty quantification model and a neural network optimization process. The reservoir flow model has been constructed based on the field geophysical, geological, and engineering data. A laboratory fluid analysis was tuned to an equation of state and subsequently used to predict the thermodynamic minimum miscible pressure (MMP). A history match of primary and secondary recovery processes was conducted to estimate the reservoir and multiphase flow parametersmore » as the baseline case for analyzing the effect of recycling produced gas, infill drilling and water alternating gas (WAG) cycles on oil recovery and CO 2 storage. A multi-objective optimization model was defined for maximizing both oil recovery and CO 2 storage. The uncertainty quantification model comprising the Latin Hypercube sampling, Monte Carlo simulation, and sensitivity analysis, was used to study the effects of uncertain variables on the defined objective functions. Uncertain variables such as bottom hole injection pressure, WAG cycle, injection and production group rates, and gas-oil ratio among others were selected. The most significant variables were selected as control variables to be used for the optimization process. A neural network optimization algorithm was utilized to optimize the objective function both with and without geological uncertainty. The vertical permeability anisotropy (Kv/Kh) was selected as one of the uncertain parameters in the optimization process. The simulation results were compared to a scenario baseline case that predicted CO 2 storage of 74%. The results showed an improved approach for optimizing oil recovery and CO 2 storage in the FWU. The optimization process predicted more than 94% of CO 2 storage and most importantly about 28% of incremental oil recovery. The sensitivity analysis reduced the number of control variables to decrease computational time. A risk aversion factor was used to represent results at various confidence levels to assist management in the decision-making process. The defined objective functions were proved to be a robust approach to co-optimize oil recovery and CO 2 storage. The Farnsworth CO 2 project will serve as a benchmark for future CO 2–EOR or CCUS projects in the Anadarko basin or geologically similar basins throughout the world.« less

Modelling CO2 flow in naturally fractured geological media using MINC and multiple subregion upscaling procedure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tatomir, Alexandru Bogdan A. C.; Flemisch, Bernd; Class, Holger; Helmig, Rainer; Sauter, Martin

2017-04-01

Geological storage of CO2 represents one viable solution to reduce greenhouse gas emission in the atmosphere. Potential leakage of CO2 storage can occur through networks of interconnected fractures. The geometrical complexity of these networks is often very high involving fractures occurring at various scales and having hierarchical structures. Such multiphase flow systems are usually hard to solve with a discrete fracture modelling (DFM) approach. Therefore, continuum fracture models assuming average properties are usually preferred. The multiple interacting continua (MINC) model is an extension of the classic double porosity model (Warren and Root, 1963) which accounts for the non-linear behaviour of the matrix-fracture interactions. For CO2 storage applications the transient representation of the inter-porosity two phase flow plays an important role. This study tests the accuracy and computational efficiency of the MINC method complemented with the multiple sub-region (MSR) upscaling procedure versus the DFM. The two phase flow MINC simulator is implemented in the free-open source numerical toolbox DuMux (www.dumux.org). The MSR (Gong et al., 2009) determines the inter-porosity terms by solving simplified local single-phase flow problems. The DFM is considered as the reference solution. The numerical examples consider a quasi-1D reservoir with a quadratic fracture system , a five-spot radial symmetric reservoir, and a completely random generated fracture system. Keywords: MINC, upscaling, two-phase flow, fractured porous media, discrete fracture model, continuum fracture model

Potential for Natural Gas Storage in Deep Basalt Formations at Canoe Ridge, Washington State: A Hydrogeologic Assessment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Reidel, Steve P.; Spane, Frank A.; Johnson, Vernon G.

2005-09-24

Between 1999 and 2002, Pacific Gas Transmission Company (PGT) (now TransCanada Pipeline Company) and AVISTA Corporation, together with technical support provided by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) examined the feasibility of developing a subsurface, natural gas-storage facility in deep, underlying Columbia River basalt in south-central Washington state. As part of this project, the 100 Circles #1 well was drilled and characterized in addition to surface studies. This report provides data and interpretations of the geology and hydrology collected specific to the Canoe Ridge site as part of the U.S. DOE funding to themore » Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in support of this project.« less

Geological investigation for CO2 storage: from seismic and well data to storage design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chapuis, Flavie; Bauer, Hugues; Grataloup, Sandrine; Leynet, Aurélien; Bourgine, Bernard; Castagnac, Claire; Fillacier, Simon; Lecomte, Antony; Le Gallo, Yann; Bonijoly, Didier

2010-05-01

Geological investigation for CO2 storage: from seismic and well data to storage design Chapuis F.1, Bauer H.1, Grataloup S.1, Leynet A.1, Bourgine B.1, Castagnac C.1, Fillacier, S.2, Lecomte A.2, Le Gallo Y.2, Bonijoly D.1. 1 BRGM, 3 av Claude Guillemin, 45060 Orléans Cedex, France, f.chapuis@brgm.fr, d.bonijoly@brgm.fr 2 Geogreen, 7, rue E. et A. Peugeot, 92563 Rueil-Malmaison Cedex, France, ylg@greogreen.fr The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the techno-economical potential of storing 200 000 tCO2 per year produced by a sugar beat distillery. To reach this goal, an accurate hydro-geological characterisation of a CO2 injection site is of primary importance because it will strongly influence the site selection, the storage design and the risk management. Geological investigation for CO2 storage is usually set in the center or deepest part of sedimentary basins. However, CO2 producers do not always match with the geological settings, and so other geological configurations have to be studied. This is the aim of this project, which is located near the South-West border of the Paris Basin, in the Orléans region. Special geometries such as onlaps and pinch out of formation against the basement are likely to be observed and so have to be taken into account. Two deep saline aquifers are potentially good candidates for CO2 storage. The Triassic continental deposits capped by the Upper Triassic/Lower Jurassic continental shales and the Dogger carbonate deposits capped by the Callovian and Oxfordian shales. First, a data review was undertaken, to provide the palaeogeographical settings and ideas about the facies, thicknesses and depth of the targeted formations. It was followed by a seismic interpretation. Three hundred kilometres of seismic lines were reprocessed and interpreted to characterize the geometry of the studied area. The main structure identified is the Étampes fault that affects all the formations. Apart from the vicinity of the fault where drag folds appear, the layers are sub-horizontal and gently dip and thicken eastwards. Then, interpreted seismic lines, together with well data from more than 50 boreholes were integrated into a 2D-model of the main surfaces using geostatistics (Isatis® and Petrel® softwares). The main difficulty of this step was to generate a realistic model accounting for both the specific geometries linked to the basin border (onlapping, pinching out...) and the faults. If the former only concerns the Triassic, the latter also affects the overlying formations. Regarding the Dogger top surface, it is less than 700m deep in the western area, which is too shallow for supercritical state injection. Consequently, the next part of the study focused on the Triassic reservoir and integrated changes in petrophysical properties as a function of lateral lithological variation. This ultimately led to upgrade the model from 2D to 3D in order to perform the simulation of CO2 migration. To achieve this objective, we first applied sequence stratigraphy concepts on Triassic deposits to compensate the lack of quantitative petrophysical data. It provided qualitative data about the reservoir heterogeneities which are crucial for a realistic 3D-modelling. Paleoenvironmental reconstructions show that the sediment supply direction is WSW-ENE, implying more proximal deposits to the West, and so better reservoir properties. The final step is to use this 3D-model to elaborate a flow model to estimate the injectivity rate and the extension of the overpressure within the open aquifer and the CO2 plume after 30 years of injection. Two injection rates as well as two well locations were hypothesized into four scenarios considering several locations and injections rates. In any case, the fault has been considered as a barrier to the CO2 migration and the system as a closed one. In the four cases, results are satisfying, the overpressure is less than 30% of the initial pressure and the reservoir capacity is enough regarding the goal of the project. The results of these simulations will then be integrated into the risk analysis of the project, which is of utmost importance to ensure safety and cope with public acceptance. Acknowledgements: This work is supported by the French Ministry of Research (DRRT), the regional Council "Région Centre", the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) and the BRGM.

GEOLOGIC CARBON STORAGE: UNDERSTANDING THE RULES OF THE UNDERGROUND

EPA Science Inventory

The paper discusses the geologic sequestration (GS) of carbon dioxide (CO2), an emerging option for carbon management. Few studies have explored the regulatory needs of GS or compared these needs with regulations governing underground injection on the U.S. mainland. Our treatment...

Systematic Risk Reduction: Chances and Risks of Geological Storage of CO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schilling, F. R.; Wuerdemann, H.

2010-12-01

A profound risk assessment should be the basis of any underground activity such as the geological storage of CO2. The risks and benefits should be weighted, whereas the risks need to be systematically reduced. Even after some decades of geological storage of CO2 (as part of a carbon capture and storage CCS), only a few projects are based on an independent risk assessment. In some cases, a risk assessment was performed after the start of storage operation. Chances: - Are there alternatives to CCS with lower risk? - Is a significant CO2 reduction possible without CCS? - If we accept that CO2 emissions are responsible for climate change having a severe economical impact, we need to substantially reduce CO2 emissions. As long as economic growth is directly related to CO2 emissions, we need to decouple the two. - CCS is one of the few options - may be a necessity, if the energy market is not only dependent on demand. Risks: Beside the risk not to develop and implement CCS, the following risks need to be addressed, ideally in a multi independent risk assessment. - Personal Interests - Acceptance - Political interests - Company interests - HSE (Health Safety Environment) - Risk for Climate and ETS - Operational Risks If a multi independent risk assessment is performed and the risks are addressed in a proper way, a significant and systematic risk reduction can be achieved. Some examples will be given, based on real case studies, such as CO2SINK at Ketzin.

Geologic framework and hydrogeologic characteristics of the Glen Rose limestone, Camp Stanley Storage Activity, Bexar County, Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Clark, Allan K.

2004-01-01

The Trinity aquifer is a regional water source in the Hill Country of south-central Texas that supplies water for agriculture, commercial, domestic, and stock purposes. Rocks of the Glen Rose Limestone, which compose the upper zone and upper part of the middle zone of the Trinity aquifer, crop out at the Camp Stanley Storage Activity (CSSA), a U.S. Army weapons and munitions supply, maintenance, and storage facility in northern Bexar County (San Antonio area) (fig. 1). On its northeastern, eastern, and southern boundaries, the CSSA abuts the Camp Bullis Training Site, a U.S. Army field training site for military and Federal government agencies. During 2003, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Army, studied the outcropping Glen Rose Limestone at the CSSA and immediately adjacent area (Camp Stanley study area, fig. 1) to identify and map the hydrogeologic subdivisions and faults of the Glen Rose Limestone at the facility. The results of the study are intended to help resource managers improve their understanding of the distribution of porosity and permeability of the outcropping rocks, and thus the conditions for recharge and the potential for contaminants to enter the Glen Rose Limestone. This study followed a similar study done by the USGS at Camp Bullis (Clark, 2003). The purpose of this report is to present the geologic framework and hydrogeologic characteristics of the Glen Rose Limestone in the study area. The hydrogeologic nomenclature follows that introduced by Clark (2003) for the outcropping Glen Rose Limestone at Camp Bullis in which the upper member of the Glen Rose Limestone (hereinafter, upper Glen Rose Limestone), which is coincident with the upper zone of the Trinity aquifer, is divided into five intervals on the basis of observed lithologic and hydrogeologic properties. An outcrop map, two generalized sections, related illustrations, and a table summarize the description of the framework and distribution of characteristics.

Subtask – CO 2 storage and enhanced bakken recovery research program

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sorensen, James; Hawthorne, Steven; Smith, Steven

Small improvements in productivity could increase technically recoverable oil in the Bakken Petroleum System by billions of barrels. The use of CO 2 for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) in tight oil reservoirs is a relatively new concept. The large-scale injection of CO 2 into the Bakken would also result in the geological storage of significant amounts of CO 2. The Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) has conducted laboratory and modeling activities to examine the potential for CO 2 storage and EOR in the Bakken. Specific activities included the characterization and subsequent modeling of North Dakota study areas as wellmore » as dynamic predictive simulations of possible CO 2 injection schemes to predict the potential CO 2 storage and EOR in those areas. Laboratory studies to evaluate the ability of CO 2 to remove hydrocarbons from Bakken rocks and determine minimum miscibility pressures for Bakken oil samples were conducted. Data from a CO 2 injection test conducted in the Elm Coulee area of Montana in 2009 were evaluated with an eye toward the possible application of knowledge gained to future injection tests in other areas. A first-order estimation of potential CO 2 storage capacity in the Bakken Formation in North Dakota was also conducted. Key findings of the program are as follows. The results of the research activities suggest that CO 2 may be effective in enhancing the productivity of oil from the Bakken and that the Bakken may hold the ability to geologically store between 120 Mt and 3.2 Gt of CO 2. However, there are no clear-cut answers regarding the most effective approach for using CO 2 to improve oil productivity or the storage capacity of the Bakken. The results underscore the notion that an unconventional resource will likely require unconventional methods of both assessment and implementation when it comes to the injection of CO 2. In particular, a better understanding of the fundamental mechanisms controlling the interactions between CO 2, oil, and other reservoir fluids in these unique formations is necessary to develop accurate assessments of potential CO 2 storage and EOR in the Bakken. In addition, existing modeling and simulation software packages do not adequately address or incorporate the unique properties of these tight, unconventional reservoirs in terms of their impact on CO 2 behavior. These knowledge gaps can be filled by conducting scaled-up laboratory activities integrated with improved modeling and simulation techniques, the results of which will provide a robust foundation for pilot-scale field injection tests. Finally, field-based data on injection, fluid production, and long-term monitoring from pilot-scale CO 2 injection tests in the Bakken are necessary to verify and validate the findings of the laboratory- and modeling-based research efforts. This subtask was funded through the EERC–U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Joint Program on Research and Development for Fossil Energy-Related Resources Cooperative Agreement No. DE-FC26-08NT43291. Nonfederal funding was provided by the North Dakota Industrial Commission, Marathon Oil Corporation, Continental Resources Inc., and TAQA North, Ltd.« less

Technology Transfer Opportunities: Automated Ground-Water Monitoring, A Proven Technology

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, Kirk P.; Granato, Gregory E.

1998-01-01

Introduction The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has developed and tested an automated ground-water monitoring system that measures and records values of selected water-quality properties and constituents using protocols approved for manual sampling. Prototypes using the automated process have demonstrated the ability to increase the quantity and quality of data collected and have shown the potential for reducing labor and material costs for ground-water quality data collection. Automated ground-water monitoring systems can be used to monitor known or potential contaminant sites, such as near landfills, underground storage tanks, or other facilities where potential contaminants are stored, to serve as early warning systems monitoring ground-water quality near public water-supply wells, and for ground-water quality research.

Review of Quantitative Monitoring Methodologies for Emissions Verification and Accounting for Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage for California’s Greenhouse Gas Cap-and-Trade and Low-Carbon Fuel Standard Programs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Oldenburg, Curtis M.; Birkholzer, Jens T.

The Cap-and-Trade and Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) programs being administered by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) include Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage (CCS) as a potential means to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, there is currently no universal standard approach that quantifies GHG emissions reductions for CCS and that is suitable for the quantitative needs of the Cap-and-Trade and LCFS programs. CCS involves emissions related to the capture (e.g., arising from increased energy needed to separate carbon dioxide (CO 2) from a flue gas and compress it for transport), transport (e.g., by pipeline), and storage of COmore » 2 (e.g., due to leakage to the atmosphere from geologic CO 2 storage sites). In this project, we reviewed and compared monitoring, verification, and accounting (MVA) protocols for CCS from around the world by focusing on protocols specific to the geologic storage part of CCS. In addition to presenting the review of these protocols, we highlight in this report those storage-related MVA protocols that we believe are particularly appropriate for CCS in California. We find that none of the existing protocols is completely appropriate for California, but various elements of all of them could be adopted and/or augmented to develop a rigorous, defensible, and practical surface leakage MVA protocol for California. The key features of a suitable surface leakage MVA plan for California are that it: (1) informs and validates the leakage risk assessment, (2) specifies use of the most effective monitoring strategies while still being flexible enough to accommodate special or site-specific conditions, (3) quantifies stored CO 2, and (4) offers defensible estimates of uncertainty in monitored properties. California’s surface leakage MVA protocol needs to be applicable to the main CO 2 storage opportunities (in California and in other states with entities participating in California’s Cap-and-Trade or LCFS programs), specifically CO 2-enhanced oil recovery (CO 2-EOR), CO 2 injection into depleted gas reservoirs (with or without CO 2-enhanced gas recovery (CO 2-EGR)), as well as deep saline storage. Regarding the elements of an effective surface leakage MVA protocol, our recommendations for California are that: (1) both CO 2 and methane (CH 4) surface leakage should be monitored, especially for enhanced recovery scenarios, (2) emissions from all sources not directly related to injection and geologic storage (e.g., from capture, or pipeline transport) should be monitored and reported under a plan separate from the surface leakage MVA plan that is included as another component of the quantification methodology (QM), (3) the primary objective of the surface leakage MVA plan should be to quantify surface leakage of CO 2 and CH 4 and its uncertainty, with consideration of best-practices and state-of-the-art approaches to monitoring including attribution assessment, (4) effort should be made to monitor CO 2 storage and migration in the subsurface to anticipate future surface leakage monitoring needs, (5) detailed descriptions of specific monitoring technologies and approaches should be provided in the MVA plan, (6) the main purpose of the CO 2 injection project (CO 2-EOR, CO 2-EGR, or pure geologic carbon sequestration (GCS)) needs to be stated up front, (7) approaches to dealing with missing data and quantifying uncertainty need to be described, and (8) post-injection monitoring should go on for a period consistent with or longer than that prescribed by the U.S. EPA.« less

Surface Water Quality-Assurance Plan for the North Florida Program Office of the U.S. Geological Survey

USGS Publications Warehouse

Franklin, Marvin A.

2000-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resources Division, has a policy that requires each District office to prepare a Surface Water Quality-Assurance Plan. The plan for each District describes the policies and procedures that ensure high quality in the collection, processing, analysis, computer storage, and publication of surface-water data. The North Florida Program Office Surface Water Quality-Assurance Plan documents the standards, policies, and procedures used by the North Florida Program office for activities related to the collection, processing, storage, analysis, and publication of surface-water data.

Indoor 222Rn concentration in the exhibition and storage rooms of Polish geological museums.

PubMed

Długosz-Lisiecka, Magdalena; Krystek, Marcin; Raczyński, Paweł; Głuszek, Ewa; Kietlińska-Michalik, Barbara; Niechwedowicz, Mariusz

2017-03-01

The radon exhaled from radioactive mineral collections exhibited in five Polish geological museums may influence its total indoor concentration. Radon concentrations measured in the exhibition halls do not pose a risk for visitors or museum staff. However, air exceeding the ICRP (2007) action limit for workers (equal to 300Bq/m 3 ) was noted in the storage rooms of two museums. Significant 222 Rn activity concentrations equal to more than ~300kBq/m 3 were measured inside lead containers where radioactive minerals were stored. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Challenges of constructing salt cavern gas storage in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xia, Yan; Yuan, Guangjie; Ban, Fansheng; Zhuang, Xiaoqian; Li, Jingcui

2017-11-01

After more than ten years of research and engineering practice in salt cavern gas storage, the engineering technology of geology, drilling, leaching, completion, operation and monitoring system has been established. With the rapid growth of domestic consumption of natural gas, the requirement of underground gas storage is increasing. Because high-quality rock salt resources about 1000m depth are relatively scarce, the salt cavern gas storages will be built in deep rock salt. According to the current domestic conventional construction technical scheme, construction in deep salt formations will face many problems such as circulating pressure increasing, tubing blockage, deformation failure, higher completion risk and so on, caused by depth and the complex geological conditions. Considering these difficulties, the differences between current technical scheme and the construction scheme of twin well and big hole are analyzed, and the results show that the technical scheme of twin well and big hole have obvious advantages in reducing the circulating pressure loss, tubing blockage and failure risk, and they can be the alternative schemes to solve the technical difficulties of constructing salt cavern gas storages in the deep rock salt.

The impact of geological storage of CO2 on the mechanical behaviour of faults - Can we predict frictional strength and stability?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bakker, Elisenda; Hangx, Suzanne J. T.; Spiers, Christopher J.

2013-04-01

CO2 storage in depleted oil and gas reservoirs is seen as an important climate change mitigation strategy. In order to evaluate storage integrity of the reservoir-caprock system, potential leakage pathways, such as pre-existing or induced faults, need to be investigated. The mechanical and transport properties of intact and fractured rock may be affected by both short and long-term (> 100 years) fluid-rock interactions. In practice, chemical interactions that occur on timescales longer than a few months are too slow and difficult to reproduce in laboratory experiments. Recently, research within the CCS community has steered towards investigating the effect of CO2 on fault stability and particularly towards induced seismicity. In this context, we performed a variety of mechanical tests on rock types relevant for CCS sites, with the aim of investigating the effect of CO2/brine/rock interactions on the mechanical and transport properties of faults. To this end, we used both CO2-exposed and unaltered rocks obtained from sandstone reservoirs of natural CO2 fields located at Green River (Utah, USA) and Werkendam (The Netherlands). Two main types of experiment were performed: 1) triaxial tests in which cylindrical samples were shear fractured, studying subsequent slip on the fault, and 2) direct shear tests performed on (simulated) fault gouge prepared by crushing intact rock. Our results showed that the frictional stability of fault gouges is largely controlled by factors such as mineralogical composition, notably carbonate content, and temperature. We have placed our results in the context of the large body of data that already exists on fault gouge friction behaviour. The combined body of work encompasses materials ranging from clay-quartz mixtures, to anhydrite and carbonate rocks, all of which are relevant rock types for CCS. In this way, we delineate the knowledge gaps that still exist, and we show how the available data can be used to make preliminary predictions on fault friction behaviour and (micro)seismic fault reactivation potential in geological CO2-storage systems.

Computational Modeling of the Geologic Sequestration of Carbon Dioxide

EPA Science Inventory

Geologic sequestration of CO2 is a component of C capture and storage (CCS), an emerging technology for reducing CO2 emissions to the atmosphere, and involves injection of captured CO2 into deep subsurface formations. Similar to the injection of hazardous wastes, before injection...

Geological Modeling and Fluid Flow Simulation of Acid Gas Storage, Nugget Sandstone, Moxa Arch, Wyoming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, S.; Zhang, Y.; Zhang, X.; Du, C.

2009-12-01

The Moxa Arch Anticline is a regional-scale northwest-trending uplift in western Wyoming where geological storage of acid gases (CO2, CH4, N2, H2S, He) from ExxonMobile's Shute Creek Gas Plant is under consideration. The Nugget Sandstone, a deep saline aquifer at depths exceeding 17,170 ft, is a candidate formation for acid gas storage. As part of a larger goal of determining site suitability, this study builds three-dimensional local to regional scale geological and fluid flow models for the Nugget Sandstone, its caprock (Twin Creek Limestone), and an underlying aquifer (Ankareh Sandstone), or together, the ``Nugget Suite''. For an area of 3000 square miles, geological and engineering data were assembled, screened for accuracy, and digitized, covering an average formation thickness of ~1700 feet. The data include 900 public-domain well logs (SP, Gamma Ray, Neutron Porosity, Density, Sonic, shallow and deep Resistivity, Lithology, Deviated well logs), 784 feet of core measurements (porosity and permeability), 4 regional geological cross sections, and 3 isopach maps. Data were interpreted and correlated for geological formations and facies, the later categorized using both Neural Network and Gaussian Hierarchical Clustering algorithms. Well log porosities were calibrated with core measurements, those of permeability estimated using formation-specific porosity-permeability transforms. Using conditional geostatistical simulations (first indicator simulation of facies, then sequential Gaussian simulation of facies-specific porosity), data were integrated at the regional-scale to create a geological model from which a local-scale simulation model surrounding the Shute Creek injection site was extracted. Based on this model, full compositional multiphase flow simulations were conducted with which we explore (1) an appropriate grid resolution for accurate acid gas predictions (pressure, saturation, and mass balance); (2) sensitivity of key geological and engineering variables on model predictions. Results suggest that (1) a horizontal and vertical resolution of 1/75 and 1/5~1/2 porosity correlation length is needed, respectively, to accurately capture the flow physics and mass balance. (2) the most sensitive variables that have first order impact on model predictions (i.e., regional storage, local displacement efficiency) are boundary condition, vertical permeability, relative permeability hysteresis, and injection rate. However, all else being equal, formation brine salinity has the most important effects on the concentrations of all dissolved components. Future work will define and simulate reactions of acid gases with formation brines and rocks which are currently under laboratory investigations.

SECARB Commercial Scale CO 2 Injection and Optimization of Storage Capacity in the Southeastern United States

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Koperna, George J.; Pashin, Jack; Walsh, Peter

The Commercial Scale Project is a US DOE/NETL funded initiative aimed at enhancing the knowledge-base and industry’s ability to geologically store vast quantities of anthropogenic carbon. In support of this goal, a large-scale, stacked reservoir geologic model was developed for Gulf Coast sediments centered on the Citronelle Dome in southwest Alabama, the site of the SECARB Phase III Anthropogenic Test. Characterization of regional geology to construct the model consists of an assessment of the entire stratigraphic continuum at Citronelle Dome, from surface to the depth of the Donovan oil-bearing formation. This project utilizes all available geologic data available, which includes:more » modern geophysical well logs from three new wells drilled for SECARB’s Anthropogenic Test; vintage logs from the Citronelle oilfield wells; porosity and permeability data from whole core and sidewall cores obtained from the injection and observation wells drilled for the Anthropogenic Test; core data obtained from the SECARB Phase II saline aquifer injection test; regional core data for relevant formations from the Geological Survey of Alabama archives. Cross sections, isopach maps, and structure maps were developed to validate the geometry and architecture of the Citronelle Dome for building the model, and assuring that no major structural defects exist in the area. A synthetic neural network approach was used to predict porosity using the available SP and resistivity log data for the storage reservoir formations. These data are validated and applied to extrapolate porosity data over the study area wells, and to interpolate permeability amongst these data points. Geostatistical assessments were conducted over the study area. In addition to geologic characterization of the region, a suite of core analyses was conducted to construct a depositional model and constrain caprock integrity. Petrographic assessment of core was conducted by OSU and analyzed to build a depositional framework for the region and provide modern day analogues. Stability of the caprock over several test parameters was conducted by UAB to yield comprehensive measurements on long term stability of caprocks. The detailed geologic model of the full earth volume from surface thru the Donovan oil reservoir is incorporated into a state-of-the-art reservoir simulation conducted by the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) to explore optimization of CO 2 injection and storage under different characterizations of reservoir flow properties. The application of a scaled up geologic modeling and reservoir simulation provides a proof of concept for the large scale volumetric modeling of CO 2 injection and storage the subsurface.« less

The geospatial and economic viability of CO 2 storage in hydrocarbon depleted fractured shale formations

DOE PAGES

Bielicki, Jeffrey M.; Langenfeld, Julie K.; Tao, Zhiyuan; ...

2018-05-26

Hydrocarbon depleted fractured shale (HDFS) formations could be attractive for geologic carbon dioxide (CO 2) storage. Shale formations may be able to leverage existing infrastructure, have larger capacities, and be more secure than saline aquifers. We compared regional storage capacities and integrated CO 2 capture, transport, and storage systems that use HDFS with those that use saline aquifers in a region of the United States with extensive shale development that overlies prospective saline aquifers. We estimated HDFS storage capacities with a production-based method and costs by adapting methods developed for saline aquifers and found that HDFS formations in this regionmore » might be able to store with less cost an estimated ~14× more CO 2 on average than saline aquifers at the same location. The potential for smaller Areas of Review and less investment in infrastructure accounted for up to 84% of the difference in estimated storage costs. We implemented an engineering-economic geospatial optimization model to determine and compare the viability of storage capacity for these two storage resources. Across the state-specific and regional scenarios we investigated, our results for this region suggest that integrated CCS systems using HDFS could be more centralized, require less pipelines, prioritize different routes for trunklines, and be 6.4–6.8% ($5-10/tCO 2) cheaper than systems using saline aquifers. In conclusion, overall, CO 2 storage in HDFS could be technically and economically attractive and may lower barriers to large scale CO 2 storage if they can be permitted.« less

The geospatial and economic viability of CO 2 storage in hydrocarbon depleted fractured shale formations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bielicki, Jeffrey M.; Langenfeld, Julie K.; Tao, Zhiyuan

Hydrocarbon depleted fractured shale (HDFS) formations could be attractive for geologic carbon dioxide (CO 2) storage. Shale formations may be able to leverage existing infrastructure, have larger capacities, and be more secure than saline aquifers. We compared regional storage capacities and integrated CO 2 capture, transport, and storage systems that use HDFS with those that use saline aquifers in a region of the United States with extensive shale development that overlies prospective saline aquifers. We estimated HDFS storage capacities with a production-based method and costs by adapting methods developed for saline aquifers and found that HDFS formations in this regionmore » might be able to store with less cost an estimated ~14× more CO 2 on average than saline aquifers at the same location. The potential for smaller Areas of Review and less investment in infrastructure accounted for up to 84% of the difference in estimated storage costs. We implemented an engineering-economic geospatial optimization model to determine and compare the viability of storage capacity for these two storage resources. Across the state-specific and regional scenarios we investigated, our results for this region suggest that integrated CCS systems using HDFS could be more centralized, require less pipelines, prioritize different routes for trunklines, and be 6.4–6.8% ($5-10/tCO 2) cheaper than systems using saline aquifers. In conclusion, overall, CO 2 storage in HDFS could be technically and economically attractive and may lower barriers to large scale CO 2 storage if they can be permitted.« less

Environmental Assessment for Potential Impacts of Ocean CO2 Storage on Marine Biogeochemical Cycles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamada, N.; Tsurushima, N.; Suzumura, M.; Shibamoto, Y.; Harada, K.

2008-12-01

Ocean CO2 storage that actively utilizes the ocean potential to dissolve extremely large amounts of CO2 is a useful option with the intent of diminishing atmospheric CO2 concentration. CO2 storage into sub-seabed geological formations is also considered as the option which has been already put to practical reconnaissance in some projects. Direct release of CO2 in the ocean storage and potential CO2 leakage from geological formations into the bottom water can alter carbonate system as well as pH of seawater. It is essential to examine to what direction and extent chemistry change of seawater induced by CO2 can affect the marine environments. Previous studies have shown direct and acute effects by increasing CO2 concentrations on physiology of marine organisms. It is also a serious concern that chemistry change can affect the rates of chemical, biochemical and microbial processes in seawater resulting in significant influences on marine biogeochemical cycles of the bioelements including carbon, nutrients and trace metals. We, AIST, have conducted a series of basic researches to assess the potential impacts of ocean CO2 storage on marine biogeochemical processes including CaCO3 dissolution, and bacterial and enzymatic decomposition of organic matter. By laboratory experiments using a special high pressure apparatus, the improved empirical equation was obtained for CaCO3 dissolution rate in the high CO2 concentrations. Based on the experimentally obtained kinetics with a numerical simulation for a practical scenario of oceanic CO2 sequestration where 50 Mton CO2 per year is continuously injected to 1,000-2,500 m depth within 100 x 333 km area for 30 years, we could illustrate precise 3-D maps for the predicted distributions of the saturation depth of CaCO3, in situ Ω value and CaCO3 dissolution rate in the western North Pacific. The result showed no significant change in the bathypelagic CaCO3 flux due to chemistry change induced by ocean CO2 sequestration. Both bacteria and hydrolytic enzymes are known as the essential promoters for organic matter decomposition in marine ecosystems. Bacterial activity and metabolisms under various CO2 concentrations and pH were examined on total cell abundance, 3H-leucine incorporation rate, and viable cell abundance. Our in vitro experiments demonstrated that acute effect by high CO2 conditions was negligible on the activities of bathypelagic bacteria at pH 7 or higher. However, our results suggested that bacterial assemblage in some organic-rich "microbial hot-spots" in seawater such as organic aggregates sinking particles, exhibited high sensitivity to acidification. Furthermore, it was indicated that CO2 injection seems to be the trigger to alter the microbial community structure between Eubacteria and Archaea. The activities of five types of hydrolytic enzymes showed no significant change with acidification as those observed in the bacterial activity. As to acute effects on microbial and biochemical processes examined by our laboratory studies, no significant influence was exhibited in the simulated ocean CO2 storage on marine biogeochemical cycling. Uncertainties in chronic and large-scale impacts, however, remain and should be addressed for more understanding the potential benefits and risks of the ocean storage.

Hanford solid-waste handling facility strategy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albaugh, J. F.

1982-05-01

Prior to 1970, transuranic (TRU) solid waste was disposed of at Hanford by shallow land burial. Since 1970, TRU solid waste has been stored in near surface trenches designed to facilitate retrieval after twenty year storage period. Current strategy calls for final disposal in a geologic repository. Funding permitting, in 1983, certification of newly generated TRU waste to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) criteria for geologic disposal will be initiated. Certified and uncertified waste will continue to be stored at Hanford in retrievable storage until a firm schedule for shipment to WIPP is developed. Previously stored wastes retrieved for geologic disposal and newly generated uncertified waste requires processing to assure compliance with disposal criteria. A facility to perform this function is being developed. A study to determine the requirements of this Waste Receiving and Processing (WRAP) Facility is currently being conducted.

Mapping Aquifer Systems with Airborne Electromagnetics in the Central Valley of California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knight, R. J.; Smith, R.; Asch, T. H.; Abraham, J.; Cannia, J.; Fogg, G. E.; Viezzoli, A.

2016-12-01

The Central Valley of California is an important agricultural region struggling to meet the need for irrigation water. Recent periods of drought have significantly reduced the delivery of surface water, resulting in extensive pumping of groundwater. This has exacerbated an already serious problem in the Central Valley, where a number of areas have experienced declining water levels for several decades leading to ongoing concerns about depletion of aquifers and impacts on ecosystems, as well as subsidence of the ground surface. The overdraft has been so significant, that there are now approximately140 million acre-feet (MAF) of unused groundwater storage in the Central Valley, storage that could be used to complement the 42 MAF of surface storage. The alluvial sedimentary geology of the Central Valley is typically composed of more than 50 to 70 percent fine-grained deposits dominated by silt and clay beds. These fine grained deposits can block potential recharge, and are associated with the large amount of observed subsidence. Fortunately, the geologic processes that formed the region created networks of sand and gravel which provide both a supply of water and pathways for recharge from the surface to the aquifers. The challenge is to find these sand and gravel deposits and thus identify optimal locations for surface spreading techniques so that recharge could be dramatically increased, and re-pressurization of the confined aquifer networks could be accomplished. We have acquired 100 line kilometers of airborne electromagnetic data over an area in the San Joaquin Valley, imaging the subsurface hydrostratigraphy to a depth of 500 m with spatial resolution on the order of meters to tens of meters. Following inversion of the data to obtain resistivity models along the flight lines, we used lithology logs in the area to transform the models to images displaying the distribution of sand and gravel, clay, and mixed fine and coarse materials. The quality of the data and final images are superb. The results of our survey have allowed us to1) better define the aquifer framework, that is needed to better model and manage groundwater, 2) gain insight into the geologic controls on the spatial variation in observed subsidence and 3) assist in identifying potential locations where recharge could prevent and/or reverse groundwater overdraft.

Effects of reduction in porosity and permeability with depth on storage capacity and injectivity in deep saline aquifers: A case study from the Mount Simon Sandstone aquifer

USGS Publications Warehouse

Medina, C.R.; Rupp, J.A.; Barnes, D.A.

2011-01-01

The Upper Cambrian Mount Simon Sandstone is recognized as a deep saline reservoir that has significant potential for geological sequestration in the Midwestern region of the United States. Porosity and permeability values collected from core analyses in rocks from this formation and its lateral equivalents in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, and Ohio indicate a predictable relationship with depth owing to a reduction in the pore structure due to the effects of compaction and/or cementation, primarily as quartz overgrowths. The regional trend of decreasing porosity with depth is described by the equation: ??(d)=16.36??e-0.00039*d, where ?? is the porosity and d is the depth in m. The decrease of porosity with depth generally holds true on a basinwide scale. Bearing in mind local variations in lithologic and petrophysical character within the Mount Simon Sandstone, the source data that were used to predict porosity were utilized to estimate the pore volume available within the reservoir that could potentially serve as storage space for injected CO2. The potential storage capacity estimated for the Mount Simon Sandstone in the study area, using efficiency factors of 1%, 5%, 10%, and 15%, is 23,680, 118,418, 236,832, and 355,242 million metric tons of CO2, respectively. ?? 2010 Elsevier Ltd.

Aquifer thermal energy storage program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fox, K.

1980-01-01

The purpose of the Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage Demonstration Program is to stimulate the interest of industry by demonstrating the feasibility of using a geological formation for seasonal thermal energy storage, thereby, reducing crude oil consumption, minimizing thermal pollution, and significantly reducing utility capital investments required to account for peak power requirements. This purpose will be served if several diverse projects can be operated which will demonstrate the technical, economic, environmental, and institutional feasibility of aquifer thermal energy storage systems.

U.S. Geological Survey quality-assurance plan for surface-water activities in Kansas, 2015

USGS Publications Warehouse

Painter, Colin C.; Loving, Brian L.

2015-01-01

This Surface Water Quality-Assurance Plan documents the standards, policies, and procedures used by the Kansas Water Science Center (KSWSC) of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for activities related to the collection, processing, storage, analysis, and publication of surface-water data.

WATSTORE: National Water Data Storage and Retrieval System of the U. S. Geological Survey; user's guide

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hutchison, Norman E.

1975-01-01

with an IBM 370/155 computer. WATSTORE is now (1975) available to other Federal agencies and selected cooperators of the Geological Survey who acquire and(or) use water data. The WATSTORE User's Guide describes the systeb and how it operates.

Alternatives for managing wastes from reactors and post-fission operations in the LWR fuel cycle. Volume 5. Appendices

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1976-05-01

Volume V of the five-volume report consists of appendices, which provide supplementary information, with emphasis on characteristics of geologic formations that might be used for final storage or disposal. Appendix titles are: selected glossary; conversion factors; geologic isolation, including, (a) site selection factors for repositories of wastes in geologic media, (b) rock types--geologic occurrence, (c) glossary of geohydrologic terms, and (d) 217 references; the ocean floor; and, government regulations pertaining to the management of radioactive materials. (JGB)

Behavioral responses of Arctica islandica (Bivalvia: Arcticidae) to simulated leakages of carbon dioxide from sub-sea geological storage.

PubMed

Bamber, Shaw D; Westerlund, Stig

2016-11-01

Sub-sea geological storage of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) provides a viable option for the Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) approach for reducing atmospheric emissions of this greenhouse gas. Although generally considered to offer a low risk of major leakage, it remains relevant to establish the possible consequences for marine organisms that live in or on sediments overlying these storage areas if such an event may occur. The present study has used a series of laboratory exposures and behavioral bioassays to establish the sensitivity of Arctica islandica to simulated leakages of CO 2 . This long-lived bivalve mollusc is widely distributed throughout the North Sea, an area where geological storage is currently taking place and where there are plans to expand this operation significantly. A recently published model has predicted a maximum drop of 1.9pH units in seawater at the point source of a substantial escape of CO 2 from sub-sea geological storage in this region. Valve movements of A. islandica exposed to reduced pH seawater were recorded continuously using Hall effect proximity sensors. Valve movement regulation is important for optimising the flow of water over the gills, which supplies food and facilitates respiration. A stepwise reduction in seawater pH showed an initial increase in both the rate and extent of valve movements in the majority of individuals tested when pH fell to 6.2 units. Exposing A. islandica to pH 6.2 seawater continuously for seven days resulted in a clear increase in valve movements during the first 40h of exposure, followed by a gradual reduction in activity intensity over the subsequent five days, suggesting acclimation. The ability of both exposed and control bivalves to burrow successfully into sediment on completion of this exposure was very similar. A final exposure trial, testing whether increased valve movements initiated by reduced pH were related to foot extension during attempted burrowing, found no such association. In summary, significant changes in valve behavior did not occur until seawater pH fell to 6.2 units. The response took the form of an increase in valve activity rather than closure. The absence of foot extension coincident with increased valve movements indicates A. islandica were not attempting to burrow, leaving the possibility that valve movements are supporting a respiratory response to hypercapnia. In conclusion, A. islandica appears to be tolerant of reductions in seawater pH equivalent to those predicted for substantial losses of CO 2 through leakage from sub-sea geological storage. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Quantifying Current and Future Groundwater Storage in Snowmelt Dominated High Elevation Meadows of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, CA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lowry, C.; Ciruzzi, D. M.

2016-12-01

In a warming climate, snowmelt dominated mountain systems such as the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California have limited water storage potential. Receding glaciers and recent drought in the Sierra Nevada Mountains has resulted in reduced stream flow, restricting water availability for mountain vegetation. These geologic settings provide limited opportunities for groundwater storage due to a thin soil layer overlying expansive granitic bedrock. Yet high elevation meadows, which have formed in small depressions within the granitic bedrock, represent the only long-term storage reservoirs for water within the region. Through the use of field observations and numerical modeling this research investigates the role of meadow geometry, sediment properties, and topographic gradient to retain snowmelt derived groundwater recharge. These controlling factors affecting groundwater storage dynamics and surface-water outflows are evaluated under both current and dryer climatic conditions. Results show differential changes in seasonal storage of snowmelt and surface-water outflow under varying climate scenarios. The magnitude and timing of water storage and release is highly dependent on bedrock geometry and position within the watershed. Results show decrease of up to 20% in groundwater storage under dryer future climates resulting in a shift from long-term storage to steady release of water from these meadows. Testing of prior assumptions, such as uniform thickness, on meadow groundwater storage are shown to overestimate storage, resulting in higher volumes of water being released to streams earlier than observed in previous simulations. These results have implications for predicting water availability for downstream users as well as providing water for root water uptake of meadow vegetation under both current and future conditions.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bruno, Michael

Geomechanics Technologies has completed a detailed characterization study of the Wilmington Graben offshore Southern California area for large-scale CO₂ storage. This effort has included: an evaluation of existing wells in both State and Federal waters, field acquisition of about 175 km (109 mi) of new seismic data, new well drilling, development of integrated 3D geologic, geomechanics, and fluid flow models for the area. The geologic analysis indicates that more than 796 MMt of storage capacity is available within the Pliocene and Miocene formations in the Graben for midrange geologic estimates (P50). Geomechanical analyses indicate that injection can be conducted withoutmore » significant risk for surface deformation, induced stresses or fault activation. Numerical analysis of fluid migration indicates that injection into the Pliocene Formation at depths of 1525 m (5000 ft) would lead to undesirable vertical migration of the CO₂ plume. Recent well drilling however, indicates that deeper sand is present at depths exceeding 2135 m (7000 ft), which could be viable for large volume storage. For vertical containment, injection would need to be limited to about 250,000 metric tons per year per well, would need to be placed at depths greater than 7000ft, and would need to be placed in new wells located at least 1 mile from any existing offset wells. As a practical matter, this would likely limit storage operations in the Wilmington Graben to about 1 million tons per year or less. A quantitative risk analysis for the Wilmington Graben indicate that such large scale CO₂ storage in the area would represent higher risk than other similar size projects in the US and overseas.« less

Geothermally Coupled Well-Based Compressed Air Energy Storage

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Davidson, Casie L.; Bearden, Mark D.; Horner, Jacob A.

2015-12-20

Previous work by McGrail et al. (2013, 2015) has evaluated the possibility of pairing compressed air energy storage with geothermal resources in lieu of a fossil-fired power generation component, and suggests that such applications may be cost competitive where geology is favorable to siting both the geothermal and CAES components of such a system. Those studies also note that the collocation of subsurface resources that meet both sets of requirements are difficult to find in areas that also offer infrastructure and near- to mid-term market demand for energy storage. This study examines a novel application for the compressed air storagemore » portion of the project by evaluating the potential to store compressed air in disused wells by amending well casings to serve as subsurface pressure vessels. Because the wells themselves would function in lieu of a geologic storage reservoir for the CAES element of the project, siting could focus on locations with suitable geothermal resources, as long as there was also existing wellfield infrastructure that could be repurposed for air storage. Existing wellfields abound in the United States, and with current low energy prices, many recently productive fields are now shut in. Should energy prices remain stagnant, these idle fields will be prime candidates for decommissioning unless they can be transitioned to other uses, such as redevelopment for energy storage. In addition to the nation’s ubiquitous oil and gas fields, geothermal fields, because of their phased production lifetimes, also may offer many abandoned wellbores that could be used for other purposes, often near currently productive geothermal resources. These existing fields offer an opportunity to decrease exploration and development uncertainty by leveraging data developed during prior field characterization, drilling, and production. They may also offer lower-cost deployment options for hybrid geothermal systems via redevelopment of existing well-field infrastructure. This project assessed the technical and economic feasibility of implementing geothermally coupled well-based CAES for grid-scale energy storage. Based on an evaluation of design specifications for a range of casing grades common in U.S. oil and gas fields, a 5-MW CAES project could be supported by twenty to twenty-five 5,000-foot, 7-inch wells using lower-grade casing, and as few as eight such wells for higher-end casing grades. Using this information, along with data on geothermal resources, well density, and potential future markets for energy storage systems, The Geysers geothermal field was selected to parameterize a case study to evaluate the potential match between the proven geothermal resource present at The Geysers and the field’s existing well infrastructure. Based on calculated wellbore compressed air mass, the study shows that a single average geothermal production well could provide enough geothermal energy to support a 15.4-MW (gross) power generation facility using 34 to 35 geothermal wells repurposed for compressed air storage, resulting in a simplified levelized cost of electricity (sLCOE) estimated at 11.2 ¢/kWh (Table S.1). Accounting for the power loss to the geothermal power project associated with diverting geothermal resources for air heating results in a net 2-MW decrease in generation capacity, increasing the CAES project’s sLCOE by 1.8 ¢/kWh.« less

Calculation of hydrocarbon-in-place in gas and gas-condensate reservoirs - Carbon dioxide sequestration

USGS Publications Warehouse

Verma, Mahendra K.

2012-01-01

The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (Public Law 110-140) authorized the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to conduct a national assessment of geologic storage resources for carbon dioxide (CO2), requiring estimation of hydrocarbon-in-place volumes and formation volume factors for all the oil, gas, and gas-condensate reservoirs within the U.S. sedimentary basins. The procedures to calculate in-place volumes for oil and gas reservoirs have already been presented by Verma and Bird (2005) to help with the USGS assessment of the undiscovered resources in the National Petroleum Reserve, Alaska, but there is no straightforward procedure available for calculating in-place volumes for gas-condensate reservoirs for the carbon sequestration project. The objective of the present study is to propose a simple procedure for calculating the hydrocarbon-in-place volume of a condensate reservoir to help estimate the hydrocarbon pore volume for potential CO2 sequestration.

Nuclear Waste Facing the Test of Time: The Case of the French Deep Geological Repository Project.

PubMed

Poirot-Delpech, Sophie; Raineau, Laurence

2016-12-01

The purpose of this article is to consider the socio-anthropological issues raised by the deep geological repository project for high-level, long-lived nuclear waste. It is based on fieldwork at a candidate site for a deep storage project in eastern France, where an underground laboratory has been studying the feasibility of the project since 1999. A project of this nature, based on the possibility of very long containment (hundreds of thousands of years, if not longer), involves a singular form of time. By linking project performance to geology's very long timescale, the project attempts "jump" in time, focusing on a far distant future, without understanding it in terms of generations. But these future generations remain measurements of time on the surface, where the issue of remembering or forgetting the repository comes to the fore. The nuclear waste geological storage project raises questions that neither politicians nor scientists, nor civil society, have ever confronted before. This project attempts to address a problem that exists on a very long timescale, which involves our responsibility toward generations in the far future.

Development of a CO 2 Chemical Sensor for Downhole CO 2 Monitoring in Carbon Sequestration

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, Ning

Geologic storage of carbon dioxide (CO 2) has been proposed as a viable means for reducing anthropogenic CO 2 emissions. The means for geological sequestration of CO 2 is injection of supercritical CO 2 underground, which requires the CO 2 to remain either supercritical, or in solution in the water/brine present in the underground formation. However, there are aspects of geologic sequestration that need further study, particularly in regards to safety. To date, none of the geologic sequestration locations have been tested for storage integrity under the changing stress conditions that apply to the sequestration of very large amounts ofmore » CO 2. Establishing environmental safety and addressing public concerns require widespread monitoring of the process in the deep subsurface. In addition, studies of subsurface carbon sequestration such as flow simulations, models of underground reactions and transports require a comprehensive monitoring process to accurately characterize and understand the storage process. Real-time information about underground CO 2 movement and concentration change is highly helpful for: (1) better understanding the uncertainties present in CO 2 geologic storage; (2) improvement of simulation models; and (3) evaluation of the feasibility of geologic CO 2 storage. Current methods to monitor underground CO 2 storage include seismic, geoelectric, isotope and tracer methods, and fluid sampling analysis. However, these methods commonly resulted low resolution, high cost, and the inability to monitor continuously over the long time scales of the CO 2 storage process. A preferred way of monitoring in-situ underground CO 2 migration is to continuous measure CO 2 concentration change in brine during the carbon storage process. An approach to obtain the real time information on CO 2 concentration change in formation solution is highly demanded in carbon storage to understand the CO 2 migration subsurface and to answer the public safety problem. The objective of the study is to develop a downhole CO 2 sensor that can in-situ, continuously monitor CO 2 concentration change in deep saline. The sensor is a Severinghaus-type CO 2 sensor with small size, which renders it can be embedded in monitoring well casing or integrated with pressure/temperature transducers, enabling the development of “smart” wells. The studies included: (1) prepare and characterize metal-oxide electrodes. Test the electrodes response to pH change. Investigate different ions and brine concentration effects on the electrode’s performance. Study the stability of the electrode in brine solution; (2) fabricate a downhole CO 2 sensor with the metal-oxide electrodes prepared in the laboratory. Test the performance of the CO 2 sensor in brine solutions. Study high pressure effects on the performance of the sensor; (3) design and conduct CO 2/brine coreflooding experiments with the CO2 sensor. Monitor CO 2 movement along the core and test the performance of the sensor in coreflooding tests. Develop a data acquisition system that can digitize the sensor’s output voltage. Our completed research has resulted in deep understanding of downhole CO 2 sensor development and CO 2 monitoring in CO 2 storage process. The developed downhole CO 2 sensor included a metal-oxide electrode, a gas-permeable membrane, a porous steel cup, and a bicarbonate-based internal electrolyte solution. Iridium oxide-based electrode was prepared and used for preparation the CO 2 sensor. The prepared iridium oxide-based electrode displayed a linearly response to pH change. Different factors such as different ions and ions concentration, temperature, and pressure effects on the electrode performance on pH response were investigated. The results indicated that the electrode exhibited a good performance even in high salt concentration of produced water. To improve the electrode performance under high pressure, IrO 2 nanoparticles with the particle size in the range of 1-2 nm were prepared and electrodeposited on stainless steel substrate by cyclic voltammetry. It was observed that the thin film of iridium oxide was formed on the substrate surface and such iridium oxide-based electrode displayed excellent performance under high pressure for longer term. A downhole CO 2 sensor with the iridium oxide-based electrode was prepared. The working principle of the CO 2 sensor is based on the measurement of the pH change of the internal electrolyte solution caused by the hydrolysis of CO 2 and then determination of the CO 2 concentration in water. The prepared downhole CO 2 sensor had the size of diameter of 0.7 in. and length of 1.5 in. The sensor was tested under the pressures of 500 psi, 2,000 psi, and 3,000 psi. A linear correlation was observed between the sensor potential change and dissolved CO 2 concentration in water. The response time of the CO 2 sensor was in the range of 60-100 minutes. Further tests indicated that the CO 2 sensor exhibited good reproducibility under high pressure. A CO 2/brine coreflooding system was constructed to simulate the real-world CO 2 storage process. The prepared downhole CO 2 sensor was loaded in the system to monitor CO 2 movement during CO 2/brine coreflooding test. The results indicated that the sensor could detect CO 2 movement in the tests. Further studies showed that the sensor could be recovered by brine flooding after CO 2/brine flushed the core. The results of the coreflooding tests demonstrated that the sensor had potential application for CO 2 monitoring in carbon sequestration. A data acquisition system for the downhoe CO 2 sensor was developed and coded. The system converted the sensor output signal into digital data and transported the data from downhole to wellhead surface. The data acquisition system was tested and evaluated in the laboratory with the prepared sensor for data collection.« less

PROTECTING DRINKING WATER BY REDUCING UNCERTAINTIES ASSOCIATED WITH GEOLOGIC CARBON SEQUESTRATION IN DEEP SALINE AQUIFERS

EPA Science Inventory

78 FR 56775 - Waste Confidence-Continued Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-13

... radiological impacts of spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste disposal. DATES: Submit comments on the... determination. The ``Offsite radiological impacts of spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste disposal'' issue.... Geologic Repository--Technical Feasibility and Availability C3. Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel C3.a...

A HIERARCHICAL MODELING FRAMEWORK FOR GEOLOGICAL STORAGE OF CARBON DIOXIDE

EPA Science Inventory

Carbon Capture and Storage, or CCS, is likely to be an important technology in a carbonconstrained world. CCS will involve subsurface injection of massive amounts of captured CO₂, on a scale that has not previously been approached. The unprecedented scale of t...

Leakage Risk Assessment for a Potential CO2 Storage Project in Saskatchewan, Canada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Houseworth, J.E.; Oldenburg, C.M.; Mazzoldi, A.

2011-05-01

A CO{sub 2} sequestration project is being considered to (1) capture CO{sub 2} emissions from the Consumers Cooperative Refineries Limited at Regina, Saskatchewan and (2) geologically sequester the captured CO{sub 2} locally in a deep saline aquifer. This project is a collaboration of several industrial and governmental organizations, including the Petroleum Technology Research Centre (PTRC), Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC), SaskEnvironment Go Green Fund, SaskPower, CCRL, Schlumberger Carbon Services, and Enbridge. The project objective is to sequester 600 tonnes CO{sub 2}/day. Injection is planned to start in 2012 or 2013 for a period of 25 years for a total storagemore » of approximately 5.5 million tonnes CO{sub 2}. This report presents an assessment of the leakage risk of the proposed project using a methodology known as the Certification Framework (CF). The CF is used for evaluating CO{sub 2} leakage risk associated with geologic carbon sequestration (GCS), as well as brine leakage risk owing to displacement and pressurization of brine by the injected CO{sub 2}. We follow the CF methodology by defining the entities (so-called Compartments) that could be impacted by CO{sub 2} leakage, the CO{sub 2} storage region, the potential for leakage along well and fault pathways, and the consequences of such leakage. An understanding of the likelihood and consequences of leakage forms the basis for understanding CO{sub 2} leakage risk, and forms the basis for recommendations of additional data collection and analysis to increase confidence in the risk assessment.« less

Quantifying induced effects of subsurface renewable energy storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bauer, Sebastian; Beyer, Christof; Pfeiffer, Tilmann; Boockmeyer, Anke; Popp, Steffi; Delfs, Jens-Olaf; Wang, Bo; Li, Dedong; Dethlefsen, Frank; Dahmke, Andreas

2015-04-01

New methods and technologies for energy storage are required for the transition to renewable energy sources. Subsurface energy storage systems such as salt caverns or porous formations offer the possibility of hosting large amounts of energy or substance. When employing these systems, an adequate system and process understanding is required in order to assess the feasibility of the individual storage option at the respective site and to predict the complex and interacting effects induced. This understanding is the basis for assessing the potential as well as the risks connected with a sustainable usage of these storage options, especially when considering possible mutual influences. For achieving this aim, in this work synthetic scenarios for the use of the geological underground as an energy storage system are developed and parameterized. The scenarios are designed to represent typical conditions in North Germany. The types of subsurface use investigated here include gas storage and heat storage in porous formations. The scenarios are numerically simulated and interpreted with regard to risk analysis and effect forecasting. For this, the numerical simulators Eclipse and OpenGeoSys are used. The latter is enhanced to include the required coupled hydraulic, thermal, geomechanical and geochemical processes. Using the simulated and interpreted scenarios, the induced effects are quantified individually and monitoring concepts for observing these effects are derived. This presentation will detail the general investigation concept used and analyze the parameter availability for this type of model applications. Then the process implementation and numerical methods required and applied for simulating the induced effects of subsurface storage are detailed and explained. Application examples show the developed methods and quantify induced effects and storage sizes for the typical settings parameterized. This work is part of the ANGUS+ project, funded by the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

Reactive Tracer Techniques to Quantitatively Monitor Carbon Dioxide Storage in Geologic Formations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matter, J. M.; Carson, C.; Stute, M.; Broecker, W. S.

2012-12-01

Injection of CO2 into geologic storage reservoirs induces fluid-rock reactions that may lead to the mineralization of the injected CO2. The long-term safety of geologic CO2 storage is, therefore, determined by in situ CO2-fluid-rock reactions. Currently existing monitoring and verification techniques for CO2 storage are insufficient to characterize the solubility and reactivity of the injected CO2, and to establish a mass balance of the stored CO2. Dissolved and chemically transformed CO2 thus avoid detection. We developed and are testing a new reactive tracer technique for quantitative monitoring and detection of dissolved and chemically transformed CO2 in geologic storage reservoirs. The technique involves tagging the injected carbon with radiocarbon (14C). Carbon-14 is a naturally occurring radioisotope produced by cosmic radiation and made artificially by 14N neutron capture. The ambient concentration is very low with a 14C/12C ratio of 10-12. The concentration of 14C in deep geologic formations and fossil fuels is at least two orders of magnitude lower. This makes 14C an ideal quantitative tracer for tagging underground injections of anthropogenic CO2. We are testing the feasibility of this tracer technique at the CarbFix pilot injection site in Iceland, where approximately 2,000 tons of CO2 dissolved in water are currently injected into a deep basalt aquifer. The injected CO2 is tagged with 14C by dynamically adding calibrated amounts of H14CO3 solution to the injection stream. The target concentration is 12 Bq/kg of injected water, which results in a 14C activity that is 5 times enriched compared to the 1850 background. In addition to 14C as a reactive tracer, trifluormethylsulphur pentafluoride (SF5CF3) and sulfurhexafluoride (SF6) are used as conservative tracers to monitor the transport of the injected CO2 in the subsurface. Fluid samples are collected for tracer analysis from the injection and monitoring wells on a regular basis. Results show a fast reaction of the injected CO2 with the ambient reservoir fluid and rocks. Mixing and in situ CO2-water-rock reactions are detected by changes in the different tracer ratios. The feasibility of 14C as a reactive tracer for geologic CO2 storage also depends on the analytical technique used to measure 14C activities. Currently, 14C is analyzed using Accelerator Mass Spectrometery (AMS), which is expensive and requires centralized facilities. To enable real time online monitoring and verification, we are developing an alternative detection method for radiocarbon. The IntraCavity OptoGalvanic Spectroscopy (ICOGS) system is using a CO2 laser to detect carbon isotope ratios at environmental levels. Results from our prototype of this bench-top technology demonstrate that an ICOGS system can be used in a continuous mode with analysis times of the order of minutes, and can deliver data of similar quality as AMS.

Satellite-based measurements of surface deformation reveal fluid flow associated with the geological storage of carbon dioxide

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vasco, D.W.; Rucci, A.; Ferretti, A.

2009-10-15

Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR), gathered over the In Salah CO{sub 2} storage project in Algeria, provides an early indication that satellite-based geodetic methods can be effective in monitoring the geological storage of carbon dioxide. An injected volume of 3 million tons of carbon dioxide, from one of the first large-scale carbon sequestration efforts, produces a measurable surface displacement of approximately 5 mm/year. Using geophysical inverse techniques we are able to infer flow within the reservoir layer and within a seismically detected fracture/ fault zone intersecting the reservoir. We find that, if we use the best available elastic Earth model,more » the fluid flow need only occur in the vicinity of the reservoir layer. However, flow associated with the injection of the carbon dioxide does appear to extend several kilometers laterally within the reservoir, following the fracture/fault zone.« less

Object-Oriented Programming When Developing Software in Geology and Geophysics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmadulin, R. K.; Bakanovskaya, L. N.

2017-01-01

The paper reviews the role of object-oriented programming when developing software in geology and geophysics. Main stages have been identified at which it is worthwhile to apply principles of object-oriented programming when developing software in geology and geophysics. The research was based on a number of problems solved in Geology and Petroleum Production Institute. Distinctive features of these problems are given and areas of application of the object-oriented approach are identified. Developing applications in the sphere of geology and geophysics has shown that the process of creating such products is simplified due to the use of object-oriented programming, firstly when designing structures for data storage and graphical user interfaces.

Integrating experimental and numerical methods for a scenario-based quantitative assessment of subsurface energy storage options

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kabuth, Alina; Dahmke, Andreas; Hagrey, Said Attia al; Berta, Márton; Dörr, Cordula; Koproch, Nicolas; Köber, Ralf; Köhn, Daniel; Nolde, Michael; Tilmann Pfeiffer, Wolf; Popp, Steffi; Schwanebeck, Malte; Bauer, Sebastian

2016-04-01

Within the framework of the transition to renewable energy sources ("Energiewende"), the German government defined the target of producing 60 % of the final energy consumption from renewable energy sources by the year 2050. However, renewable energies are subject to natural fluctuations. Energy storage can help to buffer the resulting time shifts between production and demand. Subsurface geological structures provide large potential capacities for energy stored in the form of heat or gas on daily to seasonal time scales. In order to explore this potential sustainably, the possible induced effects of energy storage operations have to be quantified for both specified normal operation and events of failure. The ANGUS+ project therefore integrates experimental laboratory studies with numerical approaches to assess subsurface energy storage scenarios and monitoring methods. Subsurface storage options for gas, i.e. hydrogen, synthetic methane and compressed air in salt caverns or porous structures, as well as subsurface heat storage are investigated with respect to site prerequisites, storage dimensions, induced effects, monitoring methods and integration into spatial planning schemes. The conceptual interdisciplinary approach of the ANGUS+ project towards the integration of subsurface energy storage into a sustainable subsurface planning scheme is presented here, and this approach is then demonstrated using the examples of two selected energy storage options: Firstly, the option of seasonal heat storage in a shallow aquifer is presented. Coupled thermal and hydraulic processes induced by periodic heat injection and extraction were simulated in the open-source numerical modelling package OpenGeoSys. Situations of specified normal operation as well as cases of failure in operational storage with leaking heat transfer fluid are considered. Bench-scale experiments provided parameterisations of temperature dependent changes in shallow groundwater hydrogeochemistry. As a second example, the option of seasonal hydrogen storage in a deep saline aquifer is considered. The induced thermal and hydraulic multiphase flow processes were simulated. Also, an integrative approach towards geophysical monitoring of gas presence was evaluated by synthetically applying these monitoring methods to the synthetic, however realistically defined numerical storage scenarios. Laboratory experiments provided parameterisations of geochemical effects caused by storage gas leakage into shallow aquifers in cases of sealing failure. Ultimately, the analysis of realistically defined scenarios of subsurface energy storage within the ANGUS+ project allows a quantification of the subsurface space claimed by a storage operation and its induced effects. Acknowledgments: This work is part of the ANGUS+ project (www.angusplus.de) and funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) as part of the energy storage initiative "Energiespeicher".

Active Management of Integrated Geothermal-CO2 Storage Reservoirs in Sedimentary Formations

DOE Data Explorer

Buscheck, Thomas A.

2012-01-01

Active Management of Integrated Geothermal–CO2 Storage Reservoirs in Sedimentary Formations: An Approach to Improve Energy Recovery and Mitigate Risk: FY1 Final Report The purpose of phase 1 is to determine the feasibility of integrating geologic CO2 storage (GCS) with geothermal energy production. Phase 1 includes reservoir analyses to determine injector/producer well schemes that balance the generation of economically useful flow rates at the producers with the need to manage reservoir overpressure to reduce the risks associated with overpressure, such as induced seismicity and CO2 leakage to overlying aquifers. Based on a range of well schemes, techno-economic analyses of the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) are conducted to determine the economic benefits of integrating GCS with geothermal energy production. In addition to considering CO2 injection, reservoir analyses are conducted for nitrogen (N2) injection to investigate the potential benefits of incorporating N2 injection with integrated geothermal-GCS, as well as the use of N2 injection as a potential pressure-support and working-fluid option. Phase 1 includes preliminary environmental risk assessments of integrated geothermal-GCS, with the focus on managing reservoir overpressure. Phase 1 also includes an economic survey of pipeline costs, which will be applied in Phase 2 to the analysis of CO2 conveyance costs for techno-economics analyses of integrated geothermal-GCS reservoir sites. Phase 1 also includes a geospatial GIS survey of potential integrated geothermal-GCS reservoir sites, which will be used in Phase 2 to conduct sweet-spot analyses that determine where promising geothermal resources are co-located in sedimentary settings conducive to safe CO2 storage, as well as being in adequate proximity to large stationary CO2 sources.

Conceptual model of sediment processes in the upper Yuba River watershed, Sierra Nevada, CA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Curtis, J.A.; Flint, L.E.; Alpers, Charles N.; Yarnell, S.M.

2005-01-01

This study examines the development of a conceptual model of sediment processes in the upper Yuba River watershed; and we hypothesize how components of the conceptual model may be spatially distributed using a geographical information system (GIS). The conceptual model illustrates key processes controlling sediment dynamics in the upper Yuba River watershed and was tested and revised using field measurements, aerial photography, and low elevation videography. Field reconnaissance included mass wasting and channel storage inventories, assessment of annual channel change in upland tributaries, and evaluation of the relative importance of sediment sources and transport processes. Hillslope erosion rates throughout the study area are relatively low when compared to more rapidly eroding landscapes such as the Pacific Northwest and notable hillslope sediment sources include highly erodible andesitic mudflows, serpentinized ultramafics, and unvegetated hydraulic mine pits. Mass wasting dominates surface erosion on the hillslopes; however, erosion of stored channel sediment is the primary contributor to annual sediment yield. We used GIS to spatially distribute the components of the conceptual model and created hillslope erosion potential and channel storage models. The GIS models exemplify the conceptual model in that landscapes with low potential evapotranspiration, sparse vegetation, steep slopes, erodible geology and soils, and high road densities display the greatest hillslope erosion potential and channel storage increases with increasing stream order. In-channel storage in upland tributaries impacted by hydraulic mining is an exception. Reworking of stored hydraulic mining sediment in low-order tributaries continues to elevate upper Yuba River sediment yields. Finally, we propose that spatially distributing the components of a conceptual model in a GIS framework provides a guide for developing more detailed sediment budgets or numerical models making it an inexpensive way to develop a roadmap for understanding sediment dynamics at a watershed scale.

Cavity degradation risk insurance assessment. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hampson, C.; Neill, P.; de Bivort, L.

1980-01-01

This study examined the risks and risk management issues involved with the implementation by electric power utilities of compressed air energy storage and underground pumped hydro storage systems. The results are listed in terms of relative risks for the construction and operation of these systems in different geologic deposits, with varying amounts of pressurization, with natural or man-made disasters in the vicinity of the storage equipment, and with different modes of operating the facilities. (LCL)

Geochemical Impacts of CO2 Intrusion into Ground Water due to Carbon Dioxide Release from Geologic Sequestration Projects: Overview of ORD Research

EPA Science Inventory

Abstract: Even with the large physical separation between storage reservoirs and surficial environments, there is concern that CO2 stored in reservoirs may eventually leak back to the surface through abandoned wells or along geological features such as faults. Leakage of CO2 into...

Carbon dioxide fluid-flow modeling and injectivity calculations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Burke, Lauri

2011-01-01

These results were used to classify subsurface formations into three permeability classifications for the probabilistic calculations of storage efficiency and containment risk of the U.S. Geological Survey geologic carbon sequestration assessment methodology. This methodology is currently in use to determine the total carbon dioxide containment capacity of the onshore and State waters areas of the United States.

76 FR 13396 - Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Mountaineer Commercial...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-11

... deep saline geologic formations for permanent geologic storage. DATES: DOE invites the public to...; or by fax (304) 285-4403. The Draft EIS is available on DOE's NEPA Web page at: http://nepa.energy.gov/DOE_NEPA_documents.htm ; and on the National Energy Technology Laboratory's Web page at: http...

Practical modeling approaches for geological storage of carbon dioxide.

PubMed

Celia, Michael A; Nordbotten, Jan M

2009-01-01

The relentless increase of anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions and the associated concerns about climate change have motivated new ideas about carbon-constrained energy production. One technological approach to control carbon dioxide emissions is carbon capture and storage, or CCS. The underlying idea of CCS is to capture the carbon before it emitted to the atmosphere and store it somewhere other than the atmosphere. Currently, the most attractive option for large-scale storage is in deep geological formations, including deep saline aquifers. Many physical and chemical processes can affect the fate of the injected CO2, with the overall mathematical description of the complete system becoming very complex. Our approach to the problem has been to reduce complexity as much as possible, so that we can focus on the few truly important questions about the injected CO2, most of which involve leakage out of the injection formation. Toward this end, we have established a set of simplifying assumptions that allow us to derive simplified models, which can be solved numerically or, for the most simplified cases, analytically. These simplified models allow calculation of solutions to large-scale injection and leakage problems in ways that traditional multicomponent multiphase simulators cannot. Such simplified models provide important tools for system analysis, screening calculations, and overall risk-assessment calculations. We believe this is a practical and important approach to model geological storage of carbon dioxide. It also serves as an example of how complex systems can be simplified while retaining the essential physics of the problem.

Paleozoic shale gas resources in the Sichuan Basin, China

USGS Publications Warehouse

Potter, Christopher J.

2018-01-01

The Sichuan Basin, China, is commonly considered to contain the world’s most abundant shale gas resources. Although its Paleozoic marine shales share many basic characteristics with successful United States gas shales, numerous geologic uncertainties exist, and Sichuan Basin shale gas production is nascent. Gas retention was likely compromised by the age of the shale reservoirs, multiple uplifts and orogenies, and migration pathways along unconformities. High thermal maturities raise questions about gas storage potential in lower Paleozoic shales. Given these uncertainties, a new look at Sichuan Basin shale gas resources is advantageous. As part of a systematic effort to quantitatively assess continuous oil and gas resources in priority basins worldwide, the US Geological Survey (USGS) completed an assessment of Paleozoic shale gas in the Sichuan Basin in 2015. Three organic-rich marine Paleozoic shale intervals meet the USGS geologic criteria for quantitative assessment of shale gas resources: the lower Cambrian Qiongzhusi Formation, the uppermost Ordovician Wufeng through lowermost Silurian Longmaxi Formations (currently producing shale gas), and the upper Permian Longtan and Dalong Formations. This study defined geologically based assessment units and calculated probabilistic distributions of technically recoverable shale gas resources using the USGS well productivity–based method. For six assessment units evaluated in 2015, the USGS estimated a mean value of 23.9 tcf (677 billion cubic meters) of undiscovered, technically recoverable shale gas. This result is considerably lower than volumes calculated in previous shale gas assessments of the Sichuan Basin, highlighting a need for caution in this geologically challenging setting.

Analysis of CO2 trapping capacities and long-term migration for geological formations in the Norwegian North Sea using MRST-co2lab

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Møll Nilsen, Halvor; Lie, Knut-Andreas; Andersen, Odd

2015-06-01

MRST-co2lab is a collection of open-source computational tools for modeling large-scale and long-time migration of CO2 in conductive aquifers, combining ideas from basin modeling, computational geometry, hydrology, and reservoir simulation. Herein, we employ the methods of MRST-co2lab to study long-term CO2 storage on the scale of hundreds of megatonnes. We consider public data sets of two aquifers from the Norwegian North Sea and use geometrical methods for identifying structural traps, percolation-type methods for identifying potential spill paths, and vertical-equilibrium methods for efficient simulation of structural, residual, and solubility trapping in a thousand-year perspective. In particular, we investigate how data resolution affects estimates of storage capacity and discuss workflows for identifying good injection sites and optimizing injection strategies.

Sensitivity of storage field performance to geologic and cavern design parameters in salt domes.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ehgartner, Brian L.; Park, Byoung Yoon

2009-03-01

A sensitivity study was performed utilizing a three dimensional finite element model to assess allowable cavern field sizes for strategic petroleum reserve salt domes. A potential exists for tensile fracturing and dilatancy damage to salt that can compromise the integrity of a cavern field in situations where high extraction ratios exist. The effects of salt creep rate, depth of salt dome top, dome size, caprock thickness, elastic moduli of caprock and surrounding rock, lateral stress ratio of surrounding rock, cavern size, depth of cavern, and number of caverns are examined numerically. As a result, a correlation table between the parametersmore » and the impact on the performance of storage field was established. In general, slower salt creep rates, deeper depth of salt dome top, larger elastic moduli of caprock and surrounding rock, and a smaller radius of cavern are better for structural performance of the salt dome.« less

Effect of modeling factors on the dissolution-diffusion-convection process during CO2 geological storage in deep saline formations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Wei

2013-06-01

It is well known that during CO2 geological storage, density-driven convective activity can significantly accelerate the dissolution of injected CO2 into water. This action could limit the escape of supercritical CO2 from the storage formation through vertical pathways such as fractures, faults and abandoned wells, consequently increasing permanence and security of storage. First, we investigated the effect of numerical perturbation caused by time and grid resolution and the convergence criteria on the dissolution-diffusion-convection (DDC) process. Then, using the model with appropriate spatial and temporal resolution, some uncertainty parameters investigated in our previous paper such as initial gas saturation and model boundaries, and other factors such as relative liquid permeability and porosity modification were used to examine their effects on the DDC process. Finally, we compared the effect of 2D and 3D models on the simulation of the DDC process. The above modeling results should contribute to clear understanding and accurate simulation of the DDC process, especially the onset of convective activity, and the CO2 dissolution rate during the convection-dominated stage.

U.S. Department of Energy's regional carbon sequestration partnership initiative: Update on validation and development phases

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rodosta, T.; Litynski, J.; Plasynski, S.; Spangler, L.; Finley, R.; Steadman, E.; Ball, D.; Gerald, H.; McPherson, B.; Burton, E.; Vikara, D.

2011-01-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is the lead federal agency for the development and deployment of carbon sequestration technologies. The Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnerships (RCSPs) are the mechanism DOE utilizes to prove the technology and to develop human capital, stakeholder networks, information for regulatory policy, best practices documents and training to work toward the commercialization of carbon capture and storage (CCS). The RCSPs are tasked with determining the most suitable technologies, regulations, and infrastructure for carbon capture, transport, and storage in their respective geographic areas of responsibility. The seven partnerships include more than 400 state agencies, universities, national laboratories, private companies, and environmental organizations, spanning 43 states and four Canadian provinces. The Regional Partnerships Initiative is being implemented in three phases: Characterization, Validation, and Development. The initial Characterization Phase began in 2003 and was completed in 2005 and focused on characterization of CO2 storage potential within each region. It was followed by the Validation Phase, which began in 2005 and is nearing completion in 2011. The focus of the Validation Phase has been on small-scale field tests throughout the seven partnerships in various formation types such as saline, oil-bearing, and coal seams. The Validation Phase has characterized suitable CO2 storage reservoirs and identified the need for comprehensive legal and regulatory frameworks to enable commercial-scale CCS deployment. Finally, the Development Phase will consist of a series of large-scale, one-million-ton, injection tests throughout the United States and Canada. The objective of these large-scale tests is to identify the regulatory path or challenges in permitting CCS projects, to demonstrate the technology can inject CO2 safely, and to verify its permanence in geologic formations in preparation for the commercialization of geologic sequestration. ?? 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. ?? 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

CarbonSAFE Rocky Mountain Phase I : Seismic Characterization of the Navajo Reservoir, Buzzard Bench, Utah

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haar, K. K.; Balch, R. S.; Lee, S. Y.

2017-12-01

The CarbonSAFE Rocky Mountain project team is in the initial phase of investigating the regulatory, financial and technical feasibility of commercial-scale CO2 capture and storage from two coal-fired power plants in the northwest region of the San Rafael Swell, Utah. The reservoir interval is the Jurassic Navajo Sandstone, an eolian dune deposit that at present serves as the salt water disposal reservoir for Ferron Sandstone coal-bed methane production in the Drunkards Wash field and Buzzard Bench area of central Utah. In the study area the Navajo sandstone is approximately 525 feet thick and is at an average depth of about 7000 feet below the surface. If sufficient porosity and permeability exist, reservoir depth and thickness would provide storage for up to 100,000 metric tonnes of CO2 per square mile, based on preliminary estimates. This reservoir has the potential to meet the DOE's requirement of having the ability to store at least 50 million metric tons of CO2 and fulfills the DOE's initiative to develop protocols for commercially sequestering carbon sourced from coal-fired power plants. A successful carbon storage project requires thorough structural and stratigraphic characterization of the reservoir, seal and faults, thereby allowing the creation of a comprehensive geologic model with subsequent simulations to evaluate CO2/brine migration and long-term effects. Target formation lithofacies and subfacies data gathered from outcrop mapping and laboratory analysis of core samples were developed into a geologic model. Synthetic seismic was modeled from this, allowing us to seismically characterize the lithofacies of the target formation. This seismic characterization data was then employed in the interpretation of 2D legacy lines which provided stratigraphic and structural control for more accurate model development of the northwest region of the San Rafael Swell. Developing baseline interpretations such as this are crucial toward long-term carbon storage monitoring.

WATER INFORMATION AVAILABLE FROM THE U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Showen, Charles R.

1985-01-01

As a part of the Geological Survey's program of releasing water data to the public, two large-scale computerized systems are maintained. The National Water Data Storage and Retrieval System was developed to provide more effective and efficient management of data-releasing activities and provides for the processing, storage, and retrieval of surface-water, ground-water and water-quality data. Another service available is providing assistance to users of water data to identify, locate, and acquire needed data. This service is provided by the National Water Data Exchange, which has the mission to identify sources of water data and to provide the connection between those who acquire and those who use water data.

A case study for a digital seabed database: Bohai Sea engineering geology database

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tianyun, Su; Shikui, Zhai; Baohua, Liu; Ruicai, Liang; Yanpeng, Zheng; Yong, Wang

2006-07-01

This paper discusses the designing plan of ORACLE-based Bohai Sea engineering geology database structure from requisition analysis, conceptual structure analysis, logical structure analysis, physical structure analysis and security designing. In the study, we used the object-oriented Unified Modeling Language (UML) to model the conceptual structure of the database and used the powerful function of data management which the object-oriented and relational database ORACLE provides to organize and manage the storage space and improve its security performance. By this means, the database can provide rapid and highly effective performance in data storage, maintenance and query to satisfy the application requisition of the Bohai Sea Oilfield Paradigm Area Information System.

Coupling of geochemical and multiphase flow processes for validation of the MUFITS reservoir simulator against TOUGHREACT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Lucia, Marco; Kempka, Thomas; Afanasyev, Andrey; Melnik, Oleg; Kühn, Michael

2016-04-01

Coupled reactive transport simulations, especially in heterogeneous settings considering multiphase flow, are extremely time consuming and suffer from significant numerical issues compared to purely hydrodynamic simulations. This represents a major hurdle in the assessment of geological subsurface utilization, since it constrains the practical application of reactive transport modelling to coarse spatial discretization or oversimplified geological settings. In order to overcome such limitations, De Lucia et al. [1] developed and validated a one-way coupling approach between geochemistry and hydrodynamics, which is particularly well suited for CO2 storage simulations, while being of general validity. In the present study, the models used for the validation of the one-way coupling approach introduced by De Lucia et al. (2015), and originally performed with the TOUGHREACT simulator, are transferred to and benchmarked against the multiphase reservoir simulator MUFITS [2]. The geological model is loosely inspired by an existing CO2 storage site. Its grid comprises 2,950 elements enclosed in a single layer, but reflecting a realistic three-dimensional anticline geometry. For the purpose of this comparison, homogeneous and heterogeneous scenarios in terms of porosity and permeability were investigated. In both cases, the results of the MUFITS simulator are in excellent agreement with those produced with the fully-coupled TOUGHREACT simulator, while profiting from significantly higher computational performance. This study demonstrates how a computationally efficient simulator such as MUFITS can be successfully included in a coupled process simulation framework, and also suggests ameliorations and specific strategies for the coupling of chemical processes with hydrodynamics and heat transport, aiming at tackling geoscientific problems beyond the storage of CO2. References [1] De Lucia, M., Kempka, T., and Kühn, M. A coupling alternative to reactive transport simulations for long-term prediction of chemical reactions in heterogeneous CO2 storage systems, Geosci. Model Dev., 8, 279-294, 2015, doi:10.5194/gmd-8-279-2015 [2] Afanasyev, A.A. Application of the reservoir simulator MUFITS for 3D modeling of CO2 storage in geological formations, Energy Procedia, 40, 365-374, 2013, doi:10.1016/j.egypro.2013.08.042

Radiocarbon as a Reactive Tracer for Tracking Permanent CO 2 Storage in Basaltic Rocks

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Matter, Juerg; Stute, Martin; Schlosser, Peter

In view of concerns about the long-term integrity and containment of CO 2 storage in geologic reservoirs, many efforts have been made to improve the monitoring, verification and accounting methods for geologically stored CO 2. Our project aimed to demonstrate that carbon-14 ( 14C) could be used as a reactive tracer to monitor geochemical reactions and evaluate the extent of mineral trapping of CO 2 in basaltic rocks. The capacity of a storage reservoir for mineral trapping of CO 2 is largely a function of host rock composition. Mineral carbonation involves combining CO 2 with divalent cations including Ca 2+,more » Mg 2+ and Fe 2+. The most abundant geological sources for these cations are basaltic rocks. Based on initial storage capacity estimates, we know that basalts have the necessary capacity to store million to billion tons of CO 2 via in situ mineral carbonation. However, little is known about CO2-fluid-rock reactions occurring in a basaltic storage reservoir during and post-CO 2 injection. None of the common monitoring and verification techniques have been able to provide a surveying tool for mineral trapping. The most direct method for quantitative monitoring and accounting involves the tagging of the injected CO 2 with 14C because 14C is not present in deep geologic reservoirs prior to injection. Accordingly, we conducted two CO 2 injection tests at the CarbFix pilot injection site in Iceland to study the feasibility of 14C as a reactive tracer for monitoring CO 2-fluid-rock reactions and CO 2 mineralization. Our newly developed monitoring techniques, using 14C as a reactive tracer, have been successfully demonstrated. For the first time, permanent and safe disposal of CO 2 as environmentally benign carbonate minerals in basaltic rocks could be shown. Over 95% of the injected CO 2 at the CarbFix pilot injection site was mineralized to carbonate minerals in less than two years after injection. Our monitoring results confirm that CO 2 mineralization in basaltic rocks is far faster than previously postulated.« less

Geophysical and Geochemical Aspects of Pressure and CO2 Saturation Modeling due to Migration of Fluids into the Above Zone Monitoring Interval of a Geologic Carbon Storage Site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, L.; Namhata, A.; Dilmore, R. M.; Bromhal, G. S.

2016-12-01

An increasing emphasis on the industrial scale implementation of CO2 storage into geological formations has led to the development of whole-system models to evaluate performance of candidate geologic storage sites, and the environmental risk associated with them. The components of that engineered geologic system include the storage reservoir, primary and secondary seals, and the overlying formations above primary and secondary seals (above-zone monitoring interval, AZMI). Leakage of CO2 and brine through the seal to the AZMI may occur due to the presence of natural or induced fractures in the seal. In this work, an AZMI model that simulates pressure and CO2 saturation responses through time to migration of fluids (here, CO2 and brine) from the primary seal to the AZMI is developed. A hypothetical case is examined wherein CO2 is injected into a storage reservoir for 30 years and a heterogeneous primary seal exists above the reservoir with some permeable zones. The total simulation period is 200 years (30 years of CO2 injection period and 170 years of post CO2 injection period). Key geophysical parameters such as permeability of the AZMI, thickness of the AZMI and porosity of the AZMI have significant impact on pressure evolution in the AZMI. arbitrary Polynomial Chaos (aPC) Expansion analysis shows that permeability of the AZMI has the most significant impact on pressure build up in the AZMI above the injection well at t=200 years, followed by thickness of the AZMI and porosity of the AZMI. Geochemical reactions have no impact on pressure and CO2 saturation evolution in the AZMI during the CO2 injection period. After the CO2 injection stops, precipitation of secondary minerals (e.g., amorphous silica and kaolinite) at the CO2 plume/brine interface in the AZMI formation may cause permeability reduction of the AZMI, which restrains horizontal migration of CO2 in the AZMI.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Davidson, C L; Bearden, Mark D; Horner, Jacob A

Previous work by McGrail et al. (2013, 2015) has evaluated the possibility of pairing compressed air energy storage with geothermal resources in lieu of a fossil-fired power generation component, and suggests that such applications may be cost competitive where geology is favorable to siting both the geothermal and CAES components of such a system. Those studies also note that the collocation of subsurface resources that meet both sets of requirements are difficult to find in areas that also offer infrastructure and near- to mid-term market demand for energy storage. This study examines a novel application for the compressed air storagemore » portion of the project by evaluating the potential to store compressed air in disused wells by amending well casings to serve as subsurface pressure vessels. Because the wells themselves would function in lieu of a geologic storage reservoir for the CAES element of the project, siting could focus on locations with suitable geothermal resources, as long as there was also existing wellfield infrastructure that could be repurposed for air storage. Existing wellfields abound in the United States, and with current low energy prices, many recently productive fields are now shut in. Should energy prices remain stagnant, these idle fields will be prime candidates for decommissioning unless they can be transitioned to other uses, such as redevelopment for energy storage. In addition to the nation’s ubiquitous oil and gas fields, geothermal fields, because of their phased production lifetimes, also may offer many abandoned wellbores that could be used for other purposes, often near currently productive geothermal resources. These existing fields offer an opportunity to decrease exploration and development uncertainty by leveraging data developed during prior field characterization, drilling, and production. They may also offer lower-cost deployment options for hybrid geothermal systems via redevelopment of existing well-field infrastructure. This project assessed the technical and economic feasibility of implementing geothermally coupled well-based CAES for grid-scale energy storage. Based on an evaluation of design specifications for a range of casing grades common in U.S. oil and gas fields, a 5-MW CAES project could be supported by twenty to twenty-five 5,000-foot, 7-inch wells using lower-grade casing, and as few as eight such wells for higher-end casing grades. Using this information, along with data on geothermal resources, well density, and potential future markets for energy storage systems, The Geysers geothermal field was selected to parameterize a case study to evaluate the potential match between the proven geothermal resource present at The Geysers and the field’s existing well infrastructure. Based on calculated wellbore compressed air mass, the study shows that a single average geothermal production well could provide enough geothermal energy to support a 15.4-MW (gross) power generation facility using 34 to 35 geothermal wells repurposed for compressed air storage, resulting in a simplified levelized cost of electricity (sLCOE) estimated at 11.2 ¢/kWh (Table S.1). Accounting for the power loss to the geothermal power project associated with diverting geothermal resources for air heating results in a net 2-MW decrease in generation capacity, increasing the CAES project’s sLCOE by 1.8 ¢/kWh.« less

Simulation of subsea gas hydrate exploitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janicki, Georg; Schlüter, Stefan; Hennig, Torsten; Deerberg, Görge

2014-05-01

The recovery of methane from gas hydrate layers that have been detected in several subsea sediments and permafrost regions around the world is a promising perspective to overcome future shortages in natural gas supply. Being aware that conventional natural gas resources are limited, research is going on to develop technologies for the production of natural gas from such new sources. Thus various research programs have started since the early 1990s in Japan, USA, Canada, India, and Germany to investigate hydrate deposits and develop required technologies. In recent years, intensive research has focussed on the capture and storage of CO2 from combustion processes to reduce climate impact. While different natural or man-made reservoirs like deep aquifers, exhausted oil and gas deposits or other geological formations are considered to store gaseous or liquid CO2, the storage of CO2 as hydrate in former methane hydrate fields is another promising alternative. Due to beneficial stability conditions, methane recovery may be well combined with CO2 storage in the form of hydrates. Regarding technological implementation many problems have to be overcome. Especially mixing, heat and mass transfer in the reservoir are limiting factors causing very long process times. Within the scope of the German research project »SUGAR« different technological approaches for the optimized exploitation of gas hydrate deposits are evaluated and compared by means of dynamic system simulations and analysis. Detailed mathematical models for the most relevant chemical and physical processes are developed. The basic mechanisms of gas hydrate formation/dissociation and heat and mass transport in porous media are considered and implemented into simulation programs. Simulations based on geological field data have been carried out. The studies focus on the potential of gas production from turbidites and their fitness for CO2 storage. The effects occurring during gas production and CO2 storage within a hydrate deposit are identified and described for various scenarios. The behavior of relevant process parameters such as pressure, temperature and phase saturations is discussed and compared for different strategies: simple depressurization, simultaneous and subsequent methane production together with CO2 injection.

CO2 storage capacity estimation: Methodology and gaps

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bachu, S.; Bonijoly, D.; Bradshaw, J.; Burruss, R.; Holloway, S.; Christensen, N.P.; Mathiassen, O.M.

2007-01-01

Implementation of CO2 capture and geological storage (CCGS) technology at the scale needed to achieve a significant and meaningful reduction in CO2 emissions requires knowledge of the available CO2 storage capacity. CO2 storage capacity assessments may be conducted at various scales-in decreasing order of size and increasing order of resolution: country, basin, regional, local and site-specific. Estimation of the CO2 storage capacity in depleted oil and gas reservoirs is straightforward and is based on recoverable reserves, reservoir properties and in situ CO2 characteristics. In the case of CO2-EOR, the CO2 storage capacity can be roughly evaluated on the basis of worldwide field experience or more accurately through numerical simulations. Determination of the theoretical CO2 storage capacity in coal beds is based on coal thickness and CO2 adsorption isotherms, and recovery and completion factors. Evaluation of the CO2 storage capacity in deep saline aquifers is very complex because four trapping mechanisms that act at different rates are involved and, at times, all mechanisms may be operating simultaneously. The level of detail and resolution required in the data make reliable and accurate estimation of CO2 storage capacity in deep saline aquifers practical only at the local and site-specific scales. This paper follows a previous one on issues and development of standards for CO2 storage capacity estimation, and provides a clear set of definitions and methodologies for the assessment of CO2 storage capacity in geological media. Notwithstanding the defined methodologies suggested for estimating CO2 storage capacity, major challenges lie ahead because of lack of data, particularly for coal beds and deep saline aquifers, lack of knowledge about the coefficients that reduce storage capacity from theoretical to effective and to practical, and lack of knowledge about the interplay between various trapping mechanisms at work in deep saline aquifers. ?? 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mathematical programming (MP) model to determine optimal transportation infrastructure for geologic CO2 storage in the Illinois basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rehmer, Donald E.

Analysis of results from a mathematical programming model were examined to 1) determine the least cost options for infrastructure development of geologic storage of CO2 in the Illinois Basin, and 2) perform an analysis of a number of CO2 emission tax and oil price scenarios in order to implement development of the least-cost pipeline networks for distribution of CO2. The model, using mixed integer programming, tested the hypothesis of whether viable EOR sequestration sites can serve as nodal points or hubs to expand the CO2 delivery infrastructure to more distal locations from the emissions sources. This is in contrast to previous model results based on a point-to- point model having direct pipeline segments from each CO2 capture site to each storage sink. There is literature on the spoke and hub problem that relates to airline scheduling as well as maritime shipping. A large-scale ship assignment problem that utilized integer linear programming was run on Excel Solver and described by Mourao et al., (2001). Other literature indicates that aircraft assignment in spoke and hub routes can also be achieved using integer linear programming (Daskin and Panayotopoulos, 1989; Hane et al., 1995). The distribution concept is basically the reverse of the "tree and branch" type (Rothfarb et al., 1970) gathering systems for oil and natural gas that industry has been developing for decades. Model results indicate that the inclusion of hubs as variables in the model yields lower transportation costs for geologic carbon dioxide storage over previous models of point-to-point infrastructure geometries. Tabular results and GIS maps of the selected scenarios illustrate that EOR sites can serve as nodal points or hubs for distribution of CO2 to distal oil field locations as well as deeper saline reservoirs. Revenue amounts and capture percentages both show an improvement over solutions when the hubs are not allowed to come into the solution. Other results indicate that geologic storage of CO2 into saline aquifers does not come into solutions selected by the model until the CO 2 emissions tax approaches 50/tonne. CO2 capture and storage begins to occur when the oil price is above 24.42 a barrel based on the constraints of the model. The annual storage capacity of the basin is nearly maximized when the net price of oil is as low as 40 per barrel and the CO2 emission tax is 60/tonne. The results from every subsequent scenario that was examined by this study demonstrate that EOR utilizing anthropogenically captured CO2 will earn net revenue, and thus represents an economically viable option for CO2 storage in the Illinois Basin.

Monetizing Leakage Risk of Geologic CO2 Storage using Wellbore Permeability Frequency Distributions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bielicki, Jeffrey; Fitts, Jeffrey; Peters, Catherine; Wilson, Elizabeth

2013-04-01

Carbon dioxide (CO2) may be captured from large point sources (e.g., coal-fired power plants, oil refineries, cement manufacturers) and injected into deep sedimentary basins for storage, or sequestration, from the atmosphere. This technology—CO2 Capture and Storage (CCS)—may be a significant component of the portfolio of technologies deployed to mitigate climate change. But injected CO2, or the brine it displaces, may leak from the storage reservoir through a variety of natural and manmade pathways, including existing wells and wellbores. Such leakage will incur costs to a variety of stakeholders, which may affect the desirability of potential CO2 injection locations as well as the feasibility of the CCS approach writ large. Consequently, analyzing and monetizing leakage risk is necessary to develop CCS as a viable technological option to mitigate climate change. Risk is the product of the probability of an outcome and the impact of that outcome. Assessment of leakage risk from geologic CO2 storage reservoirs requires an analysis of the probabilities and magnitudes of leakage, identification of the outcomes that may result from leakage, and an assessment of the expected economic costs of those outcomes. One critical uncertainty regarding the rate and magnitude of leakage is determined by the leakiness of the well leakage pathway. This leakiness is characterized by a leakage permeability for the pathway, and recent work has sought to determine frequency distributions for the leakage permeabilities of wells and wellbores. We conduct a probabilistic analysis of leakage and monetized leakage risk for CO2 injection locations in the Michigan Sedimentary Basin (USA) using empirically derived frequency distributions for wellbore leakage permeabilities. To conduct this probabilistic risk analysis, we apply the RISCS (Risk Interference of Subsurface CO2 Storage) model (Bielicki et al, 2013a, 2012b) to injection into the Mt. Simon Sandstone. RISCS monetizes leakage risk by combining 3D geospatial data with fluid-flow simulations from the ELSA (Estimating Leakage Semi-Analytically) model (e.g., Celia and Nordbotten, 2006) and the Leakage Impact Valuation (LIV) method (Pollak et al, 2013; Bielicki et al, 2013). We extend RISCS to iterate ELSA semi-analytic modeling simulations by drawing values from the frequency distribution of leakage permeabilities. The iterations assign these values to existing wells in the basin, and the probabilistic risk analysis thus incorporates the uncertainty of the extent of leakage. We show that monetized leakage risk can vary significantly over tens of kilometers, and we identify "hot spots" favorable to CO2 injection based on the monetized leakage risk for each potential location in the basin.

Discussion of the influence of CO and CH4 in CO2 transport, injection, and storage for CCS technology.

PubMed

Blanco, Sofía T; Rivas, Clara; Bravo, Ramón; Fernández, Javier; Artal, Manuela; Velasco, Inmaculada

2014-09-16

This paper discusses the influence of the noncondensable impurities CO and CH4 on Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology. We calculated and drew conclusions about the impact of both impurities in the CO2 on selected transport, injection, and storage parameters (pipeline pressure drop, storage capacity, etc.), whose analysis is necessary for the safe construction and operation of CO2 pipelines and for the secure long-term geological storage of anthropogenic CO2. To calculate these parameters, it is necessary to acquire data on the volumetric properties and the vapor-liquid equilibrium of the fluid being subjected to CCS. In addition to literature data, we used new experimental data, which are presented here and were obtained for five mixtures of CO2+CO with compositions characteristic of the typical emissions of the E.U. and the U.S.A. Temperatures and pressures are based on relevant CO2 pipeline and geological storage site values. From our experimental results, Peng-Robinson, PC-SAFT, and GERG Equations of State for were validated CO2+CO under the conditions of CCS. We conclude that the concentration of both impurities strongly affects the studied parameters, with CO being the most influential and problematic. The overall result of these negative effects is an increase in the difficulties, risks, and overall costs of CCS.

Regional Geology Web Map Application Development: Javascript v2.0

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Russell, Glenn

This is a milestone report for the FY2017 continuation of the Spent Fuel, Storage, and Waste, Technology (SFSWT) program (formerly Used Fuel Disposal (UFD) program) development of the Regional Geology Web Mapping Application by the Idaho National Laboratory Geospatial Science and Engineering group. This application was developed for general public use and is an interactive web-based application built in Javascript to visualize, reference, and analyze US pertinent geological features of the SFSWT program. This tool is a version upgrade from Adobe FLEX technology. It is designed to facilitate informed decision making of the geology of continental US relevant to themore » SFSWT program.« less

PLANNING FOR OPTICAL DISK TECHNOLOGY WITH DIGITAL CARTOGRAPHY.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Light, Donald L.

1984-01-01

Progress in the computer field continues to suggest that the transition from traditional analog mapping systems to digital systems has become a practical possibility. A major shortfall that still exists in digital systems is the need for very large mass storage capacity. The decade of the 1980's has introduced laser optical disk storage technology, which may be the breakthrough needed for mass storage. This paper addresses system concepts for digital cartography during the transition period. Emphasis is placed on determining U. S. Geological Survey mass storage requirements and introducing laser optical disk technology for handling storage problems for digital data in this decade.

Mineral trapping of CO2 in operated geothermal reservoirs - Numerical simulations on various scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kühn, Michael; Stanjek, Helge; Peiffer, Stefan; Clauser, Christoph

2013-04-01

A novel approach to store CO2 not only by hydrodynamic trapping within a reservoir, but to convert dissolved CO2 into the geochemically more stable form of calcite in a reaction with calcium obtained from dissolution of sulphates and alkalinity from feldspars or fly ashes is described here. The presentation gives answers to the key questions: • Where are potential geothermal reservoirs with anhydrite abundant? • Does the transfer of anhydrite into calcite work at all and what are the reaction rates? • What are probable alkalinity sources and how fast are they available? Numerical simulation is a means to quantify the entire process of CO2 storage and to deepen the understanding of the detailed chemical processes. We performed numerical simulations on multiple scales. The relevant scales reach from the micro or thin section scale (ca. 1 cm) to the reservoir scale (ca. 10 km). The idea is to provide constraints for smaller scale models from the larger scale and derive functionality from smaller scale models of processes which cannot be resolved in larger scale models, due to restrictions of discretization of the applied numerical mesh. With regard to the 3 questions above we can conclude that the combination of CO2 storage and geothermal energy production is generally feasible because candidate sites are available, anhydrite is transformable into calcite and alkalinity can be provided by fly ashes (Back et al. 2010) or even in-situ (Kühn and Clauser 2006). Based on our laboratory investigations and numerical studies we are able to estimate the storage potential for mineral trapping of CO2 in geothermal reservoirs (Kühn et al. 2009). On the one hand the maximum is unfortunately less than a million tons over the life time of a geothermal heating plant. On the other hand significant storage capacities are available in geological formations with regard to hydrodynamic trapping for millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide. This is why under the current circumstances the combination of geothermal energy production and CO2 storage is not economical. Acknowledgements: The work presented here was part of the CO2Trap project in the research and development program GEOTECHNOLOGIEN funded by the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the German Research Foundation (DFG) (grant 03G0614A-C). References Back M., Kühn M., Stanjek H., Peiffer S. (2008) Reactivity of alkaline lignite fly ashes towards CO2 in water. Environmental Science & Technology 42(12), 4520-4526, doi: 10.1021/es702760v. Kühn M., Clauser C. (2006) Mineral trapping of CO2 in geothermal reservoirs. Chemie Ingenieur Technik 78(4), 425-434, doi: 10.1002/cite.200600019 (in German). Kühn M., Clauser C., Vosbeck K., Stanjek H., Meyn V., Back M., Peiffer S. (2009) Mineral trapping of CO2 in operated hydrogeothermal reservoirs. In: Grobe M., Pashin J. C., Dodge R. L. (eds.) Carbon dioxide sequestration in geological media—State of the science: AAPG Studies in Geology 59, p. 545-552.

Full-flow-regime storage-streamflow correlation patterns provide insights into hydrologic functioning over the continental US

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, Kuai; Shen, Chaopeng

2017-09-01

Interannual changes in low, median, and high regimes of streamflow have important implications for flood control, irrigation, and ecologic and human health. The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites record global terrestrial water storage anomalies (TWSA), providing an opportunity to observe, interpret, and potentially utilize the complex relationships between storage and full-flow-regime streamflow. Here we show that utilizable storage-streamflow correlations exist throughout vastly different climates in the continental US (CONUS) across low- to high-flow regimes. A panoramic framework, the storage-streamflow correlation spectrum (SSCS), is proposed to examine macroscopic gradients in these relationships. SSCS helps form, corroborate or reject hypotheses about basin hydrologic behaviors. SSCS patterns vary greatly over CONUS with climate, land surface, and geologic conditions. Data mining analysis suggests that for catchments with hydrologic settings that favor storage over runoff, e.g., a large fraction of precipitation as snow, thick and highly-permeable permeable soil, SSCS values tend to be high. Based on our results, we form the hypotheses that groundwater flow dominates streamflows in Southeastern CONUS and Great Plains, while thin soils in a belt along the Appalachian Plateau impose alimit on water storage. SSCS also suggests shallow water table caused by high-bulk density soil and flat terrain induces rapid runoff in several regions. Our results highlight the importance of subsurface properties and groundwater flow in capturing flood and drought. We propose that SSCS can be used as a fundamental hydrologic signature to constrain models and to provide insights thatlead usto better understand hydrologic functioning.

[The application of spectral geological profile in the alteration mapping].

PubMed

Li, Qing-Ting; Lin, Qi-Zhong; Zhang, Bing; Lu, Lin-Lin

2012-07-01

Geological section can help validating and understanding of the alteration information which is extracted from remote sensing images. In the paper, the concept of spectral geological profile was introduced based on the principle of geological section and the method of spectral information extraction. The spectral profile can realize the storage and vision of spectra along the geological profile, but the spectral geological spectral profile includes more information besides the information of spectral profile. The main object of spectral geological spectral profile is to obtain the distribution of alteration types and content of minerals along the profile which can be extracted from spectra measured by field spectrometer, especially for the spatial distribution and mode of alteration association. Technical method and work flow of alteration information extraction was studied for the spectral geological profile. The spectral geological profile was set up using the ground reflectance spectra and the alteration information was extracted from the remote sensing image with the help of typical spectra geological profile. At last the meaning and effect of the spectral geological profile was discussed.

Records of wells, test borings, and some measured geologic sections near the Western New York Nuclear Service Center, Cattaraugus County, New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bergeron, M.P.

1985-01-01

The Western New York Nuclear Service Center (WNYNSC) is a 3 ,336-acre tract of land in northern Cattaraugus County, NY, about 30 mi south of Buffalo. In 1963, 247 acres within the WNYNSC was developed for a nuclear-fuel reprocessing plant and ancillary facilities, including (1) a receiving and storage facility to store fuel prior to reprocessing, (2) underground storage tanks for liquid high-level radioactive wastes from fuel reprocessing, (3) a low-level wastewater treatment plant, and (4) two burial grounds for shallow burial of solid radioactive waste. A series of geologic and hydrologic investigations was done as part of the initial development and construction of the facilities by numerous agencies during 1960-62; these produced a large quantity of well data, some of which are difficult to locate or obtain. This report is a compilation of well and boring data collected during this period. The data include records of 236 wells, geologic logs of 145 wells and 167 test borings, and descriptions of 20 measured geologic sections. Two oversized maps show locations of the reported data. (USGS)

A Procedure for the supercritical fluid extraction of coal samples, with subsequent analysis of extracted hydrocarbons

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kolak, Jonathan J.

2006-01-01

Introduction: This report provides a detailed, step-by-step procedure for conducting extractions with supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) using the ISCO SFX220 supercritical fluid extraction system. Protocols for the subsequent separation and analysis of extracted hydrocarbons are also included in this report. These procedures were developed under the auspices of the project 'Assessment of Geologic Reservoirs for Carbon Dioxide Sequestration' (see http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs026-03/fs026-03.pdf) to investigate possible environmental ramifications associated with CO2 storage (sequestration) in geologic reservoirs, such as deep (~1 km below land surface) coal beds. Supercritical CO2 has been used previously to extract contaminants from geologic matrices. Pressure-temperature conditions within deep coal beds may render CO2 supercritical. In this context, the ability of supercritical CO2 to extract contaminants from geologic materials may serve to mobilize noxious compounds from coal, possibly complicating storage efforts. There currently exists little information on the physicochemical interactions between supercritical CO2 and coal in this setting. The procedures described herein were developed to improve the understanding of these interactions and provide insight into the fate of CO2 and contaminants during simulated CO2 injections.

18 CFR 806.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... water supply. A system, including facilities for collection, treatment, storage and distribution, that... extraction of gaseous hydrocarbons from low permeability geologic formations utilizing enhanced drilling...

18 CFR 806.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... water supply. A system, including facilities for collection, treatment, storage and distribution, that... extraction of gaseous hydrocarbons from low permeability geologic formations utilizing enhanced drilling...

18 CFR 806.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... water supply. A system, including facilities for collection, treatment, storage and distribution, that... extraction of gaseous hydrocarbons from low permeability geologic formations utilizing enhanced drilling...

High-resolution reflection seismic survey at a CCS site, Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Chien-Ying; Chung, Chen-Tung; Kuo, Hsuan-Yu; Wu, Ming-shyan; Kuo-Chen, Hao

2017-04-01

To control the effect of greenhouse gas on global warming, the reduction of carbon dioxide emission has become a significant international issue in recent years. The capture of carbon dioxide during its manufacturing and storing in adjacent areas are the most economical way. This research uses high-resolution seismic reflection survey to investigate the region around the world's largest coal-fired power plant at Taichung Port, Taiwan. We aim to detect proper geological structures and to evaluate the possible way to store carbon dioxide. This research uses reflection seismic survey with two mini-vibrators and 240 channels to investigate detailed underground structures. The total length of seismic lines is more than 20 kilometers. By aligning sequential seismic lines, we are able to correlate stratigraphic layers over a wide area. Two adjacent wells along the seismic line are used to identified possible formations. The TaiChung Power Plant (TCPP) at Taichung Port is our target which has more cross-tied seismic lines and a seismic line even extending into the sea water. We analyze these seismic profiles to establish the geological model for carbon dioxide storage and evaluate the possibility of storage systems. Furthermore, this research may prepare some baseline data for the future carbon dioxide injection monitoring. The result shows that the geological structures striking 8 degrees east of north and dipping 2.8 degrees to the east. This means that carbon dioxide will migrate toward the sea direction after injection. The structural layers are relatively flat without any sign of faults. Three carbon dioxide storage systems : Mushan Wuchihshan—Paling(bottom), Peiliao—Talu(middle) and Kueichulin—Chinshui(upper) system are identified. All has the proper reservoir with high porosity and capable caprocks more than 100 meters thick. The geological storage of carbon dioxide injected into TCPP site is a feasible, commercial and safe way to reduce the emission of carbon dioxide from TCPP.

Regional estimation of catchment-scale soil properties by means of streamflow recession analysis for use in distributed hydrological models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vannier, Olivier; Braud, Isabelle; Anquetin, Sandrine

2013-04-01

The estimation of catchment-scale soil properties, such as water storage capacity and hydraulic conductivity, is of primary interest for the implementation of distributed hydrological models at the regional scale. This estimation is generally done on the basis of information provided by soil databases. However, such databases are often established for agronomic uses and generally do not document deep weathered rock horizons (i.e. pedologic horizons of type C and deeper), which can play a major role in water transfer and storages. Here we define the Drainable Storage Capacity Index (DSCI), an indicator that relies on the comparison of cumulated streamflow and precipitation to assess catchment-scale storage capacities. The DSCI is found to be reliable to detect underestimation of soil storage capacities in soil databases. We also use the streamflow recession analysis methodology defined by Brutsaert and Nieber (Water Resources Research 13(3), 1977) to estimate water storage capacities and lateral saturated hydraulic conductivities of the non-documented deep horizons. The analysis is applied to a sample of twenty-three catchments (0.2 km² - 291 km²) located in the Cévennes-Vivarais region (south of France). In a regionalisation purpose, the obtained results are compared to the dominant catchments geology. This highlights a clear hierarchy between the different geologies present in the area. Hard crystalline rocks are found to be associated to the thickest and less conductive deep soil horizons. Schist rocks present intermediate values of thickness and of saturated hydraulic conductivity, whereas sedimentary rocks and alluvium are found to be the less thick and the most conductive. Consequently, deep soil layers with thicknesses and hydraulic conductivities differing with the geology were added to a distributed hydrological model implemented over the Cévennes-Vivarais region. Preliminary simulations show a major improvement in terms of simulated discharge when compared to simulations done without deep soil layers. KEY WORDS: hydraulic soil properties, streamflow recession, deep soil horizons, soil databases, Boussinesq equation, storage capacity, regionalisation

An Information Storage and Retrieval System for Biological and Geological Data. Interim Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Squires, Donald F.

A project is being conducted to test the feasibility of an information storage and retrieval system for museum specimen data, particularly for natural history museums. A pilot data processing system has been developed, with the specimen records from the national collections of birds, marine crustaceans, and rocks used as sample data. The research…

2D Petroleum System Modeling in Support of Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage in the Northeast Texas Panhandle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gragg, E.; Van Wijk, J. W.; Balch, R. S.

2016-12-01

A 40 mile long 2D petroleum system model has been constructed and simulated along a 2D reflection seismic line in the western Anadarko Basin. Petroleum system models are useful for predicting carbon storage capacity, characterizing regional CO2 plume migration risks, predicting how future fields may respond to CO2-EOR via hydrocarbon compositional estimations and characterizing the petroleum system that make sites attractive for storage. This work is part of the Southwest Regional Partnership on Carbon Sequestration Phase III large scale injection operation at Farnsworth Unit Ochiltree Co., Texas. Farnsworth Unit is a mature oil field producing from Morrowan Sandstone incised valley deposits. The project goal is to evaluate the injection and storage of 1 million metric tons of man-made CO2. Geologic carbon storage and utilization via CO2-enhanced oil recovery operations is a method under active research which aims to mitigate climate change via emission reductions while meeting current energy demands. The 2D model was constructed using 2D regional reflection seismic data, geophysical logs and core data. Simulations are forward modeled over 542 Ma of the Anadarko Basins geologic history. The research illustrates (1) in the unlikely case of CO2 leakage out of the reservoir, buoyancy driven regional migration risk is to the northwest-northeast (2) Morrowan play hydrocarbons in the Northeast Texas Panhandle dominantly migrated from the Thirteen Finger Limestone further basinward (3) the regions tectonic evolution has played an important role on the pressure and hydraulic history of reservoirs. Farnsworth's reservoir was discovered as under-pressured, the exact process(s) giving rise to this condition are not well-understood and need further investigation. Moreover, the heat flow model used in this study will aid understanding of the diagenetic evolution of the reservoir and caprocks better. The petroleum system modeling conducted here has accurately predicted 1st order reservoir parameters such as porosity, permeability, and temperature all of which are vital to potential future carbon storage site selection and performance. Funding for this project is provided by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) under Award No. DE-FC26-05NT42591.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nygaard, Runar; Xiao, Hai; He, Xiaoming

Energy generation by use of fossil fuels produces large volumes of CO 2 and other greenhouse gases, whose accumulation in the atmosphere is widely seen as undesirable. CO 2 Capture followed by sequestration has been identified as the solution. Subsurface geologic formations offer a potential location for long-term storage of CO 2 because of their requisite size. Unfortunately, the inaccessibility and complexity of the subsurface, the wide range of scales of variability, and the coupled nonlinear processes, impose tremendous challenges to determine the transport and predict the fate of the stored CO 2. Among the various monitoring approaches, in situmore » down-hole monitoring of the various state parameters provides critical and direct data points that can be used to validate the models, optimize the injection, detect leakage and track the CO 2 plume. However, down-hole sensors that can withstand the harsh conditions and operate over decades of the project lifecycle remain unavailable. Given that the widespread of carbon capture and storage will be the necessity and reality in the future, fundamental and applied research is required to address the significant challenges and technological gaps in lack of long-term reliable down-hole sensors This project focused on the development and demonstration of a novel, low-cost, distributed, robust ceramic coaxial cable sensor platform for in situ down-hole monitoring of geologic CO 2 injection and storage with high spatial and temporal resolutions. The coaxial cable Fabry-Perot interferometer (CCFPI) has been studied as a general sensor platform for in situ, long-term, measurement of temperature, pressure and strain, which are critical to CO 2 injection and storage. A novel signal processing scheme has been developed and demonstrated for dense multiplexing of the sensors for low-cost distributed sensing with high spatial resolution. The developed temperature, pressure and strain sensors have been extensively tested under laboratory conditions that are similar to the downhole CO 2 storage environment, showing excellent capability for in situ monitoring the various parameters that are important to model, optimize the injection, detect leakage and track the CO 2 plume. In addition, the interactions between the sensor datum and the geological models have been investigated in details for the purposes of model validation, guiding sensor installation/placement, enhancement of model prediction capability and optimization of the injection processes. This project has resulted in the successful development of new ceramic coaxial cable based sensor systems that can monitor directly the changes in pressure, temperature, and strain caused by increased reservoir pressure and reduced reservoir temperature due to the supercritical CO 2 injection. Integrated with geological models, the sensors and measurement data can improve the possibility to identify plume movement and leakage in the cap rock and wells with higher precision and more accuracy. The low cost, ease of deployment, small size and dense multiplexing features of the new sensing technology will allow a large number of sensors to be deployed to address the objective to demonstrate that 99% of the CO 2 remains in the injection zone.« less

A Simplified Model for Multiphase Leakage through Faults with Applications for CO2 Storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watson, F. E.; Doster, F.

2017-12-01

In the context of geological CO2 storage, faults in the subsurface could affect storage security by acting as high permeability pathways which allow CO2 to flow upwards and away from the storage formation. To assess the likelihood of leakage through faults and the impacts faults might have on storage security numerical models are required. However, faults are complex geological features, usually consisting of a fault core surrounded by a highly fractured damage zone. A direct representation of these in a numerical model would require very fine grid resolution and would be computationally expensive. Here, we present the development of a reduced complexity model for fault flow using the vertically integrated formulation. This model captures the main features of the flow but does not require us to resolve the vertical dimension, nor the fault in the horizontal dimension, explicitly. It is thus less computationally expensive than full resolution models. Consequently, we can quickly model many realisations for parameter uncertainty studies of CO2 injection into faulted reservoirs. We develop the model based on explicitly simulating local 3D representations of faults for characteristic scenarios using the Matlab Reservoir Simulation Toolbox (MRST). We have assessed the impact of variables such as fault geometry, porosity and permeability on multiphase leakage rates.

Nanoscale Chemical Processes Affecting Storage Capacities and Seals during Geologic CO2 Sequestration.

PubMed

Jun, Young-Shin; Zhang, Lijie; Min, Yujia; Li, Qingyun

2017-07-18

Geologic CO 2 sequestration (GCS) is a promising strategy to mitigate anthropogenic CO 2 emission to the atmosphere. Suitable geologic storage sites should have a porous reservoir rock zone where injected CO 2 can displace brine and be stored in pores, and an impermeable zone on top of reservoir rocks to hinder upward movement of buoyant CO 2 . The injection wells (steel casings encased in concrete) pass through these geologic zones and lead CO 2 to the desired zones. In subsurface environments, CO 2 is reactive as both a supercritical (sc) phase and aqueous (aq) species. Its nanoscale chemical reactions with geomedia and wellbores are closely related to the safety and efficiency of CO 2 storage. For example, the injection pressure is determined by the wettability and permeability of geomedia, which can be sensitive to nanoscale mineral-fluid interactions; the sealing safety of the injection sites is affected by the opening and closing of fractures in caprocks and the alteration of wellbore integrity caused by nanoscale chemical reactions; and the time scale for CO 2 mineralization is also largely dependent on the chemical reactivities of the reservoir rocks. Therefore, nanoscale chemical processes can influence the hydrogeological and mechanical properties of geomedia, such as their wettability, permeability, mechanical strength, and fracturing. This Account reviews our group's work on nanoscale chemical reactions and their qualitative impacts on seal integrity and storage capacity at GCS sites from four points of view. First, studies on dissolution of feldspar, an important reservoir rock constituent, and subsequent secondary mineral precipitation are discussed, focusing on the effects of feldspar crystallography, cations, and sulfate anions. Second, interfacial reactions between caprock and brine are introduced using model clay minerals, with focuses on the effects of water chemistries (salinity and organic ligands) and water content on mineral dissolution and surface morphology changes. Third, the hydrogeological responses (using wettability alteration as an example) of clay minerals to chemical reactions are discussed, which connects the nanoscale findings to the transport and capillary trapping of CO 2 in the reservoirs. Fourth, the interplay between chemical and mechanical alterations of geomedia, using wellbore cement as a model geomedium, is examined, which provides helpful insights into wellbore and caprock integrities and CO 2 mineralization. Combining these four aspects, our group has answered questions related to nanoscale chemical reactions in subsurface GCS sites regarding the types of reactions and the property alterations of reservoirs and caprocks. Ultimately, the findings can shed light on the influences of nanoscale chemical reactions on storage capacities and seals during geologic CO 2 sequestration.

The Geomechanics of CO 2 Storage in Deep Sedimentary Formations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rutqvist, Jonny

2012-01-12

This study provides a review of the geomechanics and modeling of geomechanics associated with geologic carbon storage (GCS), focusing on storage in deep sedimentary formations, in particular saline aquifers. The paper first introduces the concept of storage in deep sedimentary formations, the geomechanical processes and issues related with such an operation, and the relevant geomechanical modeling tools. This is followed by a more detailed review of geomechanical aspects, including reservoir stress-strain and microseismicity, well integrity, caprock sealing performance, and the potential for fault reactivation and notable (felt) seismic events. Geomechanical observations at current GCS field deployments, mainly at the Inmore » Salah CO 2 storage project in Algeria, are also integrated into the review. The In Salah project, with its injection into a relatively thin, low-permeability sandstone is an excellent analogue to the saline aquifers that might be used for large scale GCS in parts of Northwest Europe, the U.S. Midwest, and China. Some of the lessons learned at In Salah related to geomechanics are discussed, including how monitoring of geomechanical responses is used for detecting subsurface geomechanical changes and tracking fluid movements, and how such monitoring and geomechanical analyses have led to preventative changes in the injection parameters. Recently, the importance of geomechanics has become more widely recognized among GCS stakeholders, especially with respect to the potential for triggering notable (felt) seismic events and how such events could impact the long-term integrity of a CO 2 repository (as well as how it could impact the public perception of GCS). As described in the paper, to date, no notable seismic event has been reported from any of the current CO 2 storage projects, although some unfelt microseismic activities have been detected by geophones. However, potential future commercial GCS operations from large power plants will require injection at a much larger scale. In conclusion, for such large-scale injections, a staged, learn-as-you-go approach is recommended, involving a gradual increase of injection rates combined with continuous monitoring of geomechanical changes, as well as siting beneath a multiple layered overburden for multiple flow barrier protection, should an unexpected deep fault reactivation occur.« less

Towards the Paris Agreement - negative emission and what Korea can contribute

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kraxner, Florian; Leduc, Sylvain; Lee, Woo Kyun; Son, Yowhan; Kindermann, Georg; Patrizio, Piera; Mesfun, Sennai; Yowargana, Ping; Mac Dowall, Niall; Yamagata, Yoshiki; Shvidenko, Anatoly; Schepaschenko, Dmitry; Aoki, Kentaro

2017-04-01

Energy from fossil fuel comprises more than 80% of the total energy consumption in Korea. While aiming at ambitious renewable energy targets, Korea is also investigating the option of carbon capture and storage (CCS) - especially applied to emissions from the conversion of coal to energy. Two CCS pilot plants linked to existing coal plants are in the pipeline - one in the Gangwon Province (north east Korea) and another one in Chungnam Province (in the west of Korea). The final target is the capturing of one million tons of CO2 per year. The best storage options for CO2 have been identified offshore Korea, with the Ulleung Basin, off the east coast of Korea, considered to feature the greatest potential. Kunsan Basin, off the west coast, is considered another optional site. The objective of this study is to analyze Koreas's negative emissions potential through BECCS (bioenergy combined with CCS) created under the assumption that the two CCS pilot plants were retrofit for cofiring biomass from sustainable domestic forest management and coal. Various scenarios include inter-alia additional green field plants for BECCS. In a first step, national and global biophysical forest models (e.g. G4M) are applied to estimate sustainable biomass availability. In a second step, the results from these forest models are used as input data to the engineering model BeWhere. This techno-engineering model optimizes scaling and location of greenfield heat and power plants (CHP) and related feedstock and CO2 transport logistics. The geographically explicit locations and capacities obtained for forest-based bioenergy plants are then overlaid with a geological suitability map for in-situ carbon storage which can be further combined with off-shore storage options. From this, a theoretical potential for BECCS in Korea is derived. Results indicate that, given the abundant forest cover in South Korea, there is substantial potential for bioenergy production, which could contribute not only to substituting emissions from fossil fuels but also to meeting the targets of the country's commitments under any climate change mitigation agreement. However, the BECCS potential varies with the assumptions underlying the different scenarios. Largest potentials can be identified in a combination of retrofitted coal plants with greenfield bioenergy plants favoring off-shore CO2 storage over on-shore in-situ storage. The technical assessment is used to support a policy discussion on the suitability of BECCS as a mitigation tool in Korea.

Quantifying the Restorable Water Volume of California's Sierra Nevada Meadows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Emmons, J. D.; Yarnell, S. M.; Fryjoff-Hung, A.; Viers, J.

2013-12-01

The Sierra Nevada is estimated to provide over 66% of California's water supply, which is largely derived from snowmelt. Global climate warming is expected to result in a decrease in snow pack and an increase in melting rate, making the attenuation of snowmelt by any means, an important ecosystem service for ensuring water availability. Montane meadows are dispersed throughout the mountain range and can act like natural reservoirs, and also provide wildlife habitat, water filtration, and water storage. Despite the important role of meadows in the Sierra Nevada, a large proportion is degraded from stream incision, which increases volume outflows and reduces overbank flooding, thus reducing infiltration and potential water storage. Restoration of meadow stream channels would therefore improve hydrological functioning, including increased water storage. The potential water holding capacity of restored meadows has yet to be quantified, thus this research seeks to address this knowledge gap by estimating the restorable water volume due to stream incision. More than 17,000 meadows were analyzed by categorizing their erosion potential using channel slope and soil texture, ultimately resulting in six general erodibility types. Field measurements of over 100 meadows, stratified by latitude, elevation, and geologic substrate, were then taken and analyzed for each erodibility type to determine average depth of incision. Restorable water volume was then quantified as a function of water holding capacity of the soil, meadow area and incised depth. Total restorable water volume was found to be 120 x 10^6 m3, or approximately 97,000 acre-feet. Using 95% confidence intervals for incised depth, the upper and lower bounds of the total restorable water volume were found to be 107 - 140 x 10^6 m3. Though this estimate of restorable water volume is small in regards to the storage capacity of typical California reservoirs, restoration of Sierra Nevada meadows remains an important objective. Storage of water in meadows benefits California wildlife, potentially attenuate floods, and elevates base flows, which can ease effects to the spring recession curve from the expected decline in Sierran snowpack with atmospheric warming.

Model-based assessment of the potential of seasonal aquifer thermal energy storage and recovery as a groundwater ecosystem service for the Brussels-Capital Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anibas, Christian; Huysmans, Marijke

2015-04-01

Urban areas are characterized by their concentrated demand of energy, applying a high pressure on urban ecosystems including atmosphere, soils and groundwater. In the light of global warming, urbanization and an evolving energy system, it is important to know how urbanized areas can contribute to their own energy demands. One option is to use the possibilities aquifers offer as an ecosystem service (BONTE et al., 2011). If used effectively an improvement in air and groundwater quality is achieved. Additionally, the more efficient distribution of the used energy may also lead to a decrease in primary energy consumption (ZUURBIER, 2013). Therefore, investigations of the potential of seasonal aquifer thermal energy storage and recovery (ATES) for the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium is being conducted. The potential of ATES systems are of special interest for energy demands in high density urban areas because of such infrastructure as office buildings, schools, hospitals and shopping malls. In an open water circuit ATES systems consist of two or more groundwater wells, where in seasonal cycles one subtracts and the other recharges water to the aquifer. Heat pumps use the heat capacity of water for heating or cooling a building. An important limitation of the methodology is the quality of the groundwater used (i.e. precipitation of Fe- or Mn-oxides can decrease the yield). However, ATES systems on the other hand can also improve groundwater quality and groundwater ecosystems. The current knowledge of the potential for ATES systems in the Brussels-Capital Region is based on geological assessments from VITO (2007). The Brussels-Capital Region is divided into a western and eastern section with respect to geology. While the western part has less favorable conditions for ATES, the eastern is composed of the Brussels Sand formation, which is a 20-40 m thick aquifer layer that has the highest potential for ATES systems in the region. By applying groundwater flow and heat transport models on several pilot sites within this region, our study aims to better quantify the potential for ATES systems in these aquifers. Covering several dozen square kilometres, the models investigate interaction processes between ATES installations and other competing groundwater usages, including groundwater abstraction. Based on the model results ecological and economical balance calculations should better define the effects of ATES systems. Aimed at experts and decision makers this research project delivers a detailed foundation for the exploitation of seasonal aquifer thermal storage in the aquifers of the Brussels-Capital Region as an ecosystem service, and should assist in establishing guidelines for planning, building and maintaining high performing ATES systems. References BONTE, M., STUYFZAND, P.J., HULSMANN, A., VAN BEELEN, P. (2011): Underground thermal energy storage: environmental risks and policy developments in the Netherlands and European Union. Ecology and Society 16 (1): 22. VITO, (2007): Studie van de geothermische en hydrothermische technieken die toepasbaar zijn in Brussel: wettelijke context, milieu-impact, goede praktijk en economisch potentieel (in Dutch); Mol, Belgium. ZUURBIER, K.G., HARTOG, N., VALSTAR, J., POST, V.E., VAN BREUKELEN, B.M., (2013): The impact of low temperature seasonal aquifer thermal energy storage (SATES) systems on chlorinated solvent contaminated groundwater: modeling of spreading and degradation. Journal of Contaminant Hydrology 147: 1-13.

An integrated and accessible sample data library for Mars sample return science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tuite, M. L., Jr.; Williford, K. H.

2015-12-01

Over the course of the next decade or more, many thousands of geological samples will be collected and analyzed in a variety of ways by researchers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (California Institute of Technology) in order to facilitate discovery and contextualize observations made of Mars rocks both in situ and here on Earth if samples are eventually returned. Integration of data from multiple analyses of samples including petrography, thin section and SEM imaging, isotope and organic geochemistry, XRF, XRD, and Raman spectrometry is a challenge and a potential obstacle to discoveries that require supporting lines of evidence. We report the development of a web-accessible repository, the Sample Data Library (SDL) for the sample-based data that are generated by the laboratories and instruments that comprise JPL's Center for Analysis of Returned Samples (CARS) in order to facilitate collaborative interpretation of potential biosignatures in Mars-analog geological samples. The SDL is constructed using low-cost, open-standards-based Amazon Web Services (AWS), including web-accessible storage, relational data base services, and a virtual web server. The data structure is sample-centered with a shared registry for assigning unique identifiers to all samples including International Geo-Sample Numbers. Both raw and derived data produced by instruments and post-processing workflows are automatically uploaded to online storage and linked via the unique identifiers. Through the web interface, users are able to find all the analyses associated with a single sample or search across features shared by multiple samples, sample localities, and analysis types. Planned features include more sophisticated search and analytical interfaces as well as data discoverability through NSF's EarthCube program.

A review of mineral carbonation technologies to sequester CO2.

PubMed

Sanna, A; Uibu, M; Caramanna, G; Kuusik, R; Maroto-Valer, M M

2014-12-07

Carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and sequestration includes a portfolio of technologies that can potentially sequester billions of tonnes of CO2 per year. Mineral carbonation (MC) is emerging as a potential CCS technology solution to sequester CO2 from smaller/medium emitters, where geological sequestration is not a viable option. In MC processes, CO2 is chemically reacted with calcium- and/or magnesium-containing materials to form stable carbonates. This work investigates the current advancement in the proposed MC technologies and the role they can play in decreasing the overall cost of this CO2 sequestration route. In situ mineral carbonation is a very promising option in terms of resources available and enhanced security, but the technology is still in its infancy and transport and storage costs are still higher than geological storage in sedimentary basins ($17 instead of $8 per tCO2). Ex situ mineral carbonation has been demonstrated on pilot and demonstration scales. However, its application is currently limited by its high costs, which range from $50 to $300 per tCO2 sequestered. Energy use, the reaction rate and material handling are the key factors hindering the success of this technology. The value of the products seems central to render MC economically viable in the same way as conventional CCS seems profitable only when combined with EOR. Large scale projects such as the Skyonic process can help in reducing the knowledge gaps on MC fundamentals and provide accurate costing and data on processes integration and comparison. The literature to date indicates that in the coming decades MC can play an important role in decarbonising the power and industrial sector.

Computerized X-ray Microtomography Observations and Fluid Flow Measurements of the Effect of Effective Stress on Fractured Reservoir Seal Shale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Welch, N.; Crawshaw, J.; Boek, E.

2014-12-01

The successful storage of carbon dioxide in geologic formations requires an in-depth understanding of all reservoir characteristics and morphologies. An intact and substantial seal formation above a storage reservoir is required for a significant portion of the initial sealing mechanisms believed to occur during carbon dioxide storage operations. Shales are a common seal formation rock types found above numerous hydrocarbon reservoirs, as well as potential saline aquifer storage locations. Shales commonly have very low permeability, however they also have the tendency to be quite fissile, and the formation of fractures within these seals can have a significant detrimental effect on the sealing potential of a reservoir and amount to large areas of high permeability and low capillary pressures compared to the surrounding intact rock. Fractured shales also have an increased current interest due to the increasing development of shale gas reservoirs using hydraulic fracturing techniques. This work shows the observed changes that occur within fractured pieces of reservoir seal shale samples, along with quarry analogues, using an in-situ micro-CT fluid flow imaging apparatus with a Hassler type core holder. Changes within the preferential flow path under different stress regimes as well as physical changes to the fracture geometry are reported. Lattice Boltzmann flow simulations were then performed on the extracted flow paths and compared to experiment permeability measurements. The preferential flow path of carbon dioxide through the fracture network is also observed and compared to the results two-phase Lattice Boltzmann fluid flow simulations.

Heterogeneity-enhanced gas phase formation in shallow aquifers during leakage of CO2-saturated water from geologic sequestration sites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plampin, Michael R.; Lassen, Rune N.; Sakaki, Toshihiro; Porter, Mark L.; Pawar, Rajesh J.; Jensen, Karsten H.; Illangasekare, Tissa H.

2014-12-01

A primary concern for geologic carbon storage is the potential for leakage of stored carbon dioxide (CO2) into the shallow subsurface where it could degrade the quality of groundwater and surface water. In order to predict and mitigate the potentially negative impacts of CO2 leakage, it is important to understand the physical processes that CO2 will undergo as it moves through naturally heterogeneous porous media formations. Previous studies have shown that heterogeneity can enhance the evolution of gas phase CO2 in some cases, but the conditions under which this occurs have not yet been quantitatively defined, nor tested through laboratory experiments. This study quantitatively investigates the effects of geologic heterogeneity on the process of gas phase CO2 evolution in shallow aquifers through an extensive set of experiments conducted in a column that was packed with layers of various test sands. Soil moisture sensors were utilized to observe the formation of gas phase near the porous media interfaces. Results indicate that the conditions under which heterogeneity controls gas phase evolution can be successfully predicted through analysis of simple parameters, including the dissolved CO2 concentration in the flowing water, the distance between the heterogeneity and the leakage location, and some fundamental properties of the porous media. Results also show that interfaces where a less permeable material overlies a more permeable material affect gas phase evolution more significantly than interfaces with the opposite layering.

A risk assessment tool applied to the study of shale gas resources.

PubMed

Veiguela, Miguel; Hurtado, Antonio; Eguilior, Sonsoles; Recreo, Fernando; Roqueñi, Nieves; Loredo, Jorge

2016-11-15

The implementation of a risk assessment tool with the capacity to evaluate the risks for health, safety and the environment (HSE) from extraction of non-conventional fossil fuel resources by the hydraulic fracturing (fracking) technique can be a useful tool to boost development and progress of the technology and winning public trust and acceptance of this. At the early project stages, the lack of data related the selection of non-conventional gas deposits makes it difficult the use of existing approaches to risk assessment of fluids injected into geologic formations. The qualitative risk assessment tool developed in this work is based on the approach that shale gas exploitation risk is dependent on both the geologic site and the technological aspects. It follows from the Oldenburg's 'Screening and Ranking Framework (SRF)' developed to evaluate potential geologic carbon dioxide (CO2) storage sites. These two global characteristics: (1) characteristics centered on the natural aspects of the site and (2) characteristics centered on the technological aspects of the Project, have been evaluated through user input of Property values, which define Attributes, which define the Characteristics. In order to carry out an individual evaluation of each of the characteristics and the elements of the model, the tool has been implemented in a spreadsheet. The proposed model has been applied to a site with potential for the exploitation of shale gas in Asturias (northwestern Spain) with tree different technological options to test the approach. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

30 CFR 762.5 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... dunes, severe wind or soil erosion, frequent flooding, avalanches and areas of unstable geology...-handling, preparation, extraction or storage facilities, and other capital-intensive activities. Costs of...

30 CFR 762.5 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... dunes, severe wind or soil erosion, frequent flooding, avalanches and areas of unstable geology...-handling, preparation, extraction or storage facilities, and other capital-intensive activities. Costs of...

30 CFR 762.5 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... dunes, severe wind or soil erosion, frequent flooding, avalanches and areas of unstable geology...-handling, preparation, extraction or storage facilities, and other capital-intensive activities. Costs of...

Minerals and design of new waste forms for conditioning nuclear waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montel, Jean-Marc

2011-02-01

Safe storage of radioactive waste is a major challenge for the nuclear industry. Mineralogy is a good basis for designing ceramics, which could eventually replace nuclear glasses. This requires a new storage concept: separation-conditioning. Basic rules of crystal chemistry allow one to select the most suitable structures and natural occurrences allow assessing the long-term performance of ceramics in a geological environment. Three criteria are of special interest: compatibility with geological environment, resistance to natural fluids, and effects of self-irradiation. If mineralogical information is efficient for predicting the behaviour of common, well-known minerals, such as zircon, monazite or apatite, more research is needed to rationalize the long-term behaviour of uncommon waste form analogs.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hite, Roger

The project site is located in Livingston Parish, Louisiana, approximately 26 miles due east of Baton Rouge. This project proposed to evaluate an early Eocene-aged Wilcox oil reservoir for permanent storage of CO 2. Blackhorse Energy, LLC planned to conduct a parallel CO 2 oil recovery project in the First Wilcox Sand. The primary focus of this project was to examine and prove the suitability of South Louisiana geologic formations for large-scale geologic sequestration of CO 2 in association with enhanced oil recovery applications. This was to be accomplished through the focused demonstration of small-scale, permanent storage of CO 2more » in the First Wilcox Sand. The project was terminated at the request of Blackhorse Energy LLC on October 22, 2014.« less

Hydrogen underground storage in siliciclastic reservoirs - intention and topics of the H2STORE project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pudlo, Dieter; Ganzer, Leonhard; Henkel, Steven; Liebscher, Axel; Kühn, Michael; De Lucia, Marco; Panfilov, Michel; Pilz, Peter; Reitenbach, Viktor; Albrecht, Daniel; Würdemann, Hilke; Gaupp, Reinhard

2013-04-01

The transfer of energy supply from nuclear and CO2-emitting power generation to renewable energy production sources is strongly reliant to the potential of storing high capacities of energy in a safe and reliable way in time spans of several months. One conceivable option can be the storage of hydrogen and (related) synthetic natural gas (SNG) production in appropriate underground structures, like salt caverns and pore space reservoirs. Successful storage of hydrogen in the form of town gas in salt caverns has been proven in several demonstration projects and can be considered as state of the art technology. However, salt structures have only limited importance for hydrogen storage due to only small cavern volumes and the limited occurrence of salt deposits suitable for flushing of cavern constructions. Thus, regarding potential high-volume storage sites, siliciclastic deposits like saline aquifers and depleted gas reservoirs are of increasing interest. Motivated by a project call and sponsored by the German government the H2STORE ("Hydrogen to Store") collaborative project will investigate the feasibility and the requirements for pore space storage of hydrogen. Thereby depleted gas reservoirs are a major concern of this study. This type of geological structure is chosen because of their well investigated geological settings and proved sealing capacities, which already enable a present (and future) use as natural (and synthetic) reservoir gas storages. Nonetheless hydrogen and hydrocarbon in porous media exhibit major differences in physico-chemical behaviour, essentially due to the high diffusivity and reactivity of hydrogen. The biotic and abiotic reactions of hydrogen with rocks and fluids will be necessary observed in siliciclastic sediments which consist of numerous inorganic and organic compounds and comprise original formation fluids. These features strongly control petrophysical behaviour (e.g. porosity, permeability) and therefore fluid (hydrogen) migration. To reveal the relevance of these interactions and their impact on petrophysics and fluid mechanics in H2STORE six subprojects are included, which are devoted to various aspects of hydrogen storage in pore space reservoirs. The analytical and (laboratory) experimental studies will be based on rock and fluid samples issued from different reservoir sandstone and cap rock mudstone types originated from different depths all over Germany. Thereby data on sedimentological, geochemical, mineralogical, hydrochemical, petrophysical and microbiological rock composition will be gained. These studies will be completed with conceptual mathematical and numerical modelling of dynamic reservoir processes, including basin/facies burial evolution, mineralogical alteration, hydro-/geochemical reactions and gas mixing processes coupled with population dynamics of methanogenic microorganisms and dynamic displacement instability effects. The estimation of the hydrogen impact on reservoir behaviour of different rock types at depths will enable an evaluation of the feasibility of "Eco-/Green" methane and synthetic natural gas (SNG) generation by hydrogen reaction with CO2. The verification/falsification of specific processes will also enhance predictions on the operational reliability, the ecological tolerance, and the economic efficiency of future energy storing plants. These aspects are main motivations for any industrial investors and the public acceptance of such new technologies within the framework of an overall power supply by renewable energy production.

Groundwater and surface-water interaction and potential for underground water storage in the Buena Vista-Salida Basin, Chaffee County, Colorado, 2011

USGS Publications Warehouse

Watts, Kenneth R.; Ivahnenko, Tamara I.; Stogner, Sr., Robert W.; Bruce, James F.

2014-01-01

By 2030, the population of the Arkansas Headwaters Region, which includes all of Chaffee and Lake Counties and parts of Custer, Fremont, and Park Counties, Colorado, is forecast to increase about 73 percent. As the region’s population increases, it is anticipated that groundwater will be used to meet much of the increased demand. In September 2009, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District and with support from the Colorado Water Conservation Board; Chaffee, Custer, and Fremont Counties; Buena Vista, Cañon City, Poncha Springs, and Salida; and Round Mountain Water and Sanitation District, began a 3-year study of groundwater and surface-water conditions in the Buena Vista-Salida Basin. This report presents results from the study of the Buena Vista-Salida Basin including synoptic gain-loss measurements and water budgets of Cottonwood, Chalk, and Browns Creeks, changes in groundwater storage, estimates of specific yield, transmissivity and hydraulic conductivity from aquifer tests and slug tests, an evaluation of areas with potential for underground water storage, and estimates of stream-accretion response-time factors for hypothetical recharge and selected streams in the basin. The four synoptic measurements of flow of Cottonwood, Chalk, and Browns Creeks, suggest quantifiable groundwater gains and losses in selected segments in all three perennial streams. The synoptic measurements of flow of Cottonwood and Browns Creeks suggest a seasonal variability, where positive later-irrigation season values in these creeks suggest groundwater discharge, possibly as infiltrated irrigation water. The overall sum of gains and losses on Chalk Creek does not indicate a seasonal variability but indicates a gaining stream in April and August/September. Gains and losses in the measured upper segments of Chalk Creek likely are affected by the Chalk Cliffs Rearing Unit (fish hatchery). Monthly water budgets were estimated for selected segments of five perennial streams (Cottonwood, North Cottonwood, Chalk, and Browns Creeks, and South Arkansas River) in the Buena Vista-Salida Basin for calendar year 2011. Differences between reported diversions and estimated crop irrigation requirements were used to estimate groundwater recharge in the areas irrigated by water supplied from the diversions. The amount of groundwater recharge in all the basins varied monthly; however, the greatest amount of recharge was during June and July for Cottonwood, North Cottonwood, and Chalk Creeks and South Arkansas River. The greatest amount of recharge in 2011 in Browns Creek occurred in July and August. The large seasonal fluctuations of groundwater near irrigated areas in the Buena Vista-Salida Basin indicate that the increased groundwater storage resulting from infiltration of surface-water diversions has dissipated by the following spring. Areas within the Buena Vista-Salida Basin with the potential for underground storage were identified using geographic information system data, including topographic, geologic, and hydrologic data, excluding the mountainous areas that border the Buena Vista-Salida Basin and igneous and metamorphic rock outcrop areas. The areas that met the selection criteria for underground water storage are located on terrace deposits near the Arkansas River and adjacent to its major tributaries. The selected areas also contain much of the irrigated land within the basin; consequently, irrigation ditches and canals could provide a means of conveying water to potential recharge sites.

Seasonal thermal energy storage in aquifers: Mathematical modeling studies in 1979

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tsang, C. F.

1980-01-01

A numerical model of water and heat flow in geologic media was developed, verified, and tested. The hydraulic parameters (transmittivity and storativity) and the location of a linear hydrologic barrier were simulated and compared with results from field experiments involving two injection-storage-recovery cycles. For both cycles, the initial simulated and observed temperatures agree (55c).

Interplay between microorganisms and geochemistry in geological carbon storage

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Altman, Susan J.; Kirk, Matthew Fletcher; Santillan, Eugenio-Felipe U.

Researchers at the Center for Frontiers of Subsurface Energy Security (CFSES) have conducted laboratory and modeling studies to better understand the interplay between microorganisms and geochemistry for geological carbon storage (GCS). We provide evidence of microorganisms adapting to high pressure CO 2 conditions and identify factors that may influence survival of cells to CO 2 stress. Factors that influenced the ability of cells to survive exposure to high-pressure CO 2 in our experiments include mineralogy, the permeability of cell walls and/or membranes, intracellular buffering capacity, and whether cells live planktonically or within biofilm. Column experiments show that, following exposure tomore » acidic water, biomass can remain intact in porous media and continue to alter hydraulic conductivity. Our research also shows that geochemical changes triggered by CO 2 injection can alter energy available to populations of subsurface anaerobes and that microbial feedbacks on this effect can influence carbon storage. Our research documents the impact of CO 2 on microorganisms and in turn, how subsurface microorganisms can influence GCS. Furthermore, we conclude that microbial presence and activities can have important implications for carbon storage and that microorganisms should not be overlooked in further GCS research.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Namhata, Argha; Oladyshkin, Sergey; Dilmore, Rober

Carbon dioxide (CO2) storage into geological formations is regarded as an important mitigation strategy for anthropogenic CO2 emissions to the atmosphere. This study first simulates the leakage of CO2 and brine from a storage reservoir through the caprock. Then, we estimate the resulting pressure changes at the zone overlying the caprock also known as Above Zone Monitoring Interval (AZMI). A data-driven approach of arbitrary Polynomial Chaos (aPC) Expansion is then used to quantify the uncertainty in the above zone pressure prediction based on the uncertainties in different geologic parameters. Finally, a global sensitivity analysis is performed with Sobol indices basedmore » on the aPC technique to determine the relative importance of different parameters on pressure prediction. The results indicate that there can be uncertainty in pressure prediction locally around the leakage zones. The degree of such uncertainty in prediction depends on the quality of site specific information available for analysis. The scientific results from this study provide substantial insight that there is a need for site-specific data for efficient predictions of risks associated with storage activities. The presented approach can provide a basis of optimized pressure based monitoring network design at carbon storage sites.« less

Interplay between microorganisms and geochemistry in geological carbon storage

DOE PAGES

Altman, Susan J.; Kirk, Matthew Fletcher; Santillan, Eugenio-Felipe U.; ...

2016-02-28

Researchers at the Center for Frontiers of Subsurface Energy Security (CFSES) have conducted laboratory and modeling studies to better understand the interplay between microorganisms and geochemistry for geological carbon storage (GCS). We provide evidence of microorganisms adapting to high pressure CO 2 conditions and identify factors that may influence survival of cells to CO 2 stress. Factors that influenced the ability of cells to survive exposure to high-pressure CO 2 in our experiments include mineralogy, the permeability of cell walls and/or membranes, intracellular buffering capacity, and whether cells live planktonically or within biofilm. Column experiments show that, following exposure tomore » acidic water, biomass can remain intact in porous media and continue to alter hydraulic conductivity. Our research also shows that geochemical changes triggered by CO 2 injection can alter energy available to populations of subsurface anaerobes and that microbial feedbacks on this effect can influence carbon storage. Our research documents the impact of CO 2 on microorganisms and in turn, how subsurface microorganisms can influence GCS. Furthermore, we conclude that microbial presence and activities can have important implications for carbon storage and that microorganisms should not be overlooked in further GCS research.« less

Multifluid geo-energy systems: Using geologic CO 2 storage for geothermal energy production and grid-scale energy storage in sedimentary basins

DOE PAGES

Buscheck, Thomas A.; Bielicki, Jeffrey M.; Edmunds, Thomas A.; ...

2016-05-05

We present an approach that uses the huge fluid and thermal storage capacity of the subsurface, together with geologic carbon dioxide (CO 2) storage, to harvest, store, and dispatch energy from subsurface (geothermal) and surface (solar, nuclear, fossil) thermal resources, as well as excess energy on electric grids. Captured CO 2 is injected into saline aquifers to store pressure, generate artesian flow of brine, and provide a supplemental working fluid for efficient heat extraction and power conversion. Concentric rings of injection and production wells create a hydraulic mound to store pressure, CO 2, and thermal energy. This energy storage canmore » take excess power from the grid and excess/waste thermal energy, and dispatch that energy when it is demanded and thus enable higher penetration of variable renewable energy technologies (e.g., wind, solar). CO 2 stored in the subsurface functions as a cushion gas to provide enormous pressure-storage capacity and displace large quantities of brine, some of which can be treated for a variety of beneficial uses. Geothermal power and energy-storage applications may generate enough revenues to compensate for CO 2 capture costs. While our approach can use nitrogen (N 2), in addition to CO 2, as a supplemental fluid, and store thermal energy, this study focuses using CO 2 for geothermal energy production and grid-scale energy storage. We conduct a techno-economic assessment to determine the levelized cost of electricity of using this approach to generate geothermal power. We present a reservoir pressure-management strategy that diverts a small portion of the produced brine for beneficial consumptive use to reduce the pumping cost of fluid recirculation, while reducing the risk of seismicity, caprock fracture, and CO 2 leakage.« less

Carbon Sequestration in Unconventional Reservoirs: Geophysical, Geochemical and Geomechanical Considerations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zakharova, Natalia V.

In the face of the environmental challenges presented by the acceleration of global warming, carbon capture and storage, also called carbon sequestration, may provide a vital option to reduce anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions, while meeting the world's energy demands. To operate on a global scale, carbon sequestration would require thousands of geologic repositories that could accommodate billions of tons of carbon dioxide per year. In order to reach such capacity, various types of geologic reservoirs should be considered, including unconventional reservoirs such as volcanic rocks, fractured formations, and moderate-permeability aquifers. Unconventional reservoirs, however, are characterized by complex pore structure, high heterogeneity, and intricate feedbacks between physical, chemical and mechanical processes, and their capacity to securely store carbon emissions needs to be confirmed. In this dissertation, I present my contribution toward the understanding of geophysical, geochemical, hydraulic, and geomechanical properties of continental basalts and fractured sedimentary formations in the context of their carbon storage capacity. The data come from two characterization projects, in the Columbia River Flood Basalt in Washington and the Newark Rift Basin in New York, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy through Big Sky Carbon Sequestration Partnerships and TriCarb Consortium for Carbon Sequestration. My work focuses on in situ analysis using borehole geophysical measurements that allow for detailed characterization of formation properties on the reservoir scale and under nearly unaltered subsurface conditions. The immobilization of injected CO2 by mineralization in basaltic rocks offers a critical advantage over sedimentary reservoirs for long-term CO2 storage. Continental flood basalts, such as the Columbia River Basalt Group, possess a suitable structure for CO2 storage, with extensive reservoirs in the interflow zones separated by massive impermeable basalt in flow interiors. Other large igneous provinces and ocean floor basalts could accommodate centuries' worth of world's CO2 emissions. Low-volume basaltic flows and fractured intrusives may potentially serve as smaller-scale CO2 storage targets. However, as illustrated by the example of the Palisade sill in the Newark basin, even densely fractured intrusive basalts are often impermeable, and instead may serve as caprock for underlying formations. Hydraulic properties of fractured formations are very site-specific, but observations and theory suggest that the majority of fractures at depth remain closed. Hydraulic tests in the northern Newark basin indicate that fractures introduce strong anisotropy and heterogeneity to the formation properties, and very few of them augment hydraulic conductivity of these fractured formations. Overall, they are unlikely to provide enough storage capacity for safe CO 2 injection at large scales, but can be suitable for small-scale controlled experiments and pilot injection tests. The risk of inducing earthquakes by underground injection has emerged as one of the primary concerns for large-scale carbon sequestration, especially in fractured and moderately permeable formations. Analysis of in situ stress and distribution of fractures in the subsurface are important steps for evaluating the risks of induced seismicity. Preliminary results from the Newark basin suggest that local stress perturbation may potentially create favorable stress conditions for CO2 sequestration by allowing a considerable pore pressure increase without carrying large risks of fault reactivation. Additional in situ stress data are needed, however, to accurately constrain the magnitude of the minimum horizontal stress, and it is recommended that such tests be conducted at all potential CO 2 storage sites.

Geochemical modelling of worst-case leakage scenarios at potential CO2-storage sites - CO2 and saline water contamination of drinking water aquifers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szabó, Zsuzsanna; Edit Gál, Nóra; Kun, Éva; Szőcs, Teodóra; Falus, György

2017-04-01

Carbon Capture and Storage is a transitional technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to mitigate climate change. Following the implementation and enforcement of the 2009/31/EC Directive in the Hungarian legislation, the Geological and Geophysical Institute of Hungary is required to evaluate the potential CO2 geological storage structures of the country. Basic assessment of these saline water formations has been already performed and the present goal is to extend the studies to the whole of the storage complex and consider the protection of fresh water aquifers of the neighbouring area even in unlikely scenarios when CO2 injection has a much more regional effect than planned. In this work, worst-case scenarios are modelled to understand the effects of CO2 or saline water leaks into drinking water aquifers. The dissolution of CO2 may significantly change the pH of fresh water which induces mineral dissolution and precipitation in the aquifer and therefore, changes in solution composition and even rock porosity. Mobilization of heavy metals may also be of concern. Brine migration from CO2 reservoir and replacement of fresh water in the shallower aquifer may happen due to pressure increase as a consequence of CO2 injection. The saline water causes changes in solution composition which may also induce mineral reactions. The modelling of the above scenarios has happened at several methodological levels such as equilibrium batch, kinetic batch and kinetic reactive transport simulations. All of these have been performed by PHREEQC using the PHREEQC.DAT thermodynamic database. Kinetic models use equations and kinetic rate parameters from the USGS report of Palandri and Kharaka (2004). Reactive transport modelling also considers estimated fluid flow and dispersivity of the studied formation. Further input parameters are the rock and the original ground water compositions of the aquifers and a range of gas-phase CO2 or brine replacement ratios. Worst-case scenarios at seven potential CO2-storage areas have been modelled. The visualization of results has been automatized by R programming. The three types of models (equilibrium, kinetic batch and reactive transport) provide different type but overlapping information. All modelling output of both scenarios (CO2/brine) indicate the increase of ion-concentrations in the fresh water, which might exceed drinking water limit values. Transport models provide a possibility to identify the most suitable chemical parameter in the fresh water for leakage monitoring. This indicator parameter may show detectable and early changes even far away from the contamination source. In the CO2 models potassium concentration increase is significant and runs ahead of the other parameters. In the rock, the models indicate feldspar, montmorillonite, dolomite and illite dissolution whereas calcite, chlorite, kaolinite and silica precipitates, and in the case of CO2-inflow models, dawsonite traps a part of the leaking gas.

Assessment of groundwater potential based on aquifer properties of hard rock terrain in the Chittar-Uppodai watershed, Tamil Nadu, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, T. Jeyavel Raja; Balasubramanian, A.; Kumar, R. S.; Dushiyanthan, C.; Thiruneelakandan, B.; Suresh, R.; Karthikeyan, K.; Davidraju, D.

2016-06-01

Aquifer performance was tested in 24 locations to assess the groundwater potential of the hard rock terrain in the Chittar-Uppodai watershed of the Tambaraparani River basin. Geologically, the area consists of biotite gneiss, charnockite, and quartzite. The aquifer characteristics, such as transmissivity ( T), the storage coefficient, specific capacity, optimum yield, and the recovery rate were calculated. The drawdown transmissivity was determined using Jacob's straight-line method, while the recovery transmissivity was determined by the Theis method. The drawdown transmissivity was low in the western areas, particularly at Kadayanallur, and was higher in the other areas. The recovery transmissivity was high in the western area, and, with the exception of Gangaikondan, was low at other locations. The assessment indicates that there is groundwater potential in the western part of the study area because of favorable results for recovery drawdown, aquifer thickness, and specific capacity.

Technology Transfer Opportunities: Automated Ground-Water Monitoring

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, Kirk P.; Granato, Gregory E.

1997-01-01

Introduction A new automated ground-water monitoring system developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) measures and records values of selected water-quality properties and constituents using protocols approved for manual sampling. Prototypes using the automated process have demonstrated the ability to increase the quantity and quality of data collected and have shown the potential for reducing labor and material costs for ground-water quality data collection. Automation of water-quality monitoring systems in the field, in laboratories, and in industry have increased data density and utility while reducing operating costs. Uses for an automated ground-water monitoring system include, (but are not limited to) monitoring ground-water quality for research, monitoring known or potential contaminant sites, such as near landfills, underground storage tanks, or other facilities where potential contaminants are stored, and as an early warning system monitoring groundwater quality near public water-supply wells.

Seismic Monitoring at the Decatur, IL, Geologic Carbon Dioxide Sequestration Site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hickman, S. H.; Kaven, J. O.; McGarr, A.; Walter, S. R.; Ellsworth, W. L.; Svitek, J. F.; Burke, L. A.

2014-12-01

The viability of carbon capture and storage (CCS) depends on safely sequestering large quantities of carbon dioxide over geologic time scales. One concern is the potential for induced seismicity. We report on seismic monitoring by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) at a CCS demonstration site in Decatur, IL. This is the first (and to date only) CCS project in the U.S. to inject large volumes of CO2 into an extensive undisturbed saline reservoir, and thus serves as an important test for future industrial-scale CCS projects. At Decatur, supercritical CO2 is injected at 2.1 km depth into the Mt. Simon Sandstone, which directly overlies granitic basement. The primary sealing cap is the Eau Claire Shale at a depth of about 1.5 km. The Illinois State Geological Survey (ISGS) manages the ongoing Illinois Basin - Decatur Project, a three-year project beginning in November 2011 during which CO2 is injected at an average rate of 1000 metric tons/day. Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) manages the nearby Illinois Industrial Carbon Capture and Storage project, which, pending permit approval, plans to inject 3000 metric tons/day for five years. The USGS seismic network was installed starting in July 2013 and consists of 12 stations, three of which include borehole sensors at depths of 150 m. The aperture of this network is roughly 8 km, centered on the injection well. A one-dimensional velocity model was derived from a vertical seismic profile survey acquired by ADM and the ISGS to a depth of 2.2 km, tied into acoustic logs from a deep observation well and the USGS borehole stations. This model was used together with absolute and double-difference techniques to locate seismic events. These events group into two clusters: 0.4 to 1.0 km NE and 1.8 to 2.6 km WNW from the injection well, with moment magnitudes ranging from -0.8 to 1.1. Most of these events are in the granitic basement, well below the cap rock, and are unlikely to have compromised the integrity of the seal.

A sensitivity analysis on seismic tomography data with respect to CO2 saturation of a CO2 geological sequestration field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Chanho; Nguyen, Phung K. T.; Nam, Myung Jin; Kim, Jongwook

2013-04-01

Monitoring CO2 migration and storage in geological formations is important not only for the stability of geological sequestration of CO2 but also for efficient management of CO2 injection. Especially, geophysical methods can make in situ observation of CO2 to assess the potential leakage of CO2 and to improve reservoir description as well to monitor development of geologic discontinuity (i.e., fault, crack, joint, etc.). Geophysical monitoring can be based on wireline logging or surface surveys for well-scale monitoring (high resolution and nallow area of investigation) or basin-scale monitoring (low resolution and wide area of investigation). In the meantime, crosswell tomography can make reservoir-scale monitoring to bridge the resolution gap between well logs and surface measurements. This study focuses on reservoir-scale monitoring based on crosswell seismic tomography aiming describe details of reservoir structure and monitoring migration of reservoir fluid (water and CO2). For the monitoring, we first make a sensitivity analysis on crosswell seismic tomography data with respect to CO2 saturation. For the sensitivity analysis, Rock Physics Models (RPMs) are constructed by calculating the values of density and P and S-wave velocities of a virtual CO2 injection reservoir. Since the seismic velocity of the reservoir accordingly changes as CO2 saturation changes when the CO2 saturation is less than about 20%, while when the CO2 saturation is larger than 20%, the seismic velocity is insensitive to the change, sensitivity analysis is mainly made when CO2 saturation is less than 20%. For precise simulation of seismic tomography responses for constructed RPMs, we developed a time-domain 2D elastic modeling based on finite difference method with a staggered grid employing a boundary condition of a convolutional perfectly matched layer. We further make comparison between sensitivities of seismic tomography and surface measurements for RPMs to analysis resolution difference between them. Moreover, assuming a similar reservoir situation to the CO2 storage site in Nagaoka, Japan, we generate time-lapse tomographic data sets for the corresponding CO2 injection process, and make a preliminary interpretation of the data sets.

Exploring storage and runoff generation processes for urban flooding through a physically based watershed model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, B. K.; Smith, J. A.; Baeck, M. L.; Miller, A. J.

2015-03-01

A physically based model of the 14 km2 Dead Run watershed in Baltimore County, MD was created to test the impacts of detention basin storage and soil storage on the hydrologic response of a small urban watershed during flood events. The Dead Run model was created using the Gridded Surface Subsurface Hydrologic Analysis (GSSHA) algorithms and validated using U.S. Geological Survey stream gaging observations for the Dead Run watershed and 5 subbasins over the largest 21 warm season flood events during 2008-2012. Removal of the model detention basins resulted in a median peak discharge increase of 11% and a detention efficiency of 0.5, which was defined as the percent decrease in peak discharge divided by percent detention controlled area. Detention efficiencies generally decreased with increasing basin size. We tested the efficiency of detention basin networks by focusing on the "drainage network order," akin to the stream order but including storm drains, streams, and culverts. The detention efficiency increased dramatically between first-order detention and second-order detention but was similar for second and third-order detention scenarios. Removal of the soil compacted layer, a common feature in urban soils, resulted in a 7% decrease in flood peak discharges. This decrease was statistically similar to the flood peak decrease caused by existing detention. Current soil storage within the Dead Run watershed decreased flood peak discharges by a median of 60%. Numerical experiment results suggested that detention basin storage and increased soil storage have the potential to substantially decrease flood peak discharges.

Temperature-package power correlations for open-mode geologic disposal concepts.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hardin, Ernest.

2013-02-01

Logistical simulation of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) management in the U.S. combines storage, transportation and disposal elements to evaluate schedule, cost and other resources needed for all major operations leading to final geologic disposal. Geologic repository reference options are associated with limits on waste package thermal power output at emplacement, in order to meet limits on peak temperature for certain key engineered and natural barriers. These package power limits are used in logistical simulation software such as CALVIN, as threshold requirements that must be met by means of decay storage or SNF blending in waste packages, before emplacement in amore » repository. Geologic repository reference options include enclosed modes developed for crystalline rock, clay or shale, and salt. In addition, a further need has been addressed for open modes in which SNF can be emplaced in a repository, then ventilated for decades or longer to remove heat, prior to permanent repository closure. For each open mode disposal concept there are specified durations for surface decay storage (prior to emplacement), repository ventilation, and repository closure operations. This study simulates those steps for several timing cases, and for SNF with three fuel-burnup characteristics, to develop package power limits at which waste packages can be emplaced without exceeding specified temperature limits many years later after permanent closure. The results are presented in the form of correlations that span a range of package power and peak postclosure temperature, for each open-mode disposal concept, and for each timing case. Given a particular temperature limit value, the corresponding package power limit for each case can be selected for use in CALVIN and similar tools.« less

Groundwater in the Boreal Plains: How Climate and Geology Interact to Control Water Table Configurations in a Sub-Humid, Low-Relief Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hokanson, K. J.; Devito, K.; Mendoza, C. A.

2017-12-01

The Boreal Plain (BP) region of Canada, a landscape characterized by low-relief, a sub-humid climate and heterogeneous glacial landforms, is experiencing unprecedented anthropogenic and natural disturbance, including climate change and oil & gas operations. Understanding the controls on and the natural variability of water table position, and subsequently predicting changes in water table position under varying physical and climatic scenarios will become important as water security becomes increasingly threatened. The BP is composed of a mosaic of forestland, wetland, and aquatic land covers that contrast in dominant vegetation cover, evapotranspiration, and soil storage that, in turn, influence water table configurations. Additionally, these land-covers overlie heterogeneous glacial landforms with large contrasts in storage and hydraulic properties which, when coupled with wet-dry climate cycles, result in complex water table distributions in time and space. Several forestland-wetland-pond complexes were selected at the Utikuma Research Study Area (URSA) over three distinct surficial geologic materials (glacial fluvial outwash, stagnant ice moraine, lacustrine clay plain) to explore the roles of climate (cumulative departure from the long term yearly mean precipitation), geology, topographic position, and land cover on water table configurations over 15 years (2002 - 2016). In the absence of large groundwater flow systems, local relief and shallow low conductivity substrates promote the formation of near-surface water tables that are less susceptible to climate variation, regardless of topography. Furthermore, in areas of increased storage, wet and dry climate conditions can result in appreciably different water table configurations over time, ranging from mounds to hydraulic depressions, depending on the arrangement of land-covers, dominant surficial geology, and substrate layering.

Biosurfactant as an Enhancer of Geologic Carbon Storage: Microbial Modification of Interfacial Tension and Contact Angle in Carbon dioxide/Water/Quartz Systems.

PubMed

Park, Taehyung; Joo, Hyun-Woo; Kim, Gyeong-Yeong; Kim, Seunghee; Yoon, Sukhwan; Kwon, Tae-Hyuk

2017-01-01

Injecting and storing of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) in deep geologic formations is considered as one of the promising approaches for geologic carbon storage. Microbial wettability alteration of injected CO 2 is expected to occur naturally by microorganisms indigenous to the geologic formation or microorganisms intentionally introduced to increase CO 2 storage capacity in the target reservoirs. The question as to the extent of microbial CO 2 wettability alteration under reservoir conditions still warrants further investigation. This study investigated the effect of a lipopeptide biosurfactant-surfactin, on interfacial tension (IFT) reduction and contact angle alteration in CO 2 /water/quartz systems under a laboratory setup simulating in situ reservoir conditions. The temporal shifts in the IFT and the contact angle among CO 2 , brine, and quartz were monitored for different CO 2 phases (3 MPa, 30°C for gaseous CO 2 ; 10 MPa, 28°C for liquid CO 2 ; 10 MPa, 37°C for supercritical CO 2 ) upon cultivation of Bacillus subtilis strain ATCC6633 with induced surfactin secretion activity. Due to the secreted surfactin, the IFT between CO 2 and brine decreased: from 49.5 to 30 mN/m, by ∼39% for gaseous CO 2 ; from 28.5 to 13 mN/m, by 54% for liquid CO 2 ; and from 32.5 to 18.5 mN/m, by ∼43% for supercritical CO 2 , respectively. The contact angle of a CO 2 droplet on a quartz disk in brine increased: from 20.5° to 23.2°, by 1.16 times for gaseous CO 2 ; from 18.4° to 61.8°, by 3.36 times for liquid CO 2 ; and from 35.5° to 47.7°, by 1.34 times for supercritical CO 2 , respectively. With the microbially altered CO 2 wettability, improvement in sweep efficiency of injected and displaced CO 2 was evaluated using 2-D pore network model simulations; again the increment in sweep efficiency was the greatest in liquid CO 2 phase due to the largest reduction in capillary factor. This result provides novel insights as to the role of naturally occurring biosurfactants in CO 2 storage and suggests that biostimulation of biosurfactant production may be a feasible technique for enhancement of CO 2 storage capacity.

Biosurfactant as an Enhancer of Geologic Carbon Storage: Microbial Modification of Interfacial Tension and Contact Angle in Carbon dioxide/Water/Quartz Systems

PubMed Central

Park, Taehyung; Joo, Hyun-Woo; Kim, Gyeong-Yeong; Kim, Seunghee; Yoon, Sukhwan; Kwon, Tae-Hyuk

2017-01-01

Injecting and storing of carbon dioxide (CO2) in deep geologic formations is considered as one of the promising approaches for geologic carbon storage. Microbial wettability alteration of injected CO2 is expected to occur naturally by microorganisms indigenous to the geologic formation or microorganisms intentionally introduced to increase CO2 storage capacity in the target reservoirs. The question as to the extent of microbial CO2 wettability alteration under reservoir conditions still warrants further investigation. This study investigated the effect of a lipopeptide biosurfactant—surfactin, on interfacial tension (IFT) reduction and contact angle alteration in CO2/water/quartz systems under a laboratory setup simulating in situ reservoir conditions. The temporal shifts in the IFT and the contact angle among CO2, brine, and quartz were monitored for different CO2 phases (3 MPa, 30°C for gaseous CO2; 10 MPa, 28°C for liquid CO2; 10 MPa, 37°C for supercritical CO2) upon cultivation of Bacillus subtilis strain ATCC6633 with induced surfactin secretion activity. Due to the secreted surfactin, the IFT between CO2 and brine decreased: from 49.5 to 30 mN/m, by ∼39% for gaseous CO2; from 28.5 to 13 mN/m, by 54% for liquid CO2; and from 32.5 to 18.5 mN/m, by ∼43% for supercritical CO2, respectively. The contact angle of a CO2 droplet on a quartz disk in brine increased: from 20.5° to 23.2°, by 1.16 times for gaseous CO2; from 18.4° to 61.8°, by 3.36 times for liquid CO2; and from 35.5° to 47.7°, by 1.34 times for supercritical CO2, respectively. With the microbially altered CO2 wettability, improvement in sweep efficiency of injected and displaced CO2 was evaluated using 2-D pore network model simulations; again the increment in sweep efficiency was the greatest in liquid CO2 phase due to the largest reduction in capillary factor. This result provides novel insights as to the role of naturally occurring biosurfactants in CO2 storage and suggests that biostimulation of biosurfactant production may be a feasible technique for enhancement of CO2 storage capacity. PMID:28744272

Hyperspectral Geobotanical Remote Sensing for Monitoring and Verifying CO 2 Containment Final Report CRADA No. TC-2036-02

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pickles, W. L.; Ebrom, D. A.

This collaborative effort was in support of the CO 2 Capture Project (CCP), to develop techniques that integrate overhead images of plant species, plant health, geological formations, soil types, aquatic, and human use spatial patterns for detection and discrimination of any CO 2 releases from underground storage formations. The goal of this work was to demonstrate advanced hyperspectral geobotanical remote sensing methods to assess potential leakage of CO 2 from underground storage. The timeframes and scales relevant to the long-term storage of CO 2 in the subsurface make remote sensing methods attractive. Moreover, it has been shown that individual fieldmore » measurements of gas composition are subject to variability on extremely small temporal and spatial scales. The ability to verify ultimate reservoir integrity and to place individual surface measurements into context will be crucial to successful long-term monitoring and verification activities. The desired results were to produce a defined and tested procedure that could be easily used for long-term monitoring of possible CO 2 leakage from underground CO 2 sequestration sites. This testing standard will be utilized on behalf of the oil industry.« less

Investigating the Fundamental Scientific Issues Affecting the Long-term Geologic Storage of Carbon Dioxide

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Spangler, Lee; Cunningham, Alfred; Barnhart, Elliot

2014-12-19

The Zero Emissions Research and Technology (ZERT) collaborative was formed to address basic science and engineering knowledge gaps relevant to geologic carbon sequestration. The original funding round of ZERT (ZERT I) identified and addressed many of these gaps. ZERT II has focused on specific science and technology areas identified in ZERT I that showed strong promise and needed greater effort to fully develop.

Experimental study of potential wellbore cement carbonation by various phases of carbon dioxide during geologic carbon sequestration

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jung, Hun Bok; Um, Wooyong

2013-08-16

Hydrated Portland cement was reacted with carbon dioxide (CO2) in supercritical, gaseous, and aqueous phases to understand the potential cement alteration processes along the length of a wellbore, extending from deep CO2 storage reservoir to the shallow subsurface during geologic carbon sequestration. The 3-D X-ray microtomography (XMT) images displayed that the cement alteration was significantly more extensive by CO2-saturated synthetic groundwater than dry or wet supercritical CO2 at high P (10 MPa)-T (50°C) conditions. Scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) analysis also exhibited a systematic Ca depletion and C enrichment in cement matrix exposed to CO2-saturated groundwater. Integratedmore » XMT, XRD, and SEM-EDS analyses identified the formation of extensive carbonated zone filled with CaCO3(s), as well as the porous degradation front and the outermost silica-rich zone in cement after exposure to CO2-saturated groundwater. The cement alteration by CO2-saturated groundwater for 2-8 months overall decreased the porosity from 31% to 22% and the permeability by an order of magnitude. Cement alteration by dry or wet supercritical CO2 was slow and minor compared to CO2-saturated groundwater. A thin single carbonation zone was formed in cement after exposure to wet supercritical CO2 for 8 months or dry supercritical CO2 for 15 months. Extensive calcite coating was formed on the outside surface of a cement sample after exposure to wet gaseous CO2 for 1-3 months. The chemical-physical characterization of hydrated Portland cement after exposure to various phases of carbon dioxide indicates that the extent of cement carbonation can be significantly heterogeneous depending on CO2 phase present in the wellbore environment. Both experimental and geochemical modeling results suggest that wellbore cement exposure to supercritical, gaseous, and aqueous phases of CO2 during geologic carbon sequestration is unlikely to damage the wellbore integrity because cement alteration by all phases of CO2 is dominated by carbonation reaction. This is consistent with previous field studies of wellbore cement with extensive carbonation after exposure to CO2 for 3 decades. However, XMT imaging indicates that preferential cement alteration by supercritical CO2 or CO2-saturated groundwater can occur along the cement-steel or cement-rock interfaces. This highlights the importance of further investigation of cement degradation along the interfaces of wellbore materials to ensure permanent geologic carbon storage.« less

Archival policies and collections database for the Woods Hole Science Center's marine sediment samples

USGS Publications Warehouse

Buczkowski, Brian J.; Kelsey, Sarah A.

2007-01-01

The Woods Hole Science Center of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has been an active member of the Woods Hole research community, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, for over 40 years. In that time there have been many projects that involved the collection of sediment samples conducted by USGS scientists and technicians for the research and study of seabed environments and processes. These samples were collected at sea or near shore and then brought back to the Woods Hole Science Center (WHSC) for analysis. While at the center, samples are stored in ambient temperature, refrigerated and freezing conditions ranging from +2º Celsius to -18º Celsius, depending on the best mode of preparation for the study being conducted or the duration of storage planned for the samples. Recently, storage methods and available storage space have become a major concern at the WHSC. The core and sediment archive program described herein has been initiated to set standards for the management, methods, and duration of sample storage. A need has arisen to maintain organizational consistency and define storage protocol. This handbook serves as a reference and guide to all parties interested in using and accessing the WHSC's sample archive and also defines all the steps necessary to construct and maintain an organized collection of geological samples. It answers many questions as to the way in which the archive functions.

Data on subsurface storage of liquid waste near Pensacola, Florida, 1963-1980

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hull, R.W.; Martin, J.B.

1982-01-01

Since 1963, when industrial waste was first injected into the subsurface in northwest Florida, considerable data have been collected relating to the geochemistry of subsurface waste storage. This report presents hydrogeologic data on two subsurface waste storage. This report presents hydrogeologic data on two subsurface storage systems near Pensacola, Fla., which inject liquid industrial waste through deep wells into a saline aquifer. Injection sites are described giving a history of well construction, injection, and testing; geologic data from cores and grab samples; hydrographs of injection rates, volume, pressure, and water levels; and chemical and physical data from water-quality samples collected from injection and monitor wells. (USGS)

Final Environmental Assessment: Construction of Maintenance and Storage Facility, Perimeter Fence Upgrade and Demolition of Three Buildings and Two Structures Gila River Air Force Space Surveillance Station Arizona

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-11-01

Estrella mountain range is approximately six miles west of the Installation and the Sacaton mountain range lie approximate- ly six miles to the southeast...Structures 3-4 Figure 5. Geological Map of Gila River AFSSS and Vicinity Sierra Estrella Range Sacaton Range EA — Construct Maintenance & Storage

Carbon Capture and Storage, 2008

ScienceCinema

None

2017-12-09

The U.S. Department of Energy is researching the safe implementation of a technology called carbon sequestration, also known as carbon capture and storage, or CCS. Based on an oilfield practice, this approach stores carbon dioxide, or CO2 generated from human activities for millennia as a means to mitigate global climate change. In 2003, the Department of Energys National Energy Technology Laboratory formed seven Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnerships to assess geologic formations suitable for storage and to determine the best approaches to implement carbon sequestration in each region. This video describes the work of these partnerships.

Hydrological resiliency in the Western Boreal Plains: classification of hydrological responses using wavelet analysis to assess landscape resilience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Probert, Samantha; Kettridge, Nicholas; Devito, Kevin; Hannah, David; Parkin, Geoff

2017-04-01

The Boreal represents a system of substantial resilience to climate change, with minimal ecological change over the past 6000 years. However, unprecedented climatic warming, coupled with catchment disturbances could exceed thresholds of hydrological function in the Western Boreal Plains. Knowledge of ecohydrological and climatic feedbacks that shape the resilience of boreal forests has advanced significantly in recent years, but this knowledge is yet to be applied and understood at landscape scales. Hydrological modelling at the landscape scale is challenging in the WBP due to diverse, non-topographically driven hydrology across the mosaic of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. This study functionally divides the geologic and ecological components of the landscape into Hydrologic Response Areas (HRAs) and wetland, forestland, interface and pond Hydrologic Units (HUs) to accurately characterise water storage and infer transmission at multiple spatial and temporal scales. Wavelet analysis is applied to pond and groundwater levels to describe the patterns of water storage in response to climate signals; to isolate dominant controls on hydrological responses and to assess the relative importance of physical controls between wet and dry climates. This identifies which components of the landscape exhibit greater magnitude and frequency of variability to wetting and drying trends, further to testing the hierarchical framework for hydrological storage controls of: climate, bedrock geology, surficial geology, soil, vegetation, and topography. Classifying HRA and HU hydrological function is essential to understand and predict water storage and redistribution through drought cycles and wet periods. This work recognises which landscape components are most sensitive under climate change and disturbance and also creates scope for hydrological resiliency research in Boreal systems by recognising critical landscape components and their role in landscape collapse or catastrophic shift in ecosystem function under future climatic scenarios.

Dynamic Pore-scale Reservoir-condition Imaging of Reaction in Carbonates Using Synchrotron Fast Tomography

PubMed Central

Menke, Hannah P.; Andrew, Matthew G.; Vila-Comamala, Joan; Rau, Christoph; Blunt, Martin J.; Bijeljic, Branko

2017-01-01

Underground storage permanence is a major concern for carbon capture and storage. Pumping CO2 into carbonate reservoirs has the potential to dissolve geologic seals and allow CO2 to escape. However, the dissolution processes at reservoir conditions are poorly understood. Thus, time-resolved experiments are needed to observe and predict the nature and rate of dissolution at the pore scale. Synchrotron fast tomography is a method of taking high-resolution time-resolved images of complex pore structures much more quickly than traditional µ-CT. The Diamond Lightsource Pink Beam was used to dynamically image dissolution of limestone in the presence of CO2-saturated brine at reservoir conditions. 100 scans were taken at a 6.1 µm resolution over a period of 2 hours. The images were segmented and the porosity and permeability were measured using image analysis and network extraction. Porosity increased uniformly along the length of the sample; however, the rate of increase of both porosity and permeability slowed at later times. PMID:28287529

Atmospheric CO2 capture by algae: Negative carbon dioxide emission path.

PubMed

Moreira, Diana; Pires, José C M

2016-09-01

Carbon dioxide is one of the most important greenhouse gas, which concentration increase in the atmosphere is associated to climate change and global warming. Besides CO2 capture in large emission point sources, the capture of this pollutant from atmosphere may be required due to significant contribution of diffuse sources. The technologies that remove CO2 from atmosphere (creating a negative balance of CO2) are called negative emission technologies. Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage may play an important role for CO2 mitigation. It represents the combination of bioenergy production and carbon capture and storage, keeping carbon dioxide in geological reservoirs. Algae have a high potential as the source of biomass, as they present high photosynthetic efficiencies and high biomass yields. Their biomass has a wide range of applications, which can improve the economic viability of the process. Thus, this paper aims to assess the atmospheric CO2 capture by algal cultures. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Metal mobility and toxicity to microalgae associated with acidification of sediments: CO2 and acid comparison.

PubMed

De Orte, M R; Lombardi, A T; Sarmiento, A M; Basallote, M D; Rodriguez-Romero, A; Riba, I; Del Valls, A

2014-05-01

The injection and storage of CO2 into marine geological formations has been suggested as a mitigation measure to prevent global warming. However, storage leaks are possible resulting in several effects in the ecosystem. Laboratory-scale experiments were performed to evaluate the effects of CO2 leakage on the fate of metals and on the growth of the microalgae Phaeodactylum tricornutum. Metal contaminated sediments were collected and submitted to acidification by means of CO2 injection or by adding HCl. Sediments elutriate were prepared to perform toxicity tests. The results showed that sediment acidification enhanced the release of metals to elutriates. Iron and zinc were the metals most influenced by this process and their concentration increased greatly with pH decreases. Diatom growth was inhibited by both processes: acidification and the presence of metals. Data obtained is this study is useful to calculate the potential risk of CCS activities to the marine environment. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dynamic Pore-scale Reservoir-condition Imaging of Reaction in Carbonates Using Synchrotron Fast Tomography.

PubMed

Menke, Hannah P; Andrew, Matthew G; Vila-Comamala, Joan; Rau, Christoph; Blunt, Martin J; Bijeljic, Branko

2017-02-21

Underground storage permanence is a major concern for carbon capture and storage. Pumping CO2 into carbonate reservoirs has the potential to dissolve geologic seals and allow CO2 to escape. However, the dissolution processes at reservoir conditions are poorly understood. Thus, time-resolved experiments are needed to observe and predict the nature and rate of dissolution at the pore scale. Synchrotron fast tomography is a method of taking high-resolution time-resolved images of complex pore structures much more quickly than traditional µ-CT. The Diamond Lightsource Pink Beam was used to dynamically image dissolution of limestone in the presence of CO2-saturated brine at reservoir conditions. 100 scans were taken at a 6.1 µm resolution over a period of 2 hours. The images were segmented and the porosity and permeability were measured using image analysis and network extraction. Porosity increased uniformly along the length of the sample; however, the rate of increase of both porosity and permeability slowed at later times.

Non-proliferation, safeguards, and security for the fissile materials disposition program immobilization alternatives

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Duggan, R.A.; Jaeger, C.D.; Tolk, K.M.

1996-05-01

The Department of Energy is analyzing long-term storage and disposition alternatives for surplus weapons-usable fissile materials. A number of different disposition alternatives are being considered. These include facilities for storage, conversion and stabilization of fissile materials, immobilization in glass or ceramic material, fabrication of fissile material into mixed oxide (MOX) fuel for reactors, use of reactor based technologies to convert material into spent fuel, and disposal of fissile material using geologic alternatives. This paper will focus on how the objectives of reducing security and proliferation risks are being considered, and the possible facility impacts. Some of the areas discussed inmore » this paper include: (1) domestic and international safeguards requirements, (2) non-proliferation criteria and measures, (3) the threats, and (4) potential proliferation, safeguards, and security issues and impacts on the facilities. Issues applicable to all of the possible disposition alternatives will be discussed in this paper. However, particular attention is given to the plutonium immobilization alternatives.« less

Process-based approach for the detection of CO2 injectate leakage

DOEpatents

Romanak, Katherine; Bennett, Philip C.

2017-11-14

The present invention includes a method for distinguishing between a natural source of deep gas and gas leaking from a CO.sub.2 storage reservoir at a near surface formation comprising: obtaining one or more surface or near surface geological samples; measuring a CO.sub.2, an O.sub.2, a CH.sub.4, and an N.sub.2 level from the surface or near surface geological sample; determining the water vapor content at or above the surface or near surface geological samples; normalizing the gas mixture of the CO.sub.2, the O.sub.2, the CH.sub.4, the N.sub.2 and the water vapor content to 100% by volume or 1 atmospheric total pressure; determining: a ratio of CO.sub.2 versus N.sub.2; and a ratio of CO.sub.2 to N.sub.2, wherein if the ratio is greater than that produced by a natural source of deep gas CO.sub.2 or deep gas methane oxidizing to CO.sub.2, the ratio is indicative of gas leaking from a CO.sub.2 storage reservoir.

PROBABILISTIC RISK ANALYSIS OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSALS - a case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trinchero, P.; Delos, A.; Tartakovsky, D. M.; Fernandez-Garcia, D.; Bolster, D.; Dentz, M.; Sanchez-Vila, X.; Molinero, J.

2009-12-01

The storage of contaminant material in superficial or sub-superficial repositories, such as tailing piles for mine waste or disposal sites for low and intermediate nuclear waste, poses a potential threat for the surrounding biosphere. The minimization of these risks can be achieved by supporting decision-makers with quantitative tools capable to incorporate all source of uncertainty within a rigorous probabilistic framework. A case study is presented where we assess the risks associated to the superficial storage of hazardous waste close to a populated area. The intrinsic complexity of the problem, involving many events with different spatial and time scales and many uncertainty parameters is overcome by using a formal PRA (probabilistic risk assessment) procedure that allows decomposing the system into a number of key events. Hence, the failure of the system is directly linked to the potential contamination of one of the three main receptors: the underlying karst aquifer, a superficial stream that flows near the storage piles and a protection area surrounding a number of wells used for water supply. The minimal cut sets leading to the failure of the system are obtained by defining a fault-tree that incorporates different events including the failure of the engineered system (e.g. cover of the piles) and the failure of the geological barrier (e.g. clay layer that separates the bottom of the pile from the karst formation). Finally the probability of failure is quantitatively assessed combining individual independent or conditional probabilities that are computed numerically or borrowed from reliability database.

Surface-water quality-assurance plan for the Wisconsin district of the U. S. Geological Survey, Water Resources Division

USGS Publications Warehouse

Garn, H.S.

2002-01-01

This surface-water quality-assurance plan documents the standards, policies, and procedures used by the Wisconsin District of the U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resources Division, for activities related to the collection, processing, storage, analysis, management, and publication of surface-water data. The roles and responsibilities of District personnel in following these policies and procedures including those related to safety and training are presented.

Assessment of potential migration of radionuclides and trace elements from the White Mesa uranium mill to the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation and surrounding areas, southeastern Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Naftz, David L.; Ranalli, Anthony J.; Rowland, Ryan C.; Marston, Thomas M.

2011-01-01

In 2007, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe requested that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Geological Survey conduct an independent evaluation of potential offsite migration of radionuclides and selected trace elements associated with the ore storage and milling process at an active uranium mill site near White Mesa, Utah. Specific objectives of this study were (1) to determine recharge sources and residence times of groundwater surrounding the mill site, (2) to determine the current concentrations of uranium and associated trace elements in groundwater surrounding the mill site, (3) to differentiate natural and anthropogenic contaminant sources to groundwater resources surrounding the mill site, (4) to assess the solubility and potential for offsite transport of uranium-bearing minerals in groundwater surrounding the mill site, and (5) to use stream sediment and plant material samples from areas surrounding the mill site to identify potential areas of offsite contamination and likely contaminant sources.

The Influence of Hydraulic Fracturing on Carbon Storage Performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Pengcheng; Settgast, Randolph R.; Hao, Yue; Morris, Joseph P.; Ryerson, Frederick J.

2017-12-01

Conventional principles of the design and operation of geologic carbon storage (GCS) require injecting CO2 below the caprock fracturing pressure to ensure the integrity of the storage complex. In nonideal storage reservoirs with relatively low permeability, pressure buildup can lead to hydraulic fracturing of the reservoir and caprock. While the GCS community has generally viewed hydraulic fractures as a key risk to storage integrity, a carefully designed stimulation treatment under appropriate geologic conditions could provide improved injectivity while maintaining overall seal integrity. A vertically contained hydraulic fracture, either in the reservoir rock or extending a limited height into the caprock, provides an effective means to access reservoir volume far from the injection well. Employing a fully coupled numerical model of hydraulic fracturing, solid deformation, and matrix fluid flow, we study the enabling conditions, processes, and mechanisms of hydraulic fracturing during CO2 injection. A hydraulic fracture's pressure-limiting behavior dictates that the near-well fluid pressure is only slightly higher than the fracturing pressure of the rock and is insensitive to injection rate and mechanical properties of the formation. Although a fracture contained solely within the reservoir rock with no caprock penetration, would be an ideal scenario, poroelastic principles dictate that sustaining such a fracture could lead to continuously increasing pressure until the caprock fractures. We also investigate the propagation pattern and injection pressure responses of a hydraulic fracture propagating in a caprock subjected to heterogeneous in situ stress. The results have important implications for the use of hydraulic fracturing as a tool for managing storage performance.

Final Report for the ZERT Project: Basic Science of Retention Issues, Risk Assessment & Measurement, Monitoring and Verification for Geologic Sequestration

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Spangler, Lee; Cunningham, Alfred; Lageson, David

2011-03-31

ZERT has made major contributions to five main areas of sequestration science: improvement of computational tools; measurement and monitoring techniques to verify storage and track migration of CO{sub 2}; development of a comprehensive performance and risk assessment framework; fundamental geophysical, geochemical and hydrological investigations of CO{sub 2} storage; and investigate innovative, bio-based mitigation strategies.

CO 2 Storage and Enhanced Oil Recovery: Bald Unit Test Site, Mumford Hills Oil Field, Posey County, Indiana

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Frailey, Scott M.; Krapac, Ivan G.; Damico, James R.

2012-03-30

The Midwest Geological Sequestration Consortium (MGSC) carried out a small-scale carbon dioxide (CO 2) injection test in a sandstone within the Clore Formation (Mississippian System, Chesterian Series) in order to gauge the large-scale CO 2 storage that might be realized from enhanced oil recovery (EOR) of mature Illinois Basin oil fields via miscible liquid CO 2 flooding.

Generalized surficial geologic map of the Fort Irwin area, San Bernadino: Chapter B in Geology and geophysics applied to groundwater hydrology at Fort Irwin, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miller, David M.; Menges, Christopher M.; Lidke, David J.; Buesch, David C.

2014-01-01

The geology and landscape of the Fort Irwin area, typical of many parts of the Mojave Desert, consist of rugged mountains separated by broad alluviated valleys that form the main coarse-resolution features of the geologic map. Crystalline and sedimentary rocks, Mesozoic and older in age, form most of the mountains with lesser accumulations of Miocene sedimentary and volcanic rocks. In detail, the area exhibits a fairly complex distribution of surficial deposits resulting from diverse rock sources and geomorphology that has been driven by topographic changes caused by recent and active faulting. Depositional environments span those typical of the Mojave Desert: alluvial fans on broad piedmonts, major intermittent streams along valley floors, eolian sand dunes and sheets, and playas in closed valleys that lack through-going washes. Erosional environments include rocky mountains, smooth gently sloping pediments, and badlands in readily eroded sediment. All parts of the landscape, from regional distribution of mountains, valleys, and faults to details of degree of soil development in surface materials, are portrayed by the surficial geologic map. Many of these attributes govern infiltration and recharge, and the surface distribution of permeable rock units such as Miocene sedimentary and volcanic rocks provides a basis for evaluating potential groundwater storage. Quaternary faults are widespread in the Fort Irwin area and include sinistral, east-striking faults that characterize the central swath of the area and the contrasting dextral, northwest-striking faults that border the east and west margins. Bedrock distribution and thickness of valley-fill deposits are controlled by modern and past faulting, and faults on the map help to identify targets for groundwater exploration.

Geological subsurface will contribute significantly to the implementation of the energy policy towards renewables in Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martens, Sonja; Kühn, Michael

2015-04-01

The demands to exploit the geological subsurface are increasing. In addition to the traditional production of raw materials such as natural gas and petroleum, or potable groundwater extraction the underground will most likely also be used to implement the climate and energy policy objectives in the context of the energy transition to renewables. These include the storage of energy from renewable sources (e.g. hydrogen and methane), the use of geothermal energy and possibly the long-term storage of carbon dioxide to reduce the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The presentation addresses the question which realistic contribution can be expected from the geo-resource subsurface for the energy revolution, the detachment of fossil and nuclear fuels as well as the reduction of CO2 emissions. The study of Henning and Palzer [1] that models the energy balance of the electricity and heat sector including all renewable energy converters, storage components and loads for a future German energy system shows that provision with 100% renewables is economically feasible by 2050. Based on their work, our estimates underline that already in 2015 more than 100% of the required methane storage capacities therein are available and more than 100% of the heat pump demands might be covered by shallow and deep geothermal energy production in the future. In addition we show that a newly developed energy storage system [2-3] could be applied to store 20-60% of the surplus energy from renewables expected for 2050 with integrated gas storage of methane and CO2. [1] Henning H-M, Palzer A (2014) A comprehensive model for the German electricity and heat sector in a future energy system with a dominant contribution from renewable energy technologies -- Part I: Methodology. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 30, 1003-1018. doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2013.09.012 [2] Kühn M, Nakaten N, Streibel M, Kempka T (2014) CO2 geological storage and utilization for a carbon neutral "power-to-gas-to-power" cycle to even out fluctuations of renewable energy provision. Energy Procedia 63, 8044-8049. doi: 10.1016/j.egypro.2014.11.841 [3] Kühn M, Streibel M, Nakaten N, Kempka T (2014) Integrated underground gas storage of CO2 and CH4 to decarbonise the "power-to-gas-to-gas-to-power" technology. Energy Procedia 59, 9-15. doi: 10.1016/j.egypro.2014.10.342

High Throughput Strontium Isotope Method for Monitoring Fluid Flow Related to Geological CO2 Storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Capo, R. C.; Wall, A. J.; Stewart, B. W.; Phan, T. T.; Jain, J. C.; Hakala, J. A.; Guthrie, G. D.

2012-12-01

Natural isotope tracers, such as strontium (Sr), can be a unique and powerful component of a monitoring strategy at a CO2 storage site, facilitating both the quantification of reaction progress for fluid-rock interactions and the tracking of brine migration caused by CO2 injection. Several challenges must be overcome, however, to enable the routine use of isotopic tracers, including the ability to rapidly analyze numerous aqueous samples with potentially complex chemical compositions. In a field situation, it might be necessary to analyze tens of samples over a short period of time to identify subsurface reactions and respond to unexpected fluid movement in the host formation. These conditions require streamlined Sr separation chemistry for samples ranging from pristine groundwaters to those containing high total dissolved solids, followed by rapid measurement of isotope ratios with high analytical precision. We have optimized Sr separation chemistry and MC-ICP-MS methods to provide rapid and precise measurements of isotope ratios in geologic, hydrologic, and environmental samples. These improvements will allow an operator to independently prepare samples for Sr isotope analysis off-site using fast, low cost chemical separation procedures and commercially available components. Existing vacuum-assisted Sr separation procedures were modified by using inexpensive disposable parts to eliminate cross contamination. Experimental results indicate that the modified columns provide excellent separation of Sr from chemically complex samples and that Sr can be effectively isolated from problematic matrix elements (e.g., Ca, Ba, K) associated with oilfield brines and formation waters. The separation procedure is designed for high sample throughput in which batches of 24 samples can be processed in approximately 2 hours, and are ready for Sr isotope measurements by MC-ICP-MS immediately after collection from the columns. Precise Sr isotope results can be achieved by MC-ICP-MS with a throughput of 4 to 5 samples per hour. Our mean measured value of NIST Sr isotope standard SRM 987 is 0.710265 ± 0.000014 (2σ, n = 94). A range of brines and CO2-rich fluids analyzed by this method yielded results within the analytical uncertainty of 87Sr/86Sr ratios previously determined by standard column separation and thermal ionization mass spectrometry. This method provides a fast and effective way to use Sr isotopes for monitoring purposes related to geological CO2 storage.

Simulation of CO2 Sequestration at Rock Spring Uplift, Wyoming: Heterogeneity and Uncertainties in Storage Capacity, Injectivity and Leakage

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Deng, Hailin; Dai, Zhenxue; Jiao, Zunsheng

2011-01-01

Many geological, geochemical, geomechanical and hydrogeological factors control CO{sub 2} storage in subsurface. Among them heterogeneity in saline aquifer can seriously influence design of injection wells, CO{sub 2} injection rate, CO{sub 2} plume migration, storage capacity, and potential leakage and risk assessment. This study applies indicator geostatistics, transition probability and Markov chain model at the Rock Springs Uplift, Wyoming generating facies-based heterogeneous fields for porosity and permeability in target saline aquifer (Pennsylvanian Weber sandstone) and surrounding rocks (Phosphoria, Madison and cap-rock Chugwater). A multiphase flow simulator FEHM is then used to model injection of CO{sub 2} into the target salinemore » aquifer involving field-scale heterogeneity. The results reveal that (1) CO{sub 2} injection rates in different injection wells significantly change with local permeability distributions; (2) brine production rates in different pumping wells are also significantly impacted by the spatial heterogeneity in permeability; (3) liquid pressure evolution during and after CO{sub 2} injection in saline aquifer varies greatly for different realizations of random permeability fields, and this has potential important effects on hydraulic fracturing of the reservoir rock, reactivation of pre-existing faults and the integrity of the cap-rock; (4) CO{sub 2} storage capacity estimate for Rock Springs Uplift is 6614 {+-} 256 Mt at 95% confidence interval, which is about 36% of previous estimate based on homogeneous and isotropic storage formation; (5) density profiles show that the density of injected CO{sub 2} below 3 km is close to that of the ambient brine with given geothermal gradient and brine concentration, which indicates CO{sub 2} plume can sink to the deep before reaching thermal equilibrium with brine. Finally, we present uncertainty analysis of CO{sub 2} leakage into overlying formations due to heterogeneity in both the target saline aquifer and surrounding formations. This uncertainty in leakage will be used to feed into risk assessment modeling.« less

Diffusive retention of atmospheric gases in chert

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pettitt, E.; Cherniak, D. J.; Watson, E. B.; Schaller, M. F.

2016-12-01

Throughout Earth's history, the volatile contents (N2, CO2, Ar) of both deep and shallow terrestrial reservoirs has been dynamic. Volatiles are important chemical constituents because they play a significant role in regulating Earth's climate, mediating the evolution of complex life, and controlling the properties of minerals and rocks. Estimating levels of atmospheric volatiles in the deep geological past requires interrogation of materials that have acquired and retained a chemical memory from that time. Cherts have the potential to trap atmospheric components during formation and later release those gases for analysis in the laboratory. However, cherts have been underexploited in this regard, partly because their ability to retain a record of volatile components has not been adequately evaluated. Before cherts can be reliably used as indicators of past levels of major atmospheric gases, it is crucial that we understand the diffusive retentiveness of these cryptocrystalline silica phases. As the first step toward quantifying the diffusivity and solubility of carbon dioxide and nitrogen in chert, we have performed 1-atmosphere diffusive-uptake experiments at temperatures up to 450°C. Depth profiles of in-diffusing gases are measured by nuclear reaction analysis (NRA) to help us understand the molecular-scale transport of volatiles and thus the validity of using chert-bound volatiles to record information about Earth history. Data collected to date suggest that at least some cherts are ideal storage containers and can retain volatiles for a geologically long time. In addition to these diffusion experiments, preliminary online-crush fast-scan measurements using a quadrupole mass spectrometer indicate that atmospheric volatiles are released upon crushing various chert samples. By coupling such volatile-release measurements made by mass spectrometry with diffusion experiments, we are uniquely able to address the storage and fidelity of volatiles bound in crustal materials; an important step toward understanding atmospheric evolution over geologic history.

Geology, ground-water hydrology, geochemistry, and ground-water simulation of the Beaumont and Banning Storage Units, San Gorgonio Pass area, Riverside County, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rewis, Diane L.; Christensen, Allen H.; Matti, Jonathan; Hevesi, Joseph A.; Nishikawa, Tracy; Martin, Peter

2006-01-01

Ground water has been the only source of potable water supply for residential, industrial, and agricultural users in the Beaumont and Banning storage units of the San Gorgonio Pass area, Riverside County, California. Ground-water levels in the Beaumont area have declined as much as 100 feet between the early 1920s and early 2000s, and numerous natural springs have stopped flowing. In 1961, the San Gorgonio Pass Water Agency (SGPWA) entered into a contract with the California State Department of Water Resources to receive 17,300 acre-feet per year of water to be delivered by the California State Water Project (SWP) to supplement natural recharge. Currently (2005), a pipeline is delivering SWP water into the area, and the SGPWA is artificially recharging the ground-water system using recharge ponds located along Little San Gorgonio Creek in Cherry Valley with the SWP water. In addition to artificial recharge, SGPWA is considering the direct delivery of SWP water for the irrigation of local golf courses and for agricultural supply in lieu of ground-water pumpage. To better understand the potential hydrologic effects of different water-management alternatives on ground-water levels and movement in the Beaumont and Banning storage units, existing geohydrologic and geochemical data were compiled, new data from a basin-wide ground-water level and water-quality monitoring network were collected, monitoring wells were installed near the Little San Gorgonio Creek recharge ponds, geohydrologic and geochemical analyses were completed, and a ground-water flow simulation model was developed. The San Gorgonio Pass area was divided into several storage units on the basis of mapped or inferred faults. This study addresses primarily the Beaumont and Banning storage units. The geologic units in the study area were generalized into crystalline basement rocks and sedimentary deposits. The younger sedimentary deposits and the surficial deposits are the main water-bearing deposits in the San Gorgonio Pass area. The water-bearing deposits were divided into three aquifers: (1) the perched aquifer, (2) the upper aquifer, and (3) the lower aquifer based on lithologic and downhole geophysical logs. Natural recharge in the San Gorgonio Pass area was estimated using INFILv3, a deterministic distributed- parameter precipitation-runoff model. The INFILv3 model simulated that the potential recharge of precipitation and runoff in the Beaumont and Banning storage units was about 3,710 acre-feet per year and that the potential recharge in 28 sub-drainage basins upstream of the storage units was about 6,180 acre-feet per year. The water supply for the Beaumont and Banning storage units is supplied by pumping ground water from wells in the Canyon (Edgar and Banning Canyons), Banning Bench, Beaumont, and Banning storage units. Total annual pumpage from the Beaumont and Banning storage units ranged from about 1,630 acre-feet in 1936 to about 20,000 acre-feet in 2003. Ground-water levels declined by as much as 100 feet in the Beaumont storage unit from 1926-2003 in response to ground-water pumping of about 450,160 acre-feet during this period. Since ground-water development began in the San Gorgonio Pass area, there have been several sources of artificial recharge to the basin including return flow from applied water on crops, golf courses, and landscape; septic-tank seepage; and infiltration of storm runoff diversions and imported water into recharge ponds. Return flow from applied water and septic-tank seepage was estimated to reach a maximum of about 8,100 acre-feet per year in 2003. Owing to the great depth of water in much of study area (in excess of 150 feet), the return flow and septic-tank seepage takes years to decades to reach the water table. Stable-isotope data indicate that the source of ground-water recharge was precipitation from storms passing through the San Gorgonio Pass as opposed to runoff from the higher altitudes of the San Bernar

U.S. Geological Survey quality-assurance plan for continuous water-quality monitoring in Kansas, 2014

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bennett, Trudy J.; Graham, Jennifer L.; Foster, Guy M.; Stone, Mandy L.; Juracek, Kyle E.; Rasmussen, Teresa J.; Putnam, James E.

2014-01-01

A quality-assurance plan for use in conducting continuous water-quality monitoring activities has been developed for the Kansas Water Science Center in accordance with guidelines set forth by the U.S. Geological Survey. This quality-assurance plan documents the standards, policies, and procedures used by the U.S. Geological Survey in Kansas for activities related to the collection, processing, storage, analysis, and release of continuous water-quality monitoring data. The policies and procedures that are documented in this quality-assurance plan for continuous water-quality monitoring activities complement quality-assurance plans for surface-water and groundwater activities in Kansas.

Laboratory ultrasonic pulse velocity logging for determination of elastic properties from rock core

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blacklock, Natalie Erin

During the development of deep underground excavations spalling and rockbursting have been recognized as significant mechanisms of violent brittle failure. In order to predict whether violent brittle failure will occur, it is important to identify the location of stiffness transitions that are associated with geologic structure. One approach to identify the effect of geologic structures is to apply borehole geophysical tools ahead of the tunnel advance. Stiffness transitions can be identified using mechanical property analysis surveys that combine acoustic velocity and density data to calculate acoustic estimates of elastic moduli. However, logistical concerns arise since the approach must be conducted at the advancing tunnel face. As a result, borehole mechanical property analyses are rarely used. Within this context, laboratory ultrasonic pulse velocity testing has been proposed as a potential alternative to borehole mechanical property analysis since moving the analysis to the laboratory would remove logistical constraints and improve safety for the evaluators. In addition to the traditional method of conducting velocity testing along the core axis, two new methodologies for point-focused testing were developed across the core diameter, and indirectly along intact lengths of drill core. The indirect test procedure was implemented in a continuous ultrasonic velocity test program along 573m of drill core to identify key geologic structures that generated transitions in ultrasonic elastic moduli. The test program was successful at identifying the location of geologic contacts, igneous intrusions, faults and shear structures. Ultrasonic values of Young's modulus and bulk modulus were determined at locations of significant velocity transitions to examine the potential for energy storage and energy release. Comparison of results from different ultrasonic velocity test configurations determined that the indirect test configuration provided underestimates for values of Young's modulus. This indicated that the test procedure will require modifications to improve coupling of the transducers to the core surface. In order to assess whether laboratory testing can be an alternative to borehole surveys, laboratory velocity testing must be directly assessed with results from acoustic borehole logging. There is also potential for the laboratory velocity program to be used to assess small scale stiffness changes, differences in mineral composition and the degree of fracturing of drill core.

A draft of guidance from the scientific Research Programme GEOTECHNOLOGIEN to underpin the implementation of the CCS Directive in Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Streibel, Martin; Schoebel, Birgit

2015-04-01

In 2004 the Federal Ministry of Education and Research of Germany launched the programme GEOTECHNOLOGIEN with one key aspect being the development of technologies for sustainable storage of carbon dioxide in geological formations. Within this research field more than 30 projects in three consecutive programme phases have been funded up to the end of 2014. In order to benefit from the gathered knowledge and use the experiences for the policy/law making process the umbrella project AUGE has been launched in October 2012 with a life time of three years. The aim of the project is to review and compile all results of projects funded during the three phases to underpin the appendices of the German transposition of the EC Directive 2009/31/EC the "Carbon Dioxide Storage Law" (KSpG). The results of the projects have been structured along the lines of the two appendices of the KSpG which are similar to the ones of the EC Directive. The detailed structure follows the CSA Z741, Canada's first CCS standard for the geological storage of carbon emissions deep underground. This document also serves as the draft version for the ISO Technical Committee 265 "Carbon dioxide capture, transportation, and geological storage". From the risk management perspective, according to ISO 31000, most of the research performed in the above mentioned scientific programme dealt with contextual background of geological CO2 storage asking the question which physical, chemical and biological interactions of CO2 are most important to understand to evaluate if CO2 storage in general is feasible. This lead to risk identification, risk analysis and risk evaluation. Major topics of the scientific programme were • site characterisation with development and optimisation of laboratory procedures and implementation amongst other activities at the pilot site at Ketzin; • optimization of seismic procedures for site characterisation and the detection of injected CO2; • physical, chemical and microbiological interaction of CO2 with the reservoir and the impact of pressure elevation in saline reservoirs; • cap rock and well integrity; • development and test of monitoring methods from the atmosphere down to the reservoir; • development and improvement of numerical methods to simulate injection and spreading of the CO2 plume. During all three phases the knowledge has been incorporated in the risk assessment approach has been further developed. Within this paper we will present a draft of the guidance document which is based on the compilation of results of the early projects and input provided by project partners of the final funding phase of GEOTECHNOLOGIEN.

Remote Sensing as a First Step in Geothermal Exploration in the Xilingol Volcanic Field in NE China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, F.; Huang, S.; Xiong, Y.

2013-12-01

Geothermal energy is a renewable and low-carbon energy source independent of climate change. It is most abundant in Cenozoic volcanic areas where high temperature can be obtained within a relatively shallow depth. Geological structures play an important role in the transfer and storage of geothermal energy. Like other geological resources, geothermal resource prospecting and exploration require a good understanding of the host media. Remote sensing (RS) has the advantages of high spatial and temporal resolution and broad spatial coverage over the conventional geological and geophysical prospecting techniques, while geographical information system (GIS) has intuitive, flexible, and convenient characteristics. In this study, RS and GIS techniques are utilized to prospect the geothermal energy potential in Xilingol, a Cenozoic volcanic area in the eastern Inner Mongolia, NE China. Landsat TM/ETM+ multi-temporal images taken under clear-sky conditions, digital elevation model (DEM) data, and other auxiliary data including geological maps of 1:2,500,000 and 1:200,000 scales are used in this study. The land surface temperature (LST) of the study area is retrieved from the Landsat images with a single-channel algorithm. Prior to the LST retrieval, the imagery data are preprocessed to eliminate abnormal values by reference to the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and the improved normalized water index (MNDWI) on the ENVI platform developed by ITT Visual Information Solutions. Linear and circular geological structures are then inferred through visual interpretation of the LST maps with references to the existing geological maps in conjunction with the computer automatic interpretation features such as lineament frequency, lineament density, and lineament intersection. Several useful techniques such as principal component analysis (PCA), image classification, vegetation suppression, multi-temporal comparative analysis, and 3D Surface View based on DEM data are used to further enable a better visual geologic interpretation with the Landsat imagery of Xilingol. Several major volcanism controlling faults and Cenozoic volcanic eruption centers have been recognized from the linear and circular structures in the remote sensing images. The result shows that the major faults in the study area are mainly NEE oriented. Hidden faults and deep structures are inferred from the analysis of distribution regularities of linear and circular structures. Especially, the swarms of craters northwest to the Dalinuoer Lake appear to be controlled by some NEE trending hidden basement fractures. The intersecting areas of the NEE linear structures with NW trending structures overlapped by the circular structures are the favorable regions for geothermal resources. Seven areas have been preliminarily identified as the targets for further prospecting geothermal energy based on the visual interpretation of the geological structures. The study shows that RS and GIS have great application potential in the geothermal exploration in volcanic areas and will promote the exploration of renewable energy resources of great potential.

Spatial Persistence of Macropores and Authigenic Clays in a Reservoir Sandstone: Implications for Enhanced Oil Recovery and CO2 Storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dewers, T. A.

2015-12-01

Multiphase flow in clay-rich sandstone reservoirs is important to enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and the geologic storage of CO2. Understanding geologic controls on pore structure allows for better identification of lithofacies that can contain, storage, and/or transmit hydrocarbons and CO2, and may result in better designs for EOR-CO2 storage. We examine three-dimensional pore structure and connectivity of sandstone samples from the Farnsworth Unit, Texas, the site of a combined EOR-CO2 storage project by the Southwest Regional Partnership on Carbon Sequestration (SWP). We employ a unique set of methods, including: robotic serial polishing and reflected-light imaging for digital pore-structure reconstruction; electron microscopy; laser scanning confocal microscopy; mercury intrusion-extrusion porosimetry; and relative permeability and capillary pressure measurements using CO2 and synthetic formation fluid. Our results link pore size distributions, topology of porosity and clay-rich phases, and spatial persistence of connected flow paths to multiphase flow behavior. The authors gratefully acknowledge the U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory for sponsoring this project through the SWP under Award No. DE-FC26-05NT42591. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.

Identification codes for organizations listed in computerized data systems of the U.S. Geological Survey

USGS Publications Warehouse

Blackwell, C.D.

1988-01-01

Codes for the unique identification of public and private organizations listed in computerized data systems are presented. These codes are used by the U.S. Geological Survey 's National Water Data Exchange (NAWDEX), National Water Data Storage and Retrieval System (WATSTORE), National Cartographic Information Center (NCIC), and Office of Water Data Coordination (OWDC). The format structure of the codes is discussed and instructions are given for requesting new books. (Author 's abstract)

Ionic Effects on Supercritical CO2-Brine Interfacial Tensions: Molecular Dynamics Simulations and a Universal Correlation with Ionic Strength, Temperature, and Pressure.

PubMed

Zhao, Lingling; Ji, Jiayuan; Tao, Lu; Lin, Shangchao

2016-09-13

For geological CO2 storage in deep saline aquifers, the interfacial tension (IFT) between supercritical CO2 and brine is critical for the storage security and design of the storage capacitance. However, currently, no predictive model exists to determine the IFT of supercritical CO2 against complex electrolyte solutions involving various mixed salt species at different concentrations and compositions. In this paper, we use molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate the effect of salt ions on the incremental IFT at the supercritical CO2-brine interface with respect to that at the reference supercritical CO2-water interface. Supercritical CO2-NaCl solution, CO2-CaCl2 solution and CO2-(NaCl+CaCl2) mixed solution systems are simulated at 343 K and 20 MPa under different salinities and salt compositions. We find that the valence of the cations is the primary contributor to the variation in IFT, while the Lennard-Jones potentials for the cations pose a smaller impact on the IFT. Interestingly, the incremental IFT exhibits a general linear correlation with the ionic strength in the above three electrolyte systems, and the slopes are almost identical and independent of the solution types. Based on this finding, a universal predictive formula for IFTs of CO2-complex electrolyte solution systems is established, as a function of ionic strength, temperature, and pressure. The predicted IFTs using the established formula agree perfectly (with a high statistical confidence level of ∼96%) with a wide range of experimental data for CO2 interfacing with different electrolyte solutions, such as those involving MgCl2 and Na2SO4. This work provides an efficient and accurate route to directly predict IFTs in supercritical CO2-complex electrolyte solution systems for practical engineering applications, such as geological CO2 sequestration in deep saline aquifers and other interfacial systems involving complex electrolyte solutions.

Hysteresis, regime shifts, and non-stationarity in aquifer recharge-storage-discharge systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klammler, Harald; Jawitz, James; Annable, Michael; Hatfield, Kirk; Rao, Suresh

2016-04-01

Based on physical principles and geological information we develop a parsimonious aquifer model for Silver Springs, one of the largest karst springs in Florida. The model structure is linear and time-invariant with recharge, aquifer head (storage) and spring discharge as dynamic variables at the springshed (landscape) scale. Aquifer recharge is the hydrological driver with trends over a range of time scales from seasonal to multi-decadal. The freshwater-saltwater interaction is considered as a dynamic storage mechanism. Model results and observed time series show that aquifer storage causes significant rate-dependent hysteretic behavior between aquifer recharge and discharge. This leads to variable discharge per unit recharge over time scales up to decades, which may be interpreted as a gradual and cyclic regime shift in the aquifer drainage behavior. Based on field observations, we further amend the aquifer model by assuming vegetation growth in the spring run to be inversely proportional to stream velocity and to hinder stream flow. This simple modification introduces non-linearity into the dynamic system, for which we investigate the occurrence of rate-independent hysteresis and of different possible steady states with respective regime shifts between them. Results may contribute towards explaining observed non-stationary behavior potentially due to hydrological regime shifts (e.g., triggered by gradual, long-term changes in recharge or single extreme events) or long-term hysteresis (e.g., caused by aquifer storage). This improved understanding of the springshed hydrologic response dynamics is fundamental for managing the ecological, economic and social aspects at the landscape scale.

Geochemical modeling of fluid-fluid and fluid-mineral interactions during geological CO2 storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, C.; Ji, X.; Lu, P.

2013-12-01

The long time required for effective CO2 storage makes geochemical modeling an indispensable tool for CCUS. One area of geochemical modeling research that is in urgent need is impurities in CO2 streams. Permitting impurities, such as H2S, in CO2 streams can lead to potential capital and energy savings. However, predicting the consequences of co-injection of CO2 and impurities into geological formations requires the understanding of the phase equilibrium and fluid-fluid interactions. To meet this need, we developed a statistical associating fluid theory (SAFT)-based equation of state (EOS) for the H2S-CO2-H2O-NaCl system at 373.15

CO2 Adsorption in Low-Rank Coals: Progress Toward Assessing the National Capacity to Store CO2 in the Subsurface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stanton, R. W.; Burruss, R. C.; Flores, R. M.; Warwick, P. D.

2001-05-01

Subsurface environments for geologic storage of CO2 from combustion of fossil fuel include saline formations, depleted oil and gas reservoirs, and unmineable coalbeds. Of these environments, storage in petroleum reservoirs and coal beds offers a potential economic benefit of enhanced recovery of energy resources. Meaningful assessment of the volume and geographic distribution of storage sites requires quantitative estimates of geologic factors that control storage capacity. The factors that control the storage capacity of unmineable coalbeds are poorly understood. In preparation for a USGS assessment of CO2 storage capacity we have begun new measurements of CO2 and CH4 adsorption isotherms of low-rank coal samples from 4 basins. Initial results for 13 samples of low-rank coal beds from the Powder River Basin (9 subbituminous coals), Greater Green River Basin (1 subbituminous coal), Williston Basin (2 lignites) and the Gulf Coast (1 lignite) indicate that their adsorption capacity is up to 10 times higher than it is for CH4. These values contrast with published measurements of the CO2 adsorption capacity of bituminous coals from the Fruitland Formation, San Juan basin, and Gates Formation, British Columbia, that indicate about twice as much carbon dioxide as methane can be adsorbed on coals. Because CH4 adsorption isotherms are commonly measured on coals, CO2 adsorption capacity can be estimated if thecorrect relationship between the gases is known. However, use a factor to predict CO2 adsorption that is twice that of CH4 adsorption, which is common in the published literature, grossly underestimates the storage capacity of widely distributed, thick low-rank coal beds. Complete petrographic and chemical characterization of these low-rank coal samples is in progress. Significant variations in adsorption measurements among samples are depicted depending on the reporting basis used. Properties were measured on an "as received" (moist) basis but can be converted to a dry basis, ash-free basis (moist), or dry ash-free basis to emphasize the property having the greatest effect on the adsorption isotherm. Initial results show that moisture content has a strong effect on CO2 adsorption. Our current sample base covers a limited range of coal rank and composition. Full characterization of the storage capacity of coalbeds in the US will require additional samples that cover a broader range of coal compositions, ranks, and depositional environments. Even at this preliminary stage, we can use results from the recent USGS assessment of the Powder River Basin (Wyoming and Montana) to examine the impact of these new measurements on estimates of storage capacity. At depths greater than 500 feet, the Wyodak-Anderson coal zone contains 360 billion metric tons of coal. Using the new measurements of CO2 storage capacity, this coal zone could, theoretically, sequester about 290 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of CO2. This estimate contrasts sharply with an estimated capacity of 70 TCF based on the published values for bituminous coals.

Inventory and review of aquifer storage and recovery in southern Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reese, Ronald S.

2002-01-01

publications > water resources investigations > report 02-4036 US Department of the Interior US Geological Survey WRI 02-4036Inventory and Review of Aquifer Storage and Recovery in Southern Florida By Ronald S. ReeseTallahassee, Florida 2002 prepared as part of the U.S. Geological Survey Place-Based Studies Program ABSTRACT Abstract Introduction Inventory of Data Case Studies Summary References Tables Aquifer storage and recovery in southern Florida has been proposed on an unprecedented scale as part of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan. Aquifer storage and recovery wells were constructed or are under construction at 27 sites in southern Florida, mostly by local municipalities or counties located in coastal areas. The Upper Floridan aquifer, the principal storage zone of interest to the restoration plan, is the aquifer being used at 22 of the sites. The aquifer is brackish to saline in southern Florida, which can greatly affect the recovery of the freshwater recharged and stored.Well data were inventoried and compiled for all wells at most of the 27 sites. Construction and testing data were compiled into four main categories: (1) well identification, location, and construction data; (2) hydraulic test data; (3) ambient formation water-quality data; and (4) cycle testing data. Each cycle during testing or operation includes periods of recharge of freshwater, storage, and recovery that each last days or months. Cycle testing data include calculations of recovery efficiency, which is the percentage of the total amount of potable water recharged for each cycle that is recovered.Calculated cycle test data include potable water recovery efficiencies for 16 of the 27 sites. However, the number of cycles at most sites was limited; except for two sites, the highest number of cycles was five. Only nine sites had a recovery efficiency above 10 percent for the first cycle, and 10 sites achieved a recovery efficiency above 30 percent during at least one cycle. The highest recovery efficiency achieved per cycle was 84 percent for cycle 16 at the Boynton Beach site.Factors that could affect recovery of freshwater varied widely between sites. The thickness of the open storage zone at all sites ranged from 45 to 452 feet. For sites with the storage zone in the Upper Floridan aquifer, transmissivity based on tests of the storage zones ranged from 800 to 108,000 feet squared per day, leakance values indicated that confinement is not good in some areas, and the chloride concentration of ambient water ranged from 500 to 11,000 milligrams per liter.Based on review of four case studies and data from other sites, several hydrogeologic and design factors appear to be important to the performance of aquifer storage and recovery in the Floridan aquifer system. Performance is maximized when the storage zone is thin and located at the top of the Upper Floridan aquifer, and transmissivity and salinity of the storage zone are moderate (less than 30,000 feet squared per day and 3,000 milligrams per liter of chloride concentration, respectively). The structural setting at a site could also be important because of the potential for updip migration of a recharged freshwater bubble due to density contrast or loss of overlying confinement due to deformation.

78 FR 69460 - Proposed License Renewal of the Prairie Island Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-19

...; climatology, meteorology and air quality; geology and soils; water resources; ecology and threatened and... significantly affect the quality of the human environment. No significant changes in NSPM's authorized...

ATR Spent Fuel Options Study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Connolly, Michael James; Bean, Thomas E.; Brower, Jeffrey O.

The Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) is a materials and fuels test nuclear reactor that performs irradiation services for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy (NE), Naval Reactors, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), and other research programs. ATR achieved initial criticality in 1967 and is expected to operate in support of needed missions until the year 2050 or beyond. It is anticipated that ATR will generate approximately 105 spent nuclear fuel (SNF) elements per year through the year 2050. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) currently stores 2,008 ATR SNF elements in dry storage, 976 in wet storage,more » and expects to have 1,000 elements in wet storage before January 2017. A capability gap exists at INL for long-term (greater than the year 2050) management, in compliance with the Idaho Settlement Agreement (ISA), of ATR SNF until a monitored retrievable geological repository is open. INL has significant wet and dry storage capabilities that are owned by the DOE Office of Environmental Management (EM) and operated and managed by Fluor Idaho, which include the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center’s (INTEC’s) CPP-666, CPP-749, and CPP-603. In addition, INL has other capabilities owned by DOE-NE and operated and managed by Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC (BEA), which are located at the Materials and Fuel Complex (MFC). Additional storage capabilities are located on the INL Site at the Naval Reactors Facility (NRF). Current INL SNF management planning, as defined in the Fluor Idaho contract, shows INTEC dry fuel storage, which is currently used for ATR SNF, will be nearly full after transfer of an additional 1,000 ATR SNF from wet storage. DOE-NE tasked BEA with identifying and analyzing options that have the potential to fulfill this capability gap. BEA assembled a team comprised of SNF management experts from Fluor Idaho, Savannah River Site (SRS), INL/BEA, and the MITRE Corp with an objective of developing and analyzing options for fulfilling the capability gap. This management options analysis is not an alternatives analysis as defined by DOE Order 413.3B; rather, it is an evaluation of near-term, mid term and long-term actions needed to fulfill the capability gap. The actions are described in sufficient detail to inform stakeholders and DOE decision makers regarding a potential path forward. The recommended path forward will inform Fiscal Year 2019 budget formulation, support potential National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analyses, and may or may not include capital asset projects.« less

3d-modelling workflows for trans-nationally shared geological models - first approaches from the project GeoMol

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rupf, Isabel

2013-04-01

To meet the EU's ambitious targets for carbon emission reduction, renewable energy production has to be strongly upgraded and made more efficient for grid energy storage. Alpine Foreland Basins feature a unique geological inventory which can contribute substantially to tackle these challenges. They offer a geothermal potential and storage capacity for compressed air, as well as space for underground storage of CO2. Exploiting these natural subsurface resources will strongly compete with existing oil and gas claims and groundwater issues. The project GeoMol will provide consistent 3-dimensional subsurface information about the Alpine Foreland Basins based on a holistic and transnational approach. Core of the project GeoMol is a geological framework model for the entire Northern Molasse Basin, complemented by five detailed models in pilot areas, also in the Po Basin, which are dedicated to specific questions of subsurface use. The models will consist of up to 13 litho-stratigraphic horizons ranging from the Cenozoic basin fill down to Mesozoic and late Paleozoic sedimentary rocks and the crystalline basement. More than 5000 wells and 28 000 km seismic lines serve as input data sets for the geological subsurface model. The data have multiple sources and various acquisition dates, and their interpretations have gone through several paradigm changes. Therefore, it is necessary to standardize the data with regards to technical parameters and content prior to further analysis (cf. Capar et al. 2013, EGU2013-5349). Each partner will build its own geological subsurface model with different software solutions for seismic interpretation and 3d-modelling. Therefore, 3d-modelling follows different software- and partner-specific workflows. One of the main challenges of the project is to ensure a seamlessly fitting framework model. It is necessary to define several milestones for cross border checks during the whole modelling process. Hence, the main input data set of the framework model are interpreted seismic lines, 3d-models can be generated either in time or in depth domain. Some partners will build their 3d-model in time domain and convert it after finishing to depth. Other participants will transform seismic information first and will model directly in depth domain. To ensure comparability between the different parts transnational velocity models for time-depth conversion are required at an early stage of the project. The exchange of model geometries, topology, and geo-scientific content will be achieved applying an appropriate cyberinfrastructure called GST. It provides functionalities to ensure semantic and technical interoperability. Within the project GeoMol a web server for the dissemination of 3d geological models will be implemented including an administrative interface for the role-based access, real-time transformation of country-specific coordinate systems and a web visualisation features. The project GeoMol is co-funded by the Alpine Space Program as part of the European Territorial Cooperation 2007-2013. The project integrates partners from Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Slovenia and Switzerland and runs from September 2012 to June 2015. Further information on www.geomol.eu. The GeoMol 3D-modelling team: Roland Baumberger (swisstopo), Magdalena Bottig (GBA), Alessandro Cagnoni (RLB), Laure Capar (BRGM), Renaud Couëffé (BRGM), Chiara D'Ambrogi (ISPRA), Chrystel Dezayes (BRGM), Gerold Diepolder (LfU BY), Charlotte Fehn (LGRB), Sunseare Gabalda (BRGM), Gregor Götzl (GBA), Andrej Lapanje (GeoZS), Fabio Carlo Molinari (RER-SGSS), Edgar Nitsch (LGRB), Robert Pamer (LfU BY), Sebastian Pfleiderer (GBA), Marco Pantaloni (ISPRA), Uta Schulz (LfU BY), Günter Sokol (LGRB), Gunther Wirsing (LGRB), Heiko Zumsprekel (LGRB)

NETL CO 2 Storage prospeCtive Resource Estimation Excel aNalysis (CO 2-SCREEN) User's Manual

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sanguinito, Sean M.; Goodman, Angela; Levine, Jonathan

This user’s manual guides the use of the National Energy Technology Laboratory’s (NETL) CO 2 Storage prospeCtive Resource Estimation Excel aNalysis (CO 2-SCREEN) tool, which was developed to aid users screening saline formations for prospective CO 2 storage resources. CO 2- SCREEN applies U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) methods and equations for estimating prospective CO 2 storage resources for saline formations. CO2-SCREEN was developed to be substantive and user-friendly. It also provides a consistent method for calculating prospective CO 2 storage resources that allows for consistent comparison of results between different research efforts, such as the Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnershipsmore » (RCSP). CO 2-SCREEN consists of an Excel spreadsheet containing geologic inputs and outputs, linked to a GoldSim Player model that calculates prospective CO 2 storage resources via Monte Carlo simulation.« less

CURE: Clean use of reactor energy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1990-05-01

This paper presents the results of a joint Westinghouse Hanford Company (Westinghouse Hanford)-Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) study that considered the feasibility of treating radioactive waste before disposal to reduce the inventory of long-lived radionuclides, making the waste more suitable for geologic disposal. The treatment considered here is one in which waste would be chemically separated so that long-lived radionuclides can be treated using specific processes appropriate for the nuclide. The technical feasibility of enhancing repository performance by this type of treatment is considered in this report. A joint Westinghouse Hanford-PNL study group developed a concept called the Clean Use ofmore » Reactor Energy (CURE), and evaluated the potential of current technology to reduce the long-lived radionuclide content in waste from the nuclear power industry. The CURE process consists of three components: chemical separation of elements that have significant quantities of long-lived radioisotopes in the waste, exposure in a neutron flux to transmute the radioisotopes to stable nuclides, and packaging of radionuclides that cannot be transmuted easily for storage or geologic disposal. 76 refs., 32 figs., 24 tabs.« less

Ground water in the San Joaquin Valley, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kunkel, Fred; Hofman, Walter

1966-01-01

Ladies and gentlemen, it is a pleasure to be invited to attend this Irrigation Institute conference and to describe the Geological Survey's program of ground-water studies in the San Joaquin Valley. The U.S. Geological Survey has been making water-resources studies in cooperation with the State of California and other agencies in California for more than 70 years. Three of the earliest Geological Survey Water-Supply Papers--numbers 17, 18, and 19--published in 1898 and 1899, describe "Irrigation near Bakersfield," "Irrigation near Fresno," and "Irrigation near Merced." However, the first Survey report on ground-water occurrence in the San Joaquin Valley was "Ground Water in the San Joaquin Valley," by Mendenhall and others. The fieldwork was done from 1905 to 1910, and the report was published in 1916 as U.S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 398.The current series of ground-water studies in the San Joaquin Valley was begun in 1952 as part of the California Department of Water Resources-U.S. Geological Survey cooperative water-resources program. The first report of this series is Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 1469, "Ground-Water Conditions and Storage Capacity in the San Joaquin Valley." Other reports are Water-Supply Paper 1618, "Use of Ground-Water Reservoirs for Storage of Surface Water in the San Joaquin Valley;" Water-Supply Paper 1656, "Geology and Ground-Water Features of the Edison-Maricopa Area;" Water-Supply Paper 1360-G, "Ground- Water Conditions in the Mendota-Huron Area;" Water-Supply Paper 1457, "Ground-Water Conditions in the Avenal-McKittrick Area;" and an open-file report, "Geology, Hydrology, and Quality of Water in the Terra Bella-Lost Hills Area."In addition to the preceding published reports, ground-water studies currently are being made of the Kern Fan area, the Hanford- Visalia area, the Fresno area, the Merced area, and of the clays of Tulare Lake. Also, detailed studies of both shallow and deep subsidence in the southern part of the San Joaquin Valley are being made by the Subsidence Research Section at Sacramento, and research on permeability and specific yield in the San Joaquin Valley is being done by our hydrologic laboratory at Denver. 

On the potential for CO2 mineral storage in continental flood basalts – PHREEQC batch- and 1D diffusion–reaction simulations

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Continental flood basalts (CFB) are considered as potential CO2 storage sites because of their high reactivity and abundant divalent metal ions that can potentially trap carbon for geological timescales. Moreover, laterally extensive CFB are found in many place in the world within reasonable distances from major CO2 point emission sources. Based on the mineral and glass composition of the Columbia River Basalt (CRB) we estimated the potential of CFB to store CO2 in secondary carbonates. We simulated the system using kinetic dependent dissolution of primary basalt-minerals (pyroxene, feldspar and glass) and the local equilibrium assumption for secondary phases (weathering products). The simulations were divided into closed-system batch simulations at a constant CO2 pressure of 100 bar with sensitivity studies of temperature and reactive surface area, an evaluation of the reactivity of H2O in scCO2, and finally 1D reactive diffusion simulations giving reactivity at CO2 pressures varying from 0 to 100 bar. Although the uncertainty in reactive surface area and corresponding reaction rates are large, we have estimated the potential for CO2 mineral storage and identified factors that control the maximum extent of carbonation. The simulations showed that formation of carbonates from basalt at 40 C may be limited to the formation of siderite and possibly FeMg carbonates. Calcium was largely consumed by zeolite and oxide instead of forming carbonates. At higher temperatures (60 – 100 C), magnesite is suggested to form together with siderite and ankerite. The maximum potential of CO2 stored as solid carbonates, if CO2 is supplied to the reactions unlimited, is shown to depend on the availability of pore space as the hydration and carbonation reactions increase the solid volume and clog the pore space. For systems such as in the scCO2 phase with limited amount of water, the total carbonation potential is limited by the amount of water present for hydration of basalt. PMID:22697910

Sedimentation Survey of Lago Icacos, Puerto Rico, March 2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Soler-López, Luis R.

2007-01-01

The Lago Icacos, a small reservoir built in 1930 and owned by the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, is part of the Rio Blanco Hydroelectric Power System. The reservoir is located in Naguabo, within the Caribbean National Forest in eastern Puerto Rico. The original storage capacity of the reservoir was 19,119 cubic meters in 1930. The bathymetric survey conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in March 2004 indicates a storage capacity of 7,435 cubic meters or 39 percent of the original storage capacity, and a maximum depth of 5.3 meters. The reservoir has been dredged several times to restore lost storage capacity caused by high sediment loads and the frequent landslides that occur upstream from the dam, which have partially or completely filled the Lago Icacos. Because sediment removal activities have not been documented, sedimentation rates could not be determined using storage volume comparisons. A reservoir sedimentation rate was calculated using the daily sediment load data gathered at the U.S. Geological Survey Rio Icacos streamflow station upstream of the reservoir, the estimated Lago Icacos sediment trapping efficiency, and the estimated sediment yield of the Lago Icacos basin extrapolated from the Rio Icacos sediment load data. Using these properties, the Lago Icacos sedimentation rate was estimated as 71 cubic meters per year, equivalent to about 1 percent of the original storage capacity per year. The Lago Icacos 7.47-square-kilometer drainage area sediment yield was estimated as 7,126 tonnes per year or about 954 tonnes per square kilometer per year. Based on the current estimated sedimentation rate of 71 cubic meters per year, Lago Icacos has a useful life of about 105 years or to year 2109.

Adaptive management for subsurface pressure and plume control in application to geological CO2 storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonzalez-Nicolas, A.; Cihan, A.; Birkholzer, J. T.; Petrusak, R.; Zhou, Q.; Riestenberg, D. E.; Trautz, R. C.; Godec, M.

2016-12-01

Industrial-scale injection of CO2 into the subsurface can cause reservoir pressure increases that must be properly controlled to prevent any potential environmental impact. Excessive pressure buildup in reservoir may result in ground water contamination stemming from leakage through conductive pathways, such as improperly plugged abandoned wells or distant faults, and the potential for fault reactivation and possibly seal breaching. Brine extraction is a viable approach for managing formation pressure, effective stress, and plume movement during industrial-scale CO2 injection projects. The main objectives of this study are to investigate suitable different pressure management strategies involving active brine extraction and passive pressure relief wells. Adaptive optimized management of CO2 storage projects utilizes the advanced automated optimization algorithms and suitable process models. The adaptive management integrates monitoring, forward modeling, inversion modeling and optimization through an iterative process. In this study, we employ an adaptive framework to understand primarily the effects of initial site characterization and frequency of the model update (calibration) and optimization calculations for controlling extraction rates based on the monitoring data on the accuracy and the success of the management without violating pressure buildup constraints in the subsurface reservoir system. We will present results of applying the adaptive framework to test appropriateness of different management strategies for a realistic field injection project.

Numerical Studies of Fluid Leakage from a Geologic DisposalReservoir for CO2 Show Self-Limiting Feedback between Fluid Flow and HeatTransfer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pruess, Karsten

2005-03-22

Leakage of CO2 from a hypothetical geologic storage reservoir along an idealized fault zone has been simulated, including transitions between supercritical, liquid, and gaseous CO2. We find strong non-isothermal effects due to boiling and Joule-Thomson cooling of expanding CO2. Leakage fluxes are limited by limitations in conductive heat transfer to the fault zone. The interplay between multiphase flow and heat transfer effects produces non-monotonic leakage behavior.

Multi-Fluid Geo-Energy Systems for Bulk and Thermal Energy Storage and Dispatchable Renewable and Low-Carbon Electricity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buscheck, T. A.; Randolph, J.; Saar, M. O.; Hao, Y.; Sun, Y.; Bielicki, J. M.

2014-12-01

Integrating renewable energy sources into electricity grids requires advances in bulk and thermal energy storage technologies, which are currently expensive and have limited capacity. We present an approach that uses the huge fluid and thermal storage capacity of the subsurface to harvest, store, and dispatch energy from subsurface (geothermal) and surface (solar, nuclear, fossil) thermal resources. CO2 captured from fossil-energy systems and N2 separated from air are injected into permeable formations to store pressure, generate artesian flow of brine, and provide additional working fluids. These enable efficient fluid recirculation, heat extraction, and power conversion, while adding operational flexibility. Our approach can also store and dispatch thermal energy, which can be used to levelize concentrating solar power and mitigate variability of wind and solar power. This may allow low-carbon, base-load power to operate at full capacity, with the stored excess energy being available to addresss diurnal and seasonal mismatches between supply and demand. Concentric rings of horizontal injection and production wells are used to create a hydraulic divide to store pressure, CO2, N2, and thermal energy. Such storage can take excess power from the grid and excess thermal energy, and dispatch that energy when it is demanded. The system is pressurized and/or heated when power supply exceeds demand and depressurized when demand exceeds supply. Supercritical CO2 and N2 function as cushion gases to provide enormous pressure-storage capacity. Injecting CO2 and N2 displaces large quantities of brine, reducing the use of fresh water. Geologic CO2 storage is a crucial option for reducing CO2 emissions, but valuable uses for CO2 are needed to justify capture costs. The initial "charging" of our system requires permanently isolating large volumes of CO2 from the atmosphere and thus creates a market for its disposal. Our approach is designed for locations where a permeable geologic formation is overlain by an impermeable formation that constrains migration of buoyant CO2 and/or N2, and heated brine. Such geologic conditions exist over nearly half of the contiguous United States. This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. DOE by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344.

A GIS-based model of potential groundwater yield zonation for a sandstone aquifer in the Juye Coalfield, Shangdong, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Huiyong; Shi, Yongli; Niu, Huigong; Xie, Daolei; Wei, Jiuchuan; Lefticariu, Liliana; Xu, Shuanxiang

2018-02-01

Resolving the potential groundwater yield zonation of sandstone aquifers occurring at depths of several hundred meters has been an important and challenging objective of the hydrogeological research focused on preventing flood hazards in coal mines. Using accessible geological exploration data we put forward a method of predicting the spatial distribution of groundwater storage potential in sandstone aquifers from Permian-age coal deposits in Juye Coalfield, Shangdong, China. A Geological, Tectonic and Lithological Composition Index (GTLCI) model was created using the following parameters: sandstone depth and thickness, faults length density (FaLD), faults density (FaD), fault frequency density (FaFD), fault scale density (FaSD), variation coefficient of the slope (VCS) of the coal seam, intensity index of folds in horizontal direction (IIFoH), and lithological composition index (LCI). Each of these factors was subsequently divided into 5 classes. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and trapezoidal fuzzy number (TFN) method was applied to calculate the weight of the conditioning factor and their respective sub-classes. Groundwater yield potential contour map, which was initially constructed using the GTLCI values revealed four groundwater abundance zones. The map was further refined by taking into account hydrogeologic data collected during mining activities. The GTLCI model predictive success rate of 80% was explained by the limited number of boreholes available for validation. It is considered that the GTLCI model is effective at predicting zonation of groundwater yield in the sandstone aquifers from Permian- age coal deposits in Juye Coalfield, China.

Effects of in situ stress measurement uncertainties on assessment of predicted seismic activity and risk associated with a hypothetical industrial-scale geologic CO 2 sequestration operation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jeanne, Pierre; Rutqvist, Jonny; Wainwright, Haruko M.

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) in geologic formations has been recognized as a promising option for reducing carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions from large stationary sources. However, the pressure buildup inside the storage formation can potentially induce slip along preexisting faults, which could lead to felt seismic ground motion and also provide pathways for brine/CO 2 leakage into shallow drinking water aquifers. To assess the geomechanical stability of faults, it is of crucial importance to know the in situ state of stress. In situ stress measurements can provide some information on the stresses acting on faults but with considerable uncertainties.more » In this paper, we investigate how such uncertainties, as defined by the variation of stress measurements obtained within the study area, could influence the assessment of the geomechanical stability of faults and the characteristics of potential injection-induced seismic events. Our modeling study is based on a hypothetical industrial-scale carbon sequestration project assumed to be located in the Southern San Joaquin Basin in California, USA. We assess the stability on the major (25 km long) fault that bounds the sequestration site and is subjected to significant reservoir pressure changes as a result of 50 years of CO 2 injection. We also present a series of geomechanical simulations in which the resolved stresses on the fault were varied over ranges of values corresponding to various stress measurements performed around the study area. The simulation results are analyzed by a statistical approach. Our main results are that the variations in resolved stresses as defined by the range of stress measurements had a negligible effect on the prediction of the seismic risk (maximum magnitude), but an important effect on the timing, the seismicity rate (number of seismic events) and the location of seismic activity.« less

Effects of in situ stress measurement uncertainties on assessment of predicted seismic activity and risk associated with a hypothetical industrial-scale geologic CO 2 sequestration operation

DOE PAGES

Jeanne, Pierre; Rutqvist, Jonny; Wainwright, Haruko M.; ...

2016-10-05

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) in geologic formations has been recognized as a promising option for reducing carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions from large stationary sources. However, the pressure buildup inside the storage formation can potentially induce slip along preexisting faults, which could lead to felt seismic ground motion and also provide pathways for brine/CO 2 leakage into shallow drinking water aquifers. To assess the geomechanical stability of faults, it is of crucial importance to know the in situ state of stress. In situ stress measurements can provide some information on the stresses acting on faults but with considerable uncertainties.more » In this paper, we investigate how such uncertainties, as defined by the variation of stress measurements obtained within the study area, could influence the assessment of the geomechanical stability of faults and the characteristics of potential injection-induced seismic events. Our modeling study is based on a hypothetical industrial-scale carbon sequestration project assumed to be located in the Southern San Joaquin Basin in California, USA. We assess the stability on the major (25 km long) fault that bounds the sequestration site and is subjected to significant reservoir pressure changes as a result of 50 years of CO 2 injection. We also present a series of geomechanical simulations in which the resolved stresses on the fault were varied over ranges of values corresponding to various stress measurements performed around the study area. The simulation results are analyzed by a statistical approach. Our main results are that the variations in resolved stresses as defined by the range of stress measurements had a negligible effect on the prediction of the seismic risk (maximum magnitude), but an important effect on the timing, the seismicity rate (number of seismic events) and the location of seismic activity.« less

Do Shale Pore Throats Have a Threshold Diameter for Oil Storage?

PubMed Central

Zou, Caineng; Jin, Xu; Zhu, Rukai; Gong, Guangming; Sun, Liang; Dai, Jinxing; Meng, Depeng; Wang, Xiaoqi; Li, Jianming; Wu, Songtao; Liu, Xiaodan; Wu, Juntao; Jiang, Lei

2015-01-01

In this work, a nanoporous template with a controllable channel diameter was used to simulate the oil storage ability of shale pore throats. On the basis of the wetting behaviours at the nanoscale solid-liquid interfaces, the seepage of oil in nano-channels of different diameters was examined to accurately and systematically determine the effect of the pore diameter on the oil storage capacity. The results indicated that the lower threshold for oil storage was a pore throat of 20 nm, under certain conditions. This proposed pore size threshold provides novel, evidence-based criteria for estimating the geological reserves, recoverable reserves and economically recoverable reserves of shale oil. This new understanding of shale oil processes could revolutionize the related industries. PMID:26314637

Do Shale Pore Throats Have a Threshold Diameter for Oil Storage?

PubMed

Zou, Caineng; Jin, Xu; Zhu, Rukai; Gong, Guangming; Sun, Liang; Dai, Jinxing; Meng, Depeng; Wang, Xiaoqi; Li, Jianming; Wu, Songtao; Liu, Xiaodan; Wu, Juntao; Jiang, Lei

2015-08-28

In this work, a nanoporous template with a controllable channel diameter was used to simulate the oil storage ability of shale pore throats. On the basis of the wetting behaviours at the nanoscale solid-liquid interfaces, the seepage of oil in nano-channels of different diameters was examined to accurately and systematically determine the effect of the pore diameter on the oil storage capacity. The results indicated that the lower threshold for oil storage was a pore throat of 20 nm, under certain conditions. This proposed pore size threshold provides novel, evidence-based criteria for estimating the geological reserves, recoverable reserves and economically recoverable reserves of shale oil. This new understanding of shale oil processes could revolutionize the related industries.

Documentation of the dynamic parameter, water-use, stream and lake flow routing, and two summary output modules and updates to surface-depression storage simulation and initial conditions specification options with the Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Regan, R. Steve; LaFontaine, Jacob H.

2017-10-05

This report documents seven enhancements to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) hydrologic simulation code: two time-series input options, two new output options, and three updates of existing capabilities. The enhancements are (1) new dynamic parameter module, (2) new water-use module, (3) new Hydrologic Response Unit (HRU) summary output module, (4) new basin variables summary output module, (5) new stream and lake flow routing module, (6) update to surface-depression storage and flow simulation, and (7) update to the initial-conditions specification. This report relies heavily upon U.S. Geological Survey Techniques and Methods, book 6, chapter B7, which documents PRMS version 4 (PRMS-IV). A brief description of PRMS is included in this report.

Fault activation and induced seismicity in geological carbon storage – Lessons learned from recent modeling studies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rutqvist, Jonny; Rinaldi, Antonio P.; Cappa, Frederic

In the light of current concerns related to induced seismicity associated with geological carbon sequestration (GCS), this paper summarizes lessons learned from recent modeling studies on fault activation, induced seismicity, and potential for leakage associated with deep underground carbon dioxide (CO 2) injection. Model simulations demonstrate that seismic events large enough to be felt by humans require brittle fault properties and continuous fault permeability allowing pressure to be distributed over a large fault patch to be ruptured at once. Heterogeneous fault properties, which are commonly encountered in faults intersecting multilayered shale/sandstone sequences, effectively reduce the likelihood of inducing felt seismicitymore » and also effectively impede upward CO 2 leakage. A number of simulations show that even a sizable seismic event that could be felt may not be capable of opening a new flow path across the entire thickness of an overlying caprock and it is very unlikely to cross a system of multiple overlying caprock units. Site-specific model simulations of the In Salah CO 2 storage demonstration site showed that deep fractured zone responses and associated microseismicity occurred in the brittle fractured sandstone reservoir, but at a very substantial reservoir overpressure close to the magnitude of the least principal stress. We conclude by emphasizing the importance of site investigation to characterize rock properties and if at all possible to avoid brittle rock such as proximity of crystalline basement or sites in hard and brittle sedimentary sequences that are more prone to injection-induced seismicity and permanent damage.« less

Fault activation and induced seismicity in geological carbon storage – Lessons learned from recent modeling studies

DOE PAGES

Rutqvist, Jonny; Rinaldi, Antonio P.; Cappa, Frederic; ...

2016-09-20

In the light of current concerns related to induced seismicity associated with geological carbon sequestration (GCS), this paper summarizes lessons learned from recent modeling studies on fault activation, induced seismicity, and potential for leakage associated with deep underground carbon dioxide (CO 2) injection. Model simulations demonstrate that seismic events large enough to be felt by humans require brittle fault properties and continuous fault permeability allowing pressure to be distributed over a large fault patch to be ruptured at once. Heterogeneous fault properties, which are commonly encountered in faults intersecting multilayered shale/sandstone sequences, effectively reduce the likelihood of inducing felt seismicitymore » and also effectively impede upward CO 2 leakage. A number of simulations show that even a sizable seismic event that could be felt may not be capable of opening a new flow path across the entire thickness of an overlying caprock and it is very unlikely to cross a system of multiple overlying caprock units. Site-specific model simulations of the In Salah CO 2 storage demonstration site showed that deep fractured zone responses and associated microseismicity occurred in the brittle fractured sandstone reservoir, but at a very substantial reservoir overpressure close to the magnitude of the least principal stress. We conclude by emphasizing the importance of site investigation to characterize rock properties and if at all possible to avoid brittle rock such as proximity of crystalline basement or sites in hard and brittle sedimentary sequences that are more prone to injection-induced seismicity and permanent damage.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Birkholzer, Jens; Apps, John; Zheng, Liange

One promising approach to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is injecting CO{sub 2} into suitable geologic formations, typically depleted oil/gas reservoirs or saline formations at depth larger than 800 m. Proper site selection and management of CO{sub 2} storage projects will ensure that the risks to human health and the environment are low. However, a risk remains that CO{sub 2} could migrate from a deep storage formation, e.g. via local high-permeability pathways such as permeable faults or degraded wells, and arrive in shallow groundwater resources. The ingress of CO{sub 2} is by itself not typically a concern to the water qualitymore » of an underground source of drinking water (USDW), but it will change the geochemical conditions in the aquifer and will cause secondary effects mainly induced by changes in pH, in particular the mobilization of hazardous inorganic constituents present in the aquifer minerals. Identification and assessment of these potential effects is necessary to analyze risks associated with geologic sequestration of CO{sub 2}. This report describes a systematic evaluation of the possible water quality changes in response to CO{sub 2} intrusion into aquifers currently used as sources of potable water in the United States. Our goal was to develop a general understanding of the potential vulnerability of United States potable groundwater resources in the event of CO{sub 2} leakage. This goal was achieved in two main tasks, the first to develop a comprehensive geochemical model representing typical conditions in many freshwater aquifers (Section 3), the second to conduct a systematic reactive-transport modeling study to quantify the effect of CO{sub 2} intrusion into shallow aquifers (Section 4). Via reactive-transport modeling, the amount of hazardous constituents potentially mobilized by the ingress of CO{sub 2} was determined, the fate and migration of these constituents in the groundwater was predicted, and the likelihood that drinking water standards might be exceeded was evaluated. A variety of scenarios and aquifer conditions was considered in a sensitivity evaluation. The scenarios and conditions simulated in Section 4, in particular those describing the geochemistry and mineralogy of potable aquifers, were selected based on the comprehensive geochemical model developed in Section 3.« less

Biogeochemical potential of biomass pyrolysis systems for limiting global warming to 1.5 °C

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Werner, C.; Schmidt, H.-P.; Gerten, D.; Lucht, W.; Kammann, C.

2018-04-01

Negative emission (NE) technologies are recognized to play an increasingly relevant role in strategies limiting mean global warming to 1.5 °C as specified in the Paris Agreement. The potentially significant contribution of pyrogenic carbon capture and storage (PyCCS) is, however, highly underrepresented in the discussion. In this study, we conduct the first quantitative assessment of the global potential of PyCCS as a NE technology based on biomass plantations. Using a process-based biosphere model, we calculate the land use change required to reach specific climate mitigation goals while observing biodiversity protection guardrails. We consider NE targets of 100–300 GtC following socioeconomic pathways consistent with a mean global warming of 1.5 °C as well as the option of additional carbon balancing required in case of failure or delay of decarbonization measures. The technological opportunities of PyCCS are represented by three tracks accounting for the sequestration of different pyrolysis products: biochar (as soil amendment), bio-oil (pumped into geological storages) and permanent-pyrogas (capture and storage of CO2 from gas combustion). In addition, we analyse how the gain in land induced by biochar-mediated yield increases on tropical cropland may reduce the pressure on land. Our results show that meeting the 1.5 °C goal through mitigation strategies including large-scale NE with plantation-based PyCCS may require conversion of natural vegetation to biomass plantations in the order of 133–3280 Mha globally, depending on the applied technology and the NE demand. Advancing towards additional bio-oil sequestration reduces land demand considerably by potentially up to 60%, while the benefits from yield increases account for another 3%–38% reduction (equalling 82–362 Mha). However, when mitigation commitments are increased by high balancing claims, even the most advanced PyCCS technologies and biochar-mediated co-benefits cannot compensate for delayed action towards phasing-out fossil fuels.

Geomechanical Modeling for Improved CO2 Storage Security

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rutqvist, J.; Rinaldi, A. P.; Cappa, F.; Jeanne, P.; Mazzoldi, A.; Urpi, L.; Vilarrasa, V.; Guglielmi, Y.

2017-12-01

This presentation summarizes recent modeling studies on geomechanical aspects related to Geologic Carbon Sequestration (GCS,) including modeling potential fault reactivation, seismicity and CO2 leakage. The model simulations demonstrates that the potential for fault reactivation and the resulting seismic magnitude as well as the potential for creating a leakage path through overburden sealing layers (caprock) depends on a number of parameters such as fault orientation, stress field, and rock properties. The model simulations further demonstrate that seismic events large enough to be felt by humans requires brittle fault properties as well as continuous fault permeability allowing for the pressure to be distributed over a large fault patch to be ruptured at once. Heterogeneous fault properties, which are commonly encountered in faults intersecting multilayered shale/sandstone sequences, effectively reduce the likelihood of inducing felt seismicity and also effectively impede upward CO2 leakage. Site specific model simulations of the In Salah CO2 storage site showed that deep fractured zone responses and associated seismicity occurred in the brittle fractured sandstone reservoir, but at a very substantial reservoir overpressure close to the magnitude of the least principal stress. It is suggested that coupled geomechanical modeling be used to guide the site selection and assisting in identification of locations most prone to unwanted and damaging geomechanical changes, and to evaluate potential consequence of such unwanted geomechanical changes. The geomechanical modeling can be used to better estimate the maximum sustainable injection rate or reservoir pressure and thereby provide for improved CO2 storage security. Whether damaging geomechanical changes could actually occur very much depends on the local stress field and local reservoir properties such the presence of ductile rock and faults (which can aseismically accommodate for the stress and strain induced by the injection) or, on the contrary, the presence of more brittle faults that, if critically stressed for shear, might be more prone to induce felt seismicity.

Assessment of CO2 Mineralization and Dynamic Rock Properties at the Kemper Pilot CO2 Injection Site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qin, F.; Kirkland, B. L.; Beckingham, L. E.

2017-12-01

CO2-brine-mineral reactions following CO2 injection may impact rock properties including porosity, permeability, and pore connectivity. The rate and extent of alteration largely depends on the nature and evolution of reactive mineral interfaces. In this work, the potential for geochemical reactions and the nature of the reactive mineral interface and corresponding hydrologic properties are evaluated for samples from the Lower Tuscaloosa, Washita-Fredericksburg, and Paluxy formations. These formations have been identified as future regionally extensive and attractive CO2 storage reservoirs at the CO2 Storage Complex in Kemper County, Mississippi, USA (Project ECO2S). Samples from these formations were obtained from the Geological Survey of Alabama and evaluated using a suite of complementary analyses. The mineral composition of these samples will be determined using petrography and powder X-ray Diffraction (XRD). Using these compositions, continuum-scale reactive transport simulations will be developed and the potential CO2-brine-mineral interactions will be examined. Simulations will focus on identifying potential reactive minerals as well as the corresponding rate and extent of reactions. The spatial distribution and accessibility of minerals to reactive fluids is critical to understanding mineral reaction rates and corresponding changes in the pore structure, including pore connectivity, porosity and permeability. The nature of the pore-mineral interface, and distribution of reactive minerals, will be determined through imaging analysis. Multiple 2D scanning electron microscopy (SEM) backscattered electron (BSE) images and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) images will be used to create spatial maps of mineral distributions. These maps will be processed to evaluate the accessibility of reactive minerals and the potential for flow-path modifications following CO2 injection. The "Establishing an Early CO2 Storage Complex in Kemper, MS" project is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory and cost-sharing partners.

Well blowout rates and consequences in California Oil and Gas District 4 from 1991 to 2005: Implications for geological storage of carbon dioxide

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jordan, Preston; Jordan, Preston D.; Benson, Sally M.

2008-05-15

Well blowout rates in oil fields undergoing thermally enhanced recovery (via steam injection) in California Oil and Gas District 4 from 1991 to 2005 were on the order of 1 per 1,000 well construction operations, 1 per 10,000 active wells per year, and 1 per 100,000 shut-in/idle and plugged/abandoned wells per year. This allows some initial inferences about leakage of CO2 via wells, which is considered perhaps the greatest leakage risk for geological storage of CO2. During the study period, 9% of the oil produced in the United States was from District 4, and 59% of this production was viamore » thermally enhanced recovery. There was only one possible blowout from an unknown or poorly located well, despite over a century of well drilling and production activities in the district. The blowout rate declined dramatically during the study period, most likely as a result of increasing experience, improved technology, and/or changes in safety culture. If so, this decline indicates the blowout rate in CO2-storage fields can be significantly minimized both initially and with increasing experience over time. Comparable studies should be conducted in other areas. These studies would be particularly valuable in regions with CO2-enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and natural gas storage.« less

Search for underground openings for in situ test facilities in crystalline rock

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wollenberg, H.A.; Strisower, B.; Corrigan, D.J.

1980-01-01

With a few exceptions, crystalline rocks in this study were limited to plutonic rocks and medium to high-grade metamorphic rocks. Nearly 1700 underground mines, possibly occurring in crystalline rock, were initially identified. Application of criteria resulted in the identification of 60 potential sites. Within this number, 26 mines and 4 civil works were identified as having potential in that they fulfilled the criteria. Thirty other mines may have similar potential. Most of the mines identified are near the contact between a pluton and older sedimentary, volcanic and metamorphic rocks. However, some mines and the civil works are well within plutonicmore » or metamorphic rock masses. Civil works, notably underground galleries associated with pumped storage hydroelectric facilities, are generally located in tectonically stable regions, in relatively homogeneous crystalline rock bodies. A program is recommended which would identify one or more sites where a concordance exists between geologic setting, company amenability, accessibility and facilities to conduct in situ tests in crystalline rock.« less

Speciation of uranium in surface-modified, hydrothermally treated, (UO{sub 2}){sup 2+}-exchanged smectite clays

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Giaquinta, D.M.; Soderholm, L.; Yuchs, S.E.

1997-08-01

A successful solution to the problem of disposal and permanent storage of water soluble radioactive species must address two issues: exclusion of the radionuclides from the environment and the prevention of leaching from the storage media into the environment. Immobilization of radionuclides in clay minerals has been studied. In addition to the use of clays as potential waste forms, information about the interactions of radionuclides with clays and how such interactions affect their speciations is crucial for successful modeling of actinide-migration. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) is used to determine the uranium speciation in exchanged and surface-modified clays. The XAS datamore » from uranyl-loaded bentonite clay are compared with those obtained after the particle surfaces have been coated with alkylsilanes. These silane films, which render the surface of the clay hydrophobic, are added in order to minimize the ability of external water to exchange with the water in the clay interlayer, thereby decreasing the release rate of the exchanged-uranium species. Mild hydrothermal conditions are used in an effort to mimic potential geologic conditions that may occur during long-term radioactive waste storage. The XAS spectra indicate that the uranyl monomer species remain unchanged in most samples, except in those samples that were both coated with an alkylsilane and hydrothermally treated. When the clay was coated with an organic film, formed by the acidic deposition of octadecyltrimethoxysilane, hydrothermal treatment results in the formation of aggregated uranium species in which the uranium is reduced from U{sup VI} to U{sup IV}.« less

Nanogeochemistry: Size-dependent mineral-fluid interface chemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Y.

2012-12-01

Nanostructures and nanometer mineral phases, both widely present in geologic materials, can potentially affect many geochemical processes. It is known that at nanometer scales a material tends to exhibit chemical properties distinct from the corresponding bulk phase. Understanding of this size-dependent property change will help us to bridge the existing knowledge gap between the molecular level understanding and the macro-scale laboratory/field observations of a geochemical process. In this presentation, I will review of the recent progresses in nanoscience and provide a perspective on how these progresses can potentially impact geochemical studies. My presentation will be focused the following areas: (1) the characterization of nanostructures in natural systems, (2) the study of fluids and chemical species in nanoconfinement, (3) the effects of nanopores on geochemical reaction and mass transfers, and (4) the use nanostructured materials for environmental management. I will demonstrate that the nanopore confinement can significantly modify geochemical reactions in porous geologic media. As the pore size is reduced to a few nanometers, the difference between surface acidity constants of a mineral (pK2 - pK1) decreases, giving rise to a higher surface charge density on a nanopore surface than that on an unconfined mineral-water interface. The change in surface acidity constants results in a shift of ion sorption edges and enhances ion sorption on nanopore surfaces. This effect causes preferential enrichment of trace elements in nanopores. I will then discuss the implications of this emergent nanometer-scale property to radionuclide transport and carbon dioxide storage in geologic media. This work was performed at Sandia National Laboratories, which is a multiprogram laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed-Martin Company, for the DOE under contract DE-AC04-94AL8500.

Melting mountains of Appalachia: exceptionally high weathering rates in mined watersheds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ross, M. R.; Nippgen, F.; Hassett, B.; McGlynn, B. L.; Bernhardt, E. S.

2016-12-01

Mountaintop mining operations excavate ridges as deep as 200 m and bury adjacent valleys and streams beneath fractured bedrock and coal residues. Post-mining, landscapes have lower slopes, greatly increased water storage potential, and an abundance of acid-generating pyrite, which is intentionally mixed with neutralizing calcareous bedrock. Together these design features of mountaintop mined lands create ideal conditions for long water residence times and rapid weathering rates, leading to widely documented and substantial increases in streamwater ion concentrations. To date, these concentration changes have not been linked to rates of watershed scale element flux. In a paired catchment study, we documented a 4,000% increase in the export of total dissolved solids from a mined watershed, and estimate that pyrite and carbonate weathering in reclaimed mines can export 9,000 kg ha-1 y-1 of dissolved rock to receiving streams. Such high rates of element flux after a disturbance are not only much higher than other watershed disturbances, but are among the highest rates of weathering ever reported globally. Sulfuric acid weathering of carbonate rock drives these patterns of chemical erosion. This strong acid weathering changes Appalachian geology from a slight net geologic CO2 sink-sequestering 800-1,500 kg CO2 km-2 yr-1 through carbonic acid weathering of carbonates-to a substantial net geologic source of CO2, releasing 170,000 kg CO2 km-2 yr-1. Over the more than 4,000 km2 area of Central Appalachia that has undergone mountaintop mining, this rapid weathering represents 4 million tons of dissolved rock being delivered to the streams of West Virginia, potentially releasing 680,000 tons of CO2 in the process.

Mapping the Mineral Resource Base for Mineral Carbon-Dioxide Sequestration in the Conterminous United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Krevor, S.C.; Graves, C.R.; Van Gosen, B. S.; McCafferty, A.E.

2009-01-01

This database provides information on the occurrence of ultramafic rocks in the conterminous United States that are suitable for sequestering captured carbon dioxide in mineral form, also known as mineral carbon-dioxide sequestration. Mineral carbon-dioxide sequestration is a proposed greenhouse gas mitigation technology whereby carbon dioxide (CO2) is disposed of by reacting it with calcium or magnesium silicate minerals to form a solid magnesium or calcium carbonate product. The technology offers a large capacity to permanently store CO2 in an environmentally benign form via a process that takes little effort to verify or monitor after disposal. These characteristics are unique among its peers in greenhouse gas disposal technologies. The 2005 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report on Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage suggested that a major gap in mineral CO2 sequestration is locating the magnesium-silicate bedrock available to sequester the carbon dioxide. It is generally known that silicate minerals with high concentrations of magnesium are suitable for mineral carbonation. However, no assessment has been made in the United States that details their geographical distribution and extent, nor has anyone evaluated their potential for use in mineral carbonation. Researchers at Columbia University and the U.S. Geological Survey have developed a digital geologic database of ultramafic rocks in the conterminous United States. Data were compiled from varied-scale geologic maps of magnesium-silicate ultramafic rocks. The focus of our national-scale map is entirely on ultramafic rock types, which typically consist primarily of olivine- and serpentine-rich rocks. These rock types are potentially suitable as source material for mineral CO2 sequestration.

Feasibility Study for The Setting Up of a Safety System for Monitoring CO2 Storage at Prinos Field, Greece

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koukouzas, Nikolaos; Lymperopoulos, Panagiotis; Tasianas, Alexandros; Shariatipour, Seyed

2016-10-01

Geological storage of CO2 in subsurface geological structures can mitigate global warming. A comprehensive safety and monitoring system for CO2 storage has been undertaken for the Prinos hydrocarbon field, offshore northern Greece; a system which can prevent any possible leakage of CO2. This paper presents various monitoring strategies of CO2 subsurface movement in the Prinos reservoir, the results of a simulation of a CO2 leak through a well, an environmental risk assessment study related to the potential leakage of CO2 from the seafloor and an overall economic insight of the system. The results of the simulation of the CO2 leak have shown that CO2 reaches the seabed in the form of gas approximately 13.7 years, from the beginning of injection. From that point onwards the amount of CO2 reaching the seabed increases until it reaches a peak at around 32.9 years. During the injection period, the CO2 plume develops only within the reservoir. During the post-injection period, the CO2 reaches the seabed and develops side branches. These correspond to preferential lateral flow pathways of the CO2 and are more extensive for the dissolved CO2 than for the saturated CO2 gas. For the environmental risk assessment, we set up a model, using ArcGIS software, based on the use of data regarding the speeds of the winds and currents encountered in the region. We also made assumptions related to the flow rate of CO2. Results show that after a period of 10 days from the start of CO2 leakage the CO2 has reached halfway to the continental shores where the “Natura” protected areas are located. CO2 leakage modelling results show CO2 to be initially flowing along a preferential flow direction, which is towards the NE. However, 5 days after the start of leakage of CO2, the CO2 is also flowing towards the ENE. The consequences of a potential CO2 leak are considered spatially limited and the ecosystem is itself capable of recovering. We have tried to determine the costs necessary for the creation of such an integrated CO2 monitoring program both during the CO2 injection phase as well as during permanent storage. The most prevalent solution consists of purchasing both seismic equipment and Echosounder systems as well as privileging a monitoring system, which uses selected boreholes. The necessary period required for monitoring the study area is at least 20 years after the end of the CO2 storage period at Prinos. To the overall monitoring time, we should also add a further 20 years that are required for the injection phase as well as 12 years for the storage phase. The operating costs for monitoring the CO2 amount to 0,38 /ton CO2 and the total cost for EOR at Prinos amounts to 0,45 /ton CO2.

Study of the fluid flow characteristics in a porous medium for CO2 geological storage using MRI.

PubMed

Song, Yongchen; Jiang, Lanlan; Liu, Yu; Yang, Mingjun; Zhou, Xinhuan; Zhao, Yuechao; Dou, Binlin; Abudula, Abuliti; Xue, Ziqiu

2014-06-01

The objective of this study was to understand fluid flow in porous media. Understanding of fluid flow process in porous media is important for the geological storage of CO2. The high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique was used to measure fluid flow in a porous medium (glass beads BZ-02). First, the permeability was obtained from velocity images. Next, CO2-water immiscible displacement experiments using different flow rates were investigated. Three stages were obtained from the MR intensity plot. With increasing CO2 flow rate, a relatively uniform CO2 distribution and a uniform CO2 front were observed. Subsequently, the final water saturation decreased. Using core analysis methods, the CO2 velocities were obtained during the CO2-water immiscible displacement process, which were applied to evaluate the capillary dispersion rate, viscous dominated fractional flow, and gravity flow function. The capillary dispersion rate dominated the effects of capillary, which was largest at water saturations of 0.5 and 0.6. The viscous-dominant fractional flow function varied with the saturation of water. The gravity fractional flow reached peak values at the saturation of 0.6. The gravity forces played a positive role in the downward displacements because they thus tended to stabilize the displacement process, thereby producing increased breakthrough times and correspondingly high recoveries. Finally, the relative permeability was also reconstructed. The study provides useful data regarding the transport processes in the geological storage of CO2. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Road-testing the outreach best practices manual: Applicability for implementation of the development phase projects by the regional carbon sequestration partnerships

USGS Publications Warehouse

Daly, D.; Bradbury, J.; Garrett, G.; Greenberg, S.; Myhre, R.; Peterson, T.; Tollefson, L.; Wade, S.; Sacuta, N.

2011-01-01

Geologic carbon dioxide (CO2) storage verification tests by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) seven Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnerships (RCSPs) provided the experience base for the Public Outreach and Education for Carbon Storage Projects, a best practices manual, published in December 2009. This paper summarizes these outreach best practices; discusses their application in Aquistorc, a grcenficld CO2 storage project under way in western Canada; and reviews the implications for applying the best practices to new projects during the Development Phase of the DOE's RCSP Program. ?? 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The application of geography markup language (GML) to the geological sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lake, Ron

2005-11-01

GML 3.0 became an adopted specification of the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) in January 2003, and is rapidly emerging as the world standard for the encoding, transport and storage of all forms of geographic information. This paper looks at the application of GML to one of the more challenging areas of automated geography, namely the geological sciences. Specific features of GML of interest to geologists are discussed and then illustrated through a series of geological case studies. We conclude the paper with a discussion of anticipated geological web services that GML will enable. GML is written in XML and makes use of XML Schema for extensibility. It can be used both to represent or model geographic objects and to transport them across the Internet. In this way it serves as the foundation for all manner of geographic web services. Unlike vertical application grammars such as LandXML, GML was intended to define geographic application languages, and hence is applicable to any geographic domain including forestry, environmental sciences, geology and oceanography. This paper provides a review of the basic features of GML that are fundamental to the geological sciences including geometry, coverages, observations, reference systems and temporality. These constructs are then employed in a series of simple geological case studies including structural geological description, surficial geology, representation of geological time scales, mineral occurrences, geohazards and geochemical reconnaissance.

Monitoring induced seismicity from underground gas storage: first steps in Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mucciarelli, Marco; Priolo, Enrico

2013-04-01

The supply of natural gas and its storage are focal points of the Italian politics of energy production and will have increasing importance in the coming years. About a dozen reservoirs are currently in use and fifteen are in development or awaiting approval. Some of these are found in the vicinity of geological structures that are seismically active. The assessment of seismic hazard (both for natural background and induced seismicity) for a geological gas storage facility has a number of unconventional aspects that must be recognized and traced in a clear, ordered way and using guidelines and rules that leave less room as possible for interpretation by the individual applicant / verification body. Similarly, for control and monitoring there are not clearly defined procedures or standard instrumentation, let alone tools for analysing and processing data. Finally, governmental organizations in charge of permission grants and operative control tend to have appropriate scientific knowledge only in certain areas and not in others (e.g. the seismic one), and the establishment of an independent multidisciplinary inspection body appears desirable. The project StoHaz (https://sites.google.com/site/s2stohaz/home) aims to initiate a series of actions to overcome these deficiencies and allow to define procedures and standards for the seismic hazard assessment and control of the activities of natural gas storage in underground reservoirs. OGS will take advantage of the experience gained with the design, installation and maintenance of the seismic network monitoring the Collalto reservoir, at the moment the only example in Italy of a public research institution monitoring independently the activities of a private gas storage company.

A novel muon detector for borehole density tomography

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bonneville, Alain; Kouzes, Richard T.; Yamaoka, Jared

Muons can be used to image the density of materials through which they pass, including geological structures. Subsurface applications of the technology include tracking fluid migration during injection or production, with increasing concern regarding such timely issues as induced seismicity or chemical leakage into aquifers. Geological carbon storage, natural gas storage, enhanced oil recovery, compressed air storage, aquifer storage and recovery, waste water storage and oil and gas production are examples of application areas. It is thus crucial to monitor in quasi-real time the behavior of these fluids, and several monitoring techniques can be used. Among them, those that trackmore » density changes in the subsurface are the most relevant. Current density monitoring options include gravimetric data collection and active or passive seismic surveys. One alternative, or complement, to these methods is the development of a muon detector that is sufficiently compact and robust for deployment in a borehole. Such a muon detector can enable tomographic imaging of density structure to monitor small changes in density – a proxy for fluid migration – at depths up to 1500 m. Such a detector has been developed, and Monte Carlo modeling methods applied to simulate the anticipated detector response. The robustness of the detector design comes primarily from the use of polystyrene scintillating rods arrayed in alternating layers to provide a coordinate scheme. Testing and measurements using a prototype detector in the laboratory and shallow underground facilities demonstrated robust response. A satisfactory comparison with a large drift tube-based muon detector is also presented.« less

30 CFR 850.13 - Training.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...; and (iii) Handling, transportation, and storage; (2) Blast designs, including— (i) Geologic and topographic considerations; (ii) Design of a blast hole, with critical dimensions; (iii) Pattern design, field... records; (9) Schedules; (10) Preblasting surveys, including— (i) Availability, (ii) Coverage, and (iii...

30 CFR 850.13 - Training.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...; and (iii) Handling, transportation, and storage; (2) Blast designs, including— (i) Geologic and topographic considerations; (ii) Design of a blast hole, with critical dimensions; (iii) Pattern design, field... records; (9) Schedules; (10) Preblasting surveys, including— (i) Availability, (ii) Coverage, and (iii...

30 CFR 850.13 - Training.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

...; and (iii) Handling, transportation, and storage; (2) Blast designs, including— (i) Geologic and topographic considerations; (ii) Design of a blast hole, with critical dimensions; (iii) Pattern design, field... records; (9) Schedules; (10) Preblasting surveys, including— (i) Availability, (ii) Coverage, and (iii...

30 CFR 850.13 - Training.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

...; and (iii) Handling, transportation, and storage; (2) Blast designs, including— (i) Geologic and topographic considerations; (ii) Design of a blast hole, with critical dimensions; (iii) Pattern design, field... records; (9) Schedules; (10) Preblasting surveys, including— (i) Availability, (ii) Coverage, and (iii...

30 CFR 850.13 - Training.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

...; and (iii) Handling, transportation, and storage; (2) Blast designs, including— (i) Geologic and topographic considerations; (ii) Design of a blast hole, with critical dimensions; (iii) Pattern design, field... records; (9) Schedules; (10) Preblasting surveys, including— (i) Availability, (ii) Coverage, and (iii...

Experiment and simulation study on the effects of cement minerals on the water-rock-CO2 interaction during CO2 geological storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, N.; Cheng, J.

2016-12-01

The CO2 geological storage is one of the most promising technology to mitigate CO2 emission. The fate of CO2 underground is dramatically affected by the CO2-water-rock interaction, which are mainly dependent on the initial aquifer mineralogy and brine components. The cement minerals are common materials in sandstone reservoir but few attention has been paid for its effects on CO2-water-rock interaction. Five batch reactions, in which 5% cement minerals were assigned to be quartz, calcite, dolomite, chlorite and Ca-montmorillonite, respectively, were conducted to understanding the cement minerals behaviors and its corresponding effects on the matrix minerals alterations during CO2 geological storage. Pure mineral powders were selected to mix and assemble the 'sandstone rock' with different cement components meanwhile keeping the matrix minerals same for each group as 70% quartz, 20% K-feldspar and 5% albite. These `rock' reacted with 750ml deionized water and CO2 under 180° and 18MPa for 15 days, during which the water chemistry evolution and minerals surface micromorphology changes has been monitored. The minerals saturation indexes calculation and phase diagram as well as the kinetic models were made by PHREEQC to uncover the minerals reaction paths. The experiment results indicated that the quartz got less eroded, on the contrary, K-feldspar and albite continuously dissolved to favor the gibbsite and kaolinite precipitations. The carbonates cement minerals quickly dissolved to reach equilibrium with the pH buffered and in turn suppressed the alkali feldspar dissolutions. No carbonates minerals precipitations occurred until the end of reactions for all groups. The simulation results were basically consistent with the experiment record but failed to simulate the non-stoichiometric reactions and the minerals kinetic rates seemed underestimated at the early stage of reactions. The cement minerals significantly dominated the reaction paths during CO2 geological storage and its effects on the CO2-water-rock interaction should be focused no matter for the benefit of injection sustainability or carbon sequestration capability. And more cement minerals such as ankerite should be included and the reservoir quality changes should also be taken consideration in the further study.

Structural, petrophysical and geomechanical characterization of the Becancour CO2 storage pilot site (Quebec, Canada)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konstantinovskaya, E.; Malo, M.; Claprood, M.; Tran-Ngoc, T. D.; Gloaguen, E.; Lefebvre, R.

2012-04-01

The Paleozoic sedimentary succession of the St. Lawrence Platform was characterized to estimate the CO2 storage capacity, the caprock integrity and the fracture/fault stability at the Becancour pilot site. Results are based on the structural interpretation of 25 seismic lines and analysis of 11 well logs and petrophysical data. The three potential storage units of Potsdam, Beekmantown and Trenton saline aquifers are overlain by a multiple caprock system of Utica shales and Lorraine siltstones. The NE-SW regional normal faults dipping to the SE affect the subhorizontal sedimentary succession. The Covey Hill (Lower Potsdam) was found to be the only unit with significant CO2 sequestration potential, since these coarse-grained poorly-sorted fluvial-deltaic quartz-feldspar sandstones are characterized by the highest porosity, matrix permeability and net pay thickness and have the lowest static Young modulus, Poisson's ratio and compressive strength relative to other units. The Covey Hill is located at depths of 1145-1259 m, thus injected CO2 would be in supercritical state according to observed salinity, temperature and fluid pressure. The calcareous Utica shale of the regional seal is more brittle and has higher Young modulus and lower Poisson's ratio than the overlying Lorraine shale. The 3D geological model is kriged using the tops of the geological formations recorded at wells and picked travel times as external drift. The computed CO2 storage capacity in the Covey Hill sandstones is estimated by the volumetric and compressibility methods as 0.22 tons/km2 with storage efficiency factor E 2.4% and 0.09 tons/km2 with E 1%, respectively. A first set of numerical radial simulations of CO2 injection into the Covey Hill were carried out with TOUGH2/ECO2N. A geomechanical analysis of the St. Lawrence Platform sedimentary basin provides the maximum sustainable fluid pressures for CO2 injection that will not induce tensile fracturing and shear reactivation along pre-existing fractures and faults in the caprock. The regional stresses/pressure gradients estimated for the Paleozoic sedimentary basin (depths < 4 km) indicate a strike-slip stress regime. The average maximum horizontal stress orientation (SHmax) is estimated N62.8°E±4.0° in the Becancour-Notre Dame area. The high-angle NE-SW Yamaska normal fault is oriented at 16.7° to the SHmax orientation in the Becancour site. The slip tendency along the fault in this area is estimated to be 0.47 based on the stress magnitude and rock strength evaluations for the borehole breakout intervals in local wells. The regional pore pressure-stress coupling ratio under assumed parameters is about 0.5-0.65 and may contribute to reduce the risk of shear reactivation of faults and fractures. The maximum sustainable fluid pressure that would not cause opening of vertical tensile fractures during CO2 operations is about 18.5-20 MPa at a depth of 1 km.

The Ketzin Project, Germany - Status and Future of the First European on-shore CO2 Storage Site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuehn, M.; Martens, S.; Moeller, F.; Lueth, S.; Liebscher, A.; Kempka, T.; Ketzin Group

2010-12-01

At the Ketzin site close to Berlin, the German Research Centre for Geosciences operates Europe’s first on-shore CO2 storage site with the aim of increasing the understanding of geological storage of CO2 in saline aquifers. Following site characterization and drilling of three wells, the in-situ field laboratory is fully in use since the CO2 injection started in June 2008. Our presentation summarizes key results from the first (Schilling et al. 2009) and second year (Martens et al. 2010) of injection and outlines future activities. Focus of the research is on interdisciplinary monitoring and modeling approaches. Since start of the CO2 injection on June 30, 2008, the injection facility has been reliably and safely operated. By the end of August 2010, about 37,700 tons of food grade CO2 have been injected into a sandstone aquifer of the Triassic Stuttgart Formation at a depth of about 630 to 700 m. The new project CO2MAN (CO2 Reservoir Management) is planned to succeed the EU-funded CO2SINK project which ended in March 2010 and further nationally funded projects. Our interdisciplinary monitoring concept for the Ketzin site integrates geophysical, geochemical and microbial investigations. Following baseline measurements prior to the injection, repeat measurements have been carried out for a comprehensive characterization of the reservoir and the developing CO2 plume. CO2MAN aims at continuing the injection up to a maximum of 100,000 tons of CO2, advancing the monitoring concept and further integrating numerical modeling. Planned activities include the installation of a third and a fourth observation well and the testing of well abandonment procedures. All data available from the Ketzin wells and the different monitoring techniques are going to be compiled into an integral geological model of the site. Such a geological model is the prerequisite for any holistic approach and understanding of CO2 storage not only at Ketzin. A variety of seismic methods, including cross-hole measurement between both observation wells, surface-downhole observations, and 2D and 3D surface surveys have been used in order to cover the near-injection to regional scale. In addition, geoelectric methods including cross-hole measurements between the wells and additional surface and surface-downhole electrical resistivity tomography have been applied to monitor the CO2 migration process. Geological modeling and dynamic flow modeling is conducted in different phases, including pre-existing data, information obtained from drilling and subsequent CO2 injection. On-going modeling also integrates recent geophysical monitoring data in order to improve the understanding of geological heterogeneities at the Ketzin site and their impact on the CO2 plume distribution. Martens S., Liebscher A., Möller F., Würdemann H, Schilling F., Kühn M., and Ketzin Group (2010) Progress Report on the First European on-shore CO2 Storage Site at Ketzin (Germany) - Second Year of Injection, GHGT 10, subm. Schilling F., Borm G., Würdemann H., Möller F., Kühn M., CO2SINK Group (2009) Status Report on the First European on-shore CO2 Storage Site at Ketzin (Germany). GHGT 9, Energy Procedia 1(1) 2029-2035, doi: 10.1016/j.egypro.2009.01.264

Water resources of the Raft River basin, Idaho-Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nace, Raymond L.; ,

1961-01-01

Much arable land in the Raft River basin of Idaho lacks water for irrigation, and the potentially irrigable acreage far exceeds the amount that could be irrigated with the estimated total supply of water. Therefore, the amount of uncommitted water that could be intercepted and used within the basin is the limiting factor in further development of its native water supply. Water for additional irrigation might be obtained by constructing surface-storage works, by pumping ground water, or by importing surface water. Additional groundwater development is feasible. As an aid to orderly development and use of the water supplies, the report summarizes available geologic and hydrologic data and, by analysis and interpretation, derives an estimate of the recoverable water yield of the basin.

Experimental investigation of biofilm formation within a glass porous medium in the presence of carbon dioxide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sygouni, Varvara; Manariotis, Ioannis D.; Chrysikopoulos, Constantinos V.

2013-04-01

Capturing CO2 emissions and storing them in properly selected deep geologic formations is considered a promising solution for the reduction of CO2 in the atmosphere. However, if CO2 leakage occurs from geologic storage formations due to permeability increases caused by rock-brine-supercritical CO2 geochemical reactions or reactivation of existing fractures, the impact to groundwater quality could be significant. Dissolved CO2 in groundwater can decrease the pH, which in turn can solubilize undesired heavy metals from the solid matrix with profound and severe implications to public health. Consequently, it is essential to fully understand the potential impact of CO2 to shallow groundwater systems. In this study, a series of visualization experiments in a glass-etched micromodel were performed in order to estimate the effect of CO2 on biofilm formation. All biofilms were developed using Pseudomonas (P.) Putida. Synthetic water saturated with CO2 was injected through the micromodel through an inlet port, and CO2 was measured at the outlet port. The transient growth of the biofilm was monitored by taking high-resolution digital photographs at various times, and the effect of CO2 on biofilm growth was estimated. Furthermore, transient changes of effective permeability and porosity were measured and the effect of solution chemistry (e.g. pH, ionic strength, redox potential) on the rate of biofilm growth was evaluated.

Geologic Storage of CO2: Leakage Pathways and Environmental Risks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Celia, M. A.; Peters, C. A.; Bachu, S.

2002-05-01

Geologic storage of CO2 appears to be an attractive option for carbon mitigation because it offers sufficient capacity to solve the problem, and it can be implemented with existing technology. Among the list of options for storage sites, depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs and deep saline aquifers are two major categories. While injection into hydrocarbon reservoirs offers immediate possibilities, especially in the context of enhanced oil recovery, it appears that deep saline aquifers provide the extensive capacity necessary to solve the problem over the decade to century time scale. Capacity and technology argue favorably for this option, but remaining obstacles to implementation include capture technologies, overall economic considerations, and potential environmental consequences of the injection. Of these, the environmental questions may be most difficult to solve. Experience from CO2 floods for enhanced oil recovery and from CO2 and acid gas disposal operations indicates that geological storage of CO2 is safe over the short term for comparatively small amounts of CO2. However, there is no experience to date regarding the long-term fate and safety of the large volumes of CO2 that must be injected to significantly reduce atmospheric emissions. In order to make proper evaluation of environmental risks, the full range of possible environmental consequences must be considered. Most of these environmental concerns involve migration and leakage of CO2 into shallow portions of the subsurface and eventually into the atmosphere. In shallow subsurface zones, elevated levels of carbon dioxide can cause pH changes, leading to possible mobilization of ground-water contaminants including metals. In the unsaturated zone, vegetation can be adversely affected, as can other ecosystem components. At the land surface, elevated levels of CO2 can lead to asphyxiation in humans and other animals. And finally, in the atmosphere, CO2 that leaks from underground diminishes the effectiveness of the overall storage scheme and contributes to possible climate change. To characterize these environmental consequences, reliable models of leakage characteristics and rates are needed. While leakage through natural flowpaths in the subsurface may occur, a more likely pathway is leakage through abandoned wells. This may be especially troublesome in mature sedimentary basins, which are often "punctured" by a very large number of exploration and production wells. For example, in the Alberta Basin there are more than 100,000 abandoned wells, the oldest from 1883. The cement used in the completion and abandonment of these wells, historically of variable quality and quantity, most probably has degraded with age and under the effect of formation brines. The cement may degrade even more rapidly when contacted by CO2 and possibly other components in the injection mixture (such as H2S). Cement properties and their modification through time must be understood in order to provide reliable estimates of leakage rates. Those leakage rates must then be linked to models of environmental consequences, and ultimately the entire analysis must be embedded in a probabilistic framework. Such an approach will allow leakage to be addressed rationally in terms of safety and long-term environmental impacts.

Reduced order models for prediction of groundwater quality impacts from CO₂ and brine leakage

DOE PAGES

Zheng, Liange; Carroll, Susan; Bianchi, Marco; ...

2014-12-31

A careful assessment of the risk associated with geologic CO₂ storage is critical to the deployment of large-scale storage projects. A potential risk is the deterioration of groundwater quality caused by the leakage of CO₂ and brine leakage from deep subsurface reservoirs. In probabilistic risk assessment studies, numerical modeling is the primary tool employed to assess risk. However, the application of traditional numerical models to fully evaluate the impact of CO₂ leakage on groundwater can be computationally complex, demanding large processing times and resources, and involving large uncertainties. As an alternative, reduced order models (ROMs) can be used as highlymore » efficient surrogates for the complex process-based numerical models. In this study, we represent the complex hydrogeological and geochemical conditions in a heterogeneous aquifer and subsequent risk by developing and using two separate ROMs. The first ROM is derived from a model that accounts for the heterogeneous flow and transport conditions in the presence of complex leakage functions for CO₂ and brine. The second ROM is obtained from models that feature similar, but simplified flow and transport conditions, and allow for a more complex representation of all relevant geochemical reactions. To quantify possible impacts to groundwater aquifers, the basic risk metric is taken as the aquifer volume in which the water quality of the aquifer may be affected by an underlying CO₂ storage project. The integration of the two ROMs provides an estimate of the impacted aquifer volume taking into account uncertainties in flow, transport and chemical conditions. These two ROMs can be linked in a comprehensive system level model for quantitative risk assessment of the deep storage reservoir, wellbore leakage, and shallow aquifer impacts to assess the collective risk of CO₂ storage projects.« less

Creating Geologically Based Radon Potential Maps for Kentucky

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Overfield, B.; Hahn, E.; Wiggins, A.; Andrews, W. M., Jr.

2017-12-01

Radon potential in the United States, Kentucky in particular, has historically been communicated using a single hazard level for each county; however, physical phenomena are not controlled by administrative boundaries, so single-value county maps do not reflect the significant variations in radon potential in each county. A more accurate approach uses bedrock geology as a predictive tool. A team of nurses, health educators, statisticians, and geologists partnered to create 120 county maps showing spatial variations in radon potential by intersecting residential radon test kit results (N = 60,000) with a statewide 1:24,000-scale bedrock geology coverage to determine statistically valid radon-potential estimates for each geologic unit. Maps using geology as a predictive tool for radon potential are inherently more detailed than single-value county maps. This mapping project revealed that areas in central and south-central Kentucky with the highest radon potential are underlain by shales and karstic limestones.

Geological mapping goes 3-D in response to societal needs

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thorleifson, H.; Berg, R.C.; Russell, H.A.J.

2010-01-01

The transition to 3-D mapping has been made possible by technological advances in digital cartography, GIS, data storage, analysis, and visualization. Despite various challenges, technological advancements facilitated a gradual transition from 2-D maps to 2.5-D draped maps to 3-D geological mapping, supported by digital spatial and relational databases that can be interrogated horizontally or vertically and viewed interactively. Challenges associated with data collection, human resources, and information management are daunting due to their resource and training requirements. The exchange of strategies at the workshops has highlighted the use of basin analysis to develop a process-based predictive knowledge framework that facilitates data integration. Three-dimensional geological information meets a public demand that fills in the blanks left by conventional 2-D mapping. Two-dimensional mapping will, however, remain the standard method for extensive areas of complex geology, particularly where deformed igneous and metamorphic rocks defy attempts at 3-D depiction.

Geochemical Impacts of Leaking CO2 from Subsurface Storage Reservoirs on the Fate of Metal Contaminants in an Overlaying Groundwater Aquifer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shao, H.; Qafoku, N. P.; Lawter, A.; Bowden, M. E.; Brown, C. F.

2014-12-01

The leakage of CO2 and the concomitant upward transport of brine solutions and contaminants from deep storage reservoirs to overlaying groundwater aquifers is considered one of the major risks associated with geologic carbon sequestration (GCS). A systematic understanding of how such leakage would impact the geochemistry of potable aquifers is crucial to the maintenance of environmental quality and the widespread acceptance of GCS. A series of batch and column experiments studies were conducted to understand the fate (mobilization and immobilization) of trace metals, such as Cd and As in the groundwater aquifer after the intrusion of CO2 gas and CO2-saturated fluids containing leached metals from deep subsurface storage reservoirs. Sediments from the High Plains aquifer in Kansas, United States, were used in this investigation, which is part of the National Risk Assessment Partnership Program sponsored by the US DOE. This aquifer was selected to be representative of consolidated sand and gravel/sandstone aquifers overlying potential CO2 sequestration repositories within the continental US. The experiments were conducted at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. The results demonstrated that Cd and As that intrude into groundwater aquifers with the leaking CO2 at initial concentrations of 40 and 114 mg/L, respectively, will be adsorbed on the sediments, in spite of the acidic pH (between 5 and 6) due to CO2 dissolution in the groundwater. Cd concentrations were well below its MCL in both the aqueous solution of the batch study and the effluent of the column study, even for one of the sediment samples which had undetectable amount of carbonate minerals to buffer the pH. Arsenic concentrations were also significantly lower than that in the influent, suggesting that natural sediments have the capacity to mitigate the adverse effects of the CO2 leakage. However, the mitigation capacity of sediments is influenced by its geochemical properties. When there are anions such as phosphate in the sediment, competitive adsorption may occur and result in higher concentrations of toxic metals in the aqueous phase. Results from these investigations will provide useful information to support site selection, risk assessment, and public education efforts associated with geological CO2 storage and sequestration.

Insights into organic carbon oxidation potential during fluvial transport from laboratory and field experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scheingross, J. S.; Dellinger, M.; Eglinton, T. I.; Fuchs, M. C.; Golombek, N.; Hilton, R. G.; Hovius, N.; Lupker, M.; Repasch, M. N.; Sachse, D.; Turowski, J. M.; Vieth-Hillebrand, A.; Wittmann, H.

2017-12-01

Over geologic timescales, the exchange of organic carbon (OC) between the atmosphere, hydropshere, biosphere and geosphere can be a major control on atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations. The carbon fluxes from the oxidation of rock-derived OC (a CO2 source) and erosion, transport, and burial of biospheric OC (a potential CO2 sink) during fluvial transit are approximately the same order of magnitude or larger than those from silicate weathering. Despite field data showing increasing oxidation of OC moving downstream in lowland rivers, it is unclear if losses occur primarily during active fluvial transport, where OC is in continual motion within an aerated river, or during periods of temporary storage in river floodplains which may be anoxic. The unknown location of OC oxidation (i.e., river vs. floodplain) limits our ability to mechanistically link geochemical and geomorphic processes which are required to develop models capable of predicting OC losses, constrain carbon budgets, and unravel links between climate, tectonics, and erosion. To fill this knowledge gap, we investigated OC oxidation in controlled laboratory experiments and a simplified field setting. We performed experiments in annular flumes that simulate fluvial transport without floodplain storage, allowing mixtures of OC-rich and siliciclastic sediment to be transported for distances of 1000 km. Preliminary experiments exploring both rock-derived and biospheric OC sources show minimal OC oxidation during active river transport, consistent with the idea that the majority of OC loss occurs during transient floodplain storage. These results are also consistent with new field data collected in the Rio Bermejo, Argentina, a lowland river traversing 800 km with no tributary inputs, where aged floodplain deposits have 3 to 10 times lower OC concentrations compared to modern river sediments. Together our field data and experiments support the hypothesis that oxidation of OC occurs primarily during floodplain storage rather than fluvial transport.

75 FR 81037 - Waste Confidence Decision Update

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-23

... well beyond the current analysis that supports at least 60 years of post-licensed life storage with... environmental factors including surrounding population density, water resources, seismicity, subsurface geology... expiration of the 60-year post licensed life period, the Commission will revisit the Waste Confidence...

GRACE storage-runoff hystereses reveal the dynamics of regional watersheds

EPA Science Inventory

Watersheds function as integrated systems where climate and geology govern the movement of water. In situ instrumentation can provide local-scale insights into the non-linear relationship between streamflow and water stored in a watershed as snow, soil moisture, and groundwater. ...

The used nuclear fuel problem - can reprocessing and consolidated storage be complementary?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Phillips, C.; Thomas, I.

2013-07-01

This paper describes our CISF (Consolidated Interim Storage Facilities) and Reprocessing Facility concepts and show how they can be combined with a geologic repository to provide a comprehensive system for dealing with spent fuels in the USA. The performance of the CISF was logistically analyzed under six operational scenarios. A 3-stage plan has been developed to establish the CISF. Stage 1: the construction at the CISF site of only a rail receipt interface and storage pad large enough for the number of casks that will be received. The construction of the CISF Canister Handling Facility, the Storage Cask Fabrication Facility,more » the Cask Maintenance Facility and supporting infrastructure are performed during stage 2. The construction and placement into operation of a water-filled pool repackaging facility is completed for Stage 3. By using this staged approach, the capital cost of the CISF is spread over a number of years. It also allows more time for a final decision on the geologic repository to be made. A recycling facility will be built, this facility will used the NUEX recycling process that is based on the aqueous-based PUREX solvent extraction process, using a solvent of tri-N-butyl phosphate in a kerosene diluent. It is capable of processing spent fuels at a rate of 5 MT per day, at burn-ups up to 50 GWD per ton of spent fuels and a minimum of 5 years out-of-reactor cooling.« less

Collection, storage, retrieval, and publication of water-resources data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Showen, C. R.

1978-01-01

This publication represents a series of papers devoted to the subject of collection, storage, retrieval, and publication of hydrologic data. The papers were presented by members of the U.S. Geological Survey at the International Seminar on Organization and Operation of Hydrologic Services, Ottawa, Canada, July 15-16, 1976, sponsored by the World Meteorological Organization. The first paper, ' Standardization of Hydrologic Measurements, ' by George F. Smoot discusses the need for standardization of the methods and instruments used in measuring hydrologic data. The second paper, ' Use of Earth Satellites for Automation of Hydrologic Data Collection, ' by Richard W. Paulson discusses the use of inexpensive battery-operated radios to transmit realtime hydrologic data to earth satellites and back to ground receiving stations for computer processing. The third paper, ' Operation Hydrometeorological Data-Collection System for the Columbia River, ' by Nicholas A. Kallio discusses the operation of a complex water-management system for a large river basin utilizing the latest automatic telemetry and processing devices. The fourth paper, ' Storage and Retrieval of Water-Resources Data, ' by Charles R. Showen discusses the U.S. Geological Survey 's National Water Data Storage and Retrieval System (WATSTORE) and its use in processing water resources data. The final paper, ' Publication of Water Resources Data, ' by S. M. Lang and C. B. Ham discusses the requirement for publication of water-resources data to meet the needs of a widespread audience and for archival purposes. (See W78-09324 thru W78-09328) (Woodard-USGS)

Improved Characterization and Modeling of Tight Oil Formations for CO 2 Enhanced Oil Recovery Potential and Storage Capacity Estimation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sorensen, James; Smith, Steven; Kurz, Bethany

Tight oil formations such as those in the Bakken petroleum system are known to hold hundreds of billions of barrels of oil in place; however, the primary recovery factor for these plays is typically less than 10%. Tight oil formations, including the Bakken Formation, therefore, may be attractive candidates for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) using CO 2. Multiphase fluid behavior and flow in fluid-rich shales can vary substantially depending on the size of pore throats, and properties such as fluid viscosity and density are much different in nanoscale pores than in macroscale pores. Thus it is critical to understand themore » nature and distribution of nano-, micro-, and macroscale pores and fracture networks. To address these issues, the Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) has been conducting a research program entitled “Improved Characterization and Modeling of Tight Oil Formations for CO 2 Enhanced Oil Recovery Potential and Storage Capacity Estimation.” The objectives of the project are 1) the use of advanced characterization methods to better understand and quantify the petrophysical and geomechanical factors that control CO 2 and oil mobility within tight oil formation samples, 2) the determination of CO 2 permeation and oil extraction rates in tight reservoir rocks and organic-rich shales of the Bakken, and 3) the integration of the laboratory-based CO 2 permeation and oil extraction data and the characterization data into geologic models and dynamic simulations to develop predictions of CO 2 storage resource and EOR in the Bakken tight oil formation. A combination of standard and advanced petrophysical characterization techniques were applied to characterize samples of Bakken Formation tight reservoir rock and shales from multiple wells. Techniques included advanced computer tomography (CT) imaging, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques, whole-core and micro x-ray CT imaging, field emission (FE) SEM, and focused ion beam (FIB) SEM. Selected samples were also analyzed for geomechanical properties. X-ray CT imaging yielded information on the occurrence of fractures, bedding planes, fossils, and bioturbation in core, as well as data on bulk density and photoelectric factor logs, which were used to interpret porosity, organic content, and mineralogy. FESEM was used for characterization of nano- and microscale features, including nanoscale pore visualization and micropore and pore throat mineralogy. FIBSEM yielded micro- to nanoscale visualization of fracture networks, porosity and pore-size distribution, connected versus isolated porosity, and distribution of organics. Results from the characterization activities provide insight on nanoscale fracture properties, pore throat mineralogy and connectivity, rock matrix characteristics, mineralogy, and organic content. Laboratory experiments demonstrated that CO 2 can permeate the tight matrix of Bakken shale and nonshale reservoir samples and mobilize oil from those samples. Geologic models were created at scales ranging from the core plug to the reservoir, and dynamic simulations were conducted. The data from the characterization and laboratory-based activities were integrated into modeling research activities to determine the fundamental mechanisms controlling fluid transport in the Bakken, which support EOR scheme design and estimation of CO 2 storage potential in tight oil formations. Simulation results suggest a CO 2 storage resource estimate range of 169 million to 1.5 billion tonnes for the Bakken in North Dakota, possibly resulting in 1.8 billion to 16 billion barrels of incremental oil.« less

Mapping variation in radon potential both between and within geological units.

PubMed

Miles, J C H; Appleton, J D

2005-09-01

Previously, the potential for high radon levels in UK houses has been mapped either on the basis of grouping the results of radon measurements in houses by grid squares or by geological units. In both cases, lognormal modelling of the distribution of radon concentrations was applied to allow the estimated proportion of houses above the UK radon Action Level (AL, 200 Bq m(-3)) to be mapped. This paper describes a method of combining the grid square and geological mapping methods to give more accurate maps than either method can provide separately. The land area is first divided up using a combination of bedrock and superficial geological characteristics derived from digital geological map data. Each different combination of geological characteristics may appear at the land surface in many discontinuous locations across the country. HPA has a database of over 430,000 houses in which long-term measurements of radon concentration have been made, and whose locations are accurately known. Each of these measurements is allocated to the appropriate bedrock--superficial geological combination underlying it. Taking each geological combination in turn, the spatial variation of radon potential is mapped, treating the combination as if it were continuous over the land area. All of the maps of radon potential within different geological combinations are then combined to produce a map of variation in radon potential over the whole land surface.

Water Footprint and Water Consumption for the Main Crops and Biofuels Produced in Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Y.; Tong, C.; Mansoor, K.; Carroll, S.

2011-12-01

The risk of CO2 leakage into shallow aquifers through various pathways such as faults and abandoned wells is a concern of CO2 geological sequestration. If a leak is detected in an aquifer system, a contingency plan is required to manage the CO2 storage and to protect the groundwater source. Among many remediation and mitigation strategies, the simplest is to stop CO2 leakage at a wellbore. Therefore, it is necessary to address whether and when the CO2 leaks should be sealed, and how much risk can be mitigated. In the presence of various uncertainties, including geological-structure uncertainty and parametric uncertainty, the risk of CO2 leakage into an aquifer needs to be assessed with probabilistic distributions of uncertain parameters. In this study, we developed an integrated model to simulate multiphase flow of CO2 and brine in a deep storage reservoir, through a leaky well at an uncertain location, and subsequently multicomponent reactive transport in a shallow aquifer. Each sub-model covers its domain-specific physics. Uncertainties of geological structure and parameters are considered together with decision variables (CO2 injection rate and mitigation time) for risk assessment of leakage-impacted aquifer volume. High-resolution and less-expensive reduced-order models (ROMs) of risk profiles are approximated as polynomial functions of decision variables and all uncertain parameters. These reduced-order models are then used in the place of computationally-expensive numerical models for future decision-making on if and when the leaky well is sealed. The tradeoff between CO2 storage capacity in the reservoir and the leakage-induced risk in the aquifer is evaluated. This work performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under contract DE-AC52-07NA27344.

Uncertainty Quantification and Risk Mitigation of CO2 Leakage in Groundwater Aquifers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Y.; Tong, C.; Mansoor, K.; Carroll, S.

2013-12-01

The risk of CO2 leakage into shallow aquifers through various pathways such as faults and abandoned wells is a concern of CO2 geological sequestration. If a leak is detected in an aquifer system, a contingency plan is required to manage the CO2 storage and to protect the groundwater source. Among many remediation and mitigation strategies, the simplest is to stop CO2 leakage at a wellbore. Therefore, it is necessary to address whether and when the CO2 leaks should be sealed, and how much risk can be mitigated. In the presence of various uncertainties, including geological-structure uncertainty and parametric uncertainty, the risk of CO2 leakage into an aquifer needs to be assessed with probabilistic distributions of uncertain parameters. In this study, we developed an integrated model to simulate multiphase flow of CO2 and brine in a deep storage reservoir, through a leaky well at an uncertain location, and subsequently multicomponent reactive transport in a shallow aquifer. Each sub-model covers its domain-specific physics. Uncertainties of geological structure and parameters are considered together with decision variables (CO2 injection rate and mitigation time) for risk assessment of leakage-impacted aquifer volume. High-resolution and less-expensive reduced-order models (ROMs) of risk profiles are approximated as polynomial functions of decision variables and all uncertain parameters. These reduced-order models are then used in the place of computationally-expensive numerical models for future decision-making on if and when the leaky well is sealed. The tradeoff between CO2 storage capacity in the reservoir and the leakage-induced risk in the aquifer is evaluated. This work performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under contract DE-AC52-07NA27344.

Geophysical assessments of renewable gas energy compressed in geologic pore storage reservoirs.

PubMed

Al Hagrey, Said Attia; Köhn, Daniel; Rabbel, Wolfgang

2014-01-01

Renewable energy resources can indisputably minimize the threat of global warming and climate change. However, they are intermittent and need buffer storage to bridge the time-gap between production (off peak) and demand peaks. Based on geologic and geochemical reasons, the North German Basin has a very large capacity for compressed air/gas energy storage CAES in porous saltwater aquifers and salt cavities. Replacing pore reservoir brine with CAES causes changes in physical properties (elastic moduli, density and electrical properties) and justify applications of integrative geophysical methods for monitoring this energy storage. Here we apply techniques of the elastic full waveform inversion FWI, electric resistivity tomography ERT and gravity to map and quantify a gradually saturated gas plume injected in a thin deep saline aquifer within the North German Basin. For this subsurface model scenario we generated different synthetic data sets without and with adding random noise in order to robust the applied techniques for the real field applications. Datasets are inverted by posing different constraints on the initial model. Results reveal principally the capability of the applied integrative geophysical approach to resolve the CAES targets (plume, host reservoir, and cap rock). Constrained inversion models of elastic FWI and ERT are even able to recover well the gradual gas desaturation with depth. The spatial parameters accurately recovered from each technique are applied in the adequate petrophysical equations to yield precise quantifications of gas saturations. Resulting models of gas saturations independently determined from elastic FWI and ERT techniques are in accordance with each other and with the input (true) saturation model. Moreover, the gravity technique show high sensitivity to the mass deficit resulting from the gas storage and can resolve saturations and temporal saturation changes down to ±3% after reducing any shallow fluctuation such as that of groundwater table.

Characterization, Monitoring, and Risk Assessment at the IEA GHG Weyburn-Midale CO2 Monitoring and Storage Project, Saskatchewan, Canada.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ben, R.; Chalaturnyk, R.; Gardner, C.; Hawkes, C.; Johnson, J.; White, D.; Whittaker, S.

2008-12-01

In July 2000, a major research project was initiated to study the geological storage of CO2 as part of a 5000 tonnes/day EOR project planned for the Weyburn Field in Saskatchewan, Canada. Major objectives of the IEA GHG Weyburn CO2 monitoring and storage project included: assessing the integrity of the geosphere encompassing the Weyburn oil pool for effective long-term storage of CO2; monitoring the movement of the injected CO2, and assessing the risk of migration of CO2 from the injection zone (approximately 1500 metres depth) to the surface. Over the period 2000-2004, a diverse group of 80+ researchers worked on: geological, geophysical, and hydrogeological characterizations at both the regional (100 km beyond the field) and detailed scale (10 km around the field); conducted time-lapse geophysical surveys; carried out surface and subsurface geochemical surveys; and undertook numerical reservoir simulations. Results of the characterization were used for a performance assessment that concluded the risk of CO2 movement to the biosphere was very small. By September 2007, more than 14 Mtonnes of CO2 had been injected into the Weyburn reservoir, including approximately 3 Mtonnes recycled from oil production. A "Final Phase" research project was initiated (2007- 2011) to contribute to a "Best Practices" guide for long-term CO2 storage in EOR settings. Research objectives include: improving the geoscience characterization; further detailed analysis and data collection on the role of wellbores; additional geochemical and geophysical monitoring activities; and an emphasis on quantitative risk assessments using multiple analysis techniques. In this talk a review of results from Phase I will be presented followed by plans and initial results for the Final Phase.

Determination of Organic Partitioning Coefficients in Water-Supercritical CO2 Systems by Simultaneous in Situ UV and Near-Infrared Spectroscopies.

PubMed

Bryce, David A; Shao, Hongbo; Cantrell, Kirk J; Thompson, Christopher J

2016-06-07

CO2 injected into depleted oil or gas reservoirs for long-term storage has the potential to mobilize organic compounds and distribute them between sediments and reservoir brines. Understanding this process is important when considering health and environmental risks, but little quantitative data currently exists on the partitioning of organics between supercritical CO2 and water. In this work, a high-pressure, in situ measurement capability was developed to assess the distribution of organics between CO2 and water at conditions relevant to deep underground storage of CO2. The apparatus consists of a titanium reactor with quartz windows, near-infrared and UV spectroscopic detectors, and switching valves that facilitate quantitative injection of organic reagents into the pressurized reactor. To demonstrate the utility of the system, partitioning coefficients were determined for benzene in water/supercritical CO2 over the range 35-65 °C and approximately 25-150 bar. Density changes in the CO2 phase with increasing pressure were shown to have dramatic impacts on benzene's partitioning behavior. Our partitioning coefficients were approximately 5-15 times lower than values previously determined by ex situ techniques that are prone to sampling losses. The in situ methodology reported here could be applied to quantify the distribution behavior of a wide range of organic compounds that may be present in geologic CO2 storage scenarios.

Ground-water resources of the Wind River Indian Reservation, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

McGreevy, Laurence J.; Hodson, Warren Gayler; Rucker, Samuel J.

1969-01-01

The area of this investigation is in the western part of the Wind River Basin and includes parts of the Absaroka, Washakie, Wind River, and Owl Creek Mountains. The purposes of the study were to determine the general hydrologic properties of the rocks in the area and the occurrence and quality c f the water in them. Structurally, the area is a downfolded basin surrounded by upfolded mountain ranges. Igneous and metamorphic rocks of Precambrian age are exposed in the mountains: folded sedimentary rocks representing all geologic periods, except the Silurian, crop out along the margins of the basin; and relatively flat-lying Tertiary rocks are at the surface in the central part of the basin. Surficial sand and gravel deposits of Quaternary age occur along streams and underlie numerous terraces throughout the basin. The potential yield and quality of water from most rocks in the area are poorly known, but estimates are possible, based on local well data and on data concerning similar rocks in nearby areas. Yields of more than 1,000 gpm are possible from the rocks comprising the Bighorn Dolomite (Ordovician), Darby Formation (Devonian), Madison Limestone (Mississippian), and Tensleep Sandstone (Pennsylvanian). Total dissolved solids in the water range from about 300 to 3,000 ppm. Yields of as much as several hundred gallons per minute are possible from the Nugget Sandstone (Jurassic? and Triassic?). Yields of 20 gpm or more are possible from the Crow Mountain Sandstone (Triassic) and Sundance Formation (Jurassic). Dissolved solids are generally high but are less than 1,000 ppm near outcrops in some locations. The Cloverly and Morrison (Cretaceous and Jurassic), Mesaverde (Cretaceous) and Lance(?) (Cretaceous) Formations may yield as much as several hundred gallons per minute, but most wells in Cretaceous rocks yield less than 20 gpm. Dissolved solids generally range from 1,000 to 5,000 ppm but may be higher. In some areas, water with less than 1,000 ppm dissolved solids may be available from the Cloverly and Morrison Formations. Tertiary rocks yield a few to several hundred gallons per minute and dissolved solids generally range from 1,000 to 5,000 ppm. Wells in the Wind River Formation (Eocene) yield about 1.-500 gpm of water having dissolved solids of about 200-5,000 ppm. Yields of a few to several hundred gallons per minute are available from alluvium (Quaternary). Dissolved solids range from about 200 to 5,000 ppm. Many parts of the Wind River Irrigation Project have become waterlogged. The relation of drainage problems to geology and the character and thickness of rocks in the irrigated areas are partly defined by sections drawn on the basis of test drilling. The drainage-problem areas are classified according to geologic similarities into five general groups: flood plains, terraces, underfit-stream valleys, slopes, and transitional areas. Drainage can be improved by open drains, buried drains, relief wells, and pumped wells or by pumping from sumps or drains. The methods that will be most successful depend on the local geologic and hydrologic conditions. In several areas, the most effective means of relieving the drainage problem would be to reduce the amount of infiltration of water by lining canals and ditches and by reducing irrigation water applications to the optimum. Water from underground storage in alluvium could supplement water from surface storage in some areas. A few thousand acre-feet of water per square mile are in storage in some of the alluvium. The use of both surface and underground storage would reduce the need for additional surface-storage facilities and also would alleviate drainage problems in the irrigated areas.

INTELLIGENT COMPUTING SYSTEM FOR RESERVOIR ANALYSIS AND RISK ASSESSMENT OF THE RED RIVER FORMATION

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kenneth D. Luff

2002-06-30

Integrated software has been written that comprises the tool kit for the Intelligent Computing System (ICS). Luff Exploration Company is applying these tools for analysis of carbonate reservoirs in the southern Williston Basin. The integrated software programs are designed to be used by small team consisting of an engineer, geologist and geophysicist. The software tools are flexible and robust, allowing application in many environments for hydrocarbon reservoirs. Keystone elements of the software tools include clustering and neural-network techniques. The tools are used to transform seismic attribute data to reservoir characteristics such as storage (phi-h), probable oil-water contacts, structural depths andmore » structural growth history. When these reservoir characteristics are combined with neural network or fuzzy logic solvers, they can provide a more complete description of the reservoir. This leads to better estimates of hydrocarbons in place, areal limits and potential for infill or step-out drilling. These tools were developed and tested using seismic, geologic and well data from the Red River Play in Bowman County, North Dakota and Harding County, South Dakota. The geologic setting for the Red River Formation is shallow-shelf carbonate at a depth from 8000 to 10,000 ft.« less

INTELLIGENT COMPUTING SYSTEM FOR RESERVOIR ANALYSIS AND RISK ASSESSMENT OF THE RED RIVER FORMATION

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kenneth D. Luff

2002-09-30

Integrated software has been written that comprises the tool kit for the Intelligent Computing System (ICS). Luff Exploration Company is applying these tools for analysis of carbonate reservoirs in the southern Williston Basin. The integrated software programs are designed to be used by small team consisting of an engineer, geologist and geophysicist. The software tools are flexible and robust, allowing application in many environments for hydrocarbon reservoirs. Keystone elements of the software tools include clustering and neural-network techniques. The tools are used to transform seismic attribute data to reservoir characteristics such as storage (phi-h), probable oil-water contacts, structural depths andmore » structural growth history. When these reservoir characteristics are combined with neural network or fuzzy logic solvers, they can provide a more complete description of the reservoir. This leads to better estimates of hydrocarbons in place, areal limits and potential for infill or step-out drilling. These tools were developed and tested using seismic, geologic and well data from the Red River Play in Bowman County, North Dakota and Harding County, South Dakota. The geologic setting for the Red River Formation is shallow-shelf carbonate at a depth from 8000 to 10,000 ft.« less

Dissolution Front Instabilities in Reacting Porous Media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raoof, Amir; Spiers, Chris; Hassanizadeh, Majid

2013-04-01

The main objective of this research is to gain a better understanding of the relation between regime of reaction and dissolution front instability, leading to formation of channels or wormholes. Potential applications are geological sequestration of CO2 and acid-gas injection during enhanced oil recovery. The microscopic pore space is modeled using a multi-directional pore network, allowing for a distribution of pore coordination number, together with distribution of pore sizes. In order to simulate transport of multi-component chemical species, mass balance equations are solved within each element of the network (i.e., pore body and pore throat). We have considered advective and diffusive transport processes within the pore spaces together with multi-component chemical reactions, including both equilibrium and kinetic reactions. Using dimensionless scaling groups (such as Damköhler number and Péclet-Damköhler number) we characterized the dissolution front behavior, and by averaging over the network domain we calculated the evolution of porosity and permeability as well as flux-averaged concentration breakthrough curves. We obtain constitutive relations linking porosity and permeability, under conditions relevant to geological storage of CO2. Effect of distribution of reactive minerals is also evaluated and regime of reaction is shown to play a key role.

Geologic Carbon Sequestration Leakage Detection: A Physics-Guided Machine Learning Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Y.; Harp, D. R.; Chen, B.; Pawar, R.

2017-12-01

One of the risks of large-scale geologic carbon sequestration is the potential migration of fluids out of the storage formations. Accurate and fast detection of this fluids migration is not only important but also challenging, due to the large subsurface uncertainty and complex governing physics. Traditional leakage detection and monitoring techniques rely on geophysical observations including pressure. However, the resulting accuracy of these methods is limited because of indirect information they provide requiring expert interpretation, therefore yielding in-accurate estimates of leakage rates and locations. In this work, we develop a novel machine-learning technique based on support vector regression to effectively and efficiently predict the leakage locations and leakage rates based on limited number of pressure observations. Compared to the conventional data-driven approaches, which can be usually seem as a "black box" procedure, we develop a physics-guided machine learning method to incorporate the governing physics into the learning procedure. To validate the performance of our proposed leakage detection method, we employ our method to both 2D and 3D synthetic subsurface models. Our novel CO2 leakage detection method has shown high detection accuracy in the example problems.

Partitioning Behavior of Organic Contaminants in Carbon Storage Environments: A Critical Review

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Burant, Aniela; Lowry, Gregory V; Karamalidis, Athanasios K

2012-12-04

Carbon capture and storage is a promising strategy for mitigating the CO{sub 2} contribution to global climate change. The large scale implementation of the technology mandates better understanding of the risks associated with CO{sub 2} injection into geologic formations and the subsequent interactions with groundwater resources. The injected supercritical CO{sub 2} (sc-CO{sub 2}) is a nonpolar solvent that can potentially mobilize organic compounds that exist at residual saturation in the formation. Here, we review the partitioning behavior of selected organic compounds typically found in depleted oil reservoirs in the residual oil–brine–sc-CO{sub 2} system under carbon storage conditions. The solubility ofmore » pure phase organic compounds in sc-CO{sub 2} and partitioning of organic compounds between water and sc-CO{sub 2} follow trends predicted based on thermodynamics. Compounds with high volatility and low aqueous solubility have the highest potential to partition to sc-CO{sub 2}. The partitioning of low volatility compounds to sc-CO{sub 2} can be enhanced by co-solvency due to the presence of higher volatility compounds in the sc-CO{sub 2}. The effect of temperature, pressure, salinity, pH, and dissolution of water molecules into sc-CO{sub 2} on the partitioning behavior of organic compounds in the residual oil-brine-sc-CO{sub 2} system is discussed. Data gaps and research needs for models to predict the partitioning of organic compounds in brines and from complex mixtures of oils are presented. Models need to be able to better incorporate the effect of salinity and co-solvency, which will require more experimental data from key classes of organic compounds.« less

Environmental Education Activities & Programs 1998-1999.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bureau of Reclamation (Dept. of Interior), Denver, CO.

This document features descriptions of interactive learning models and presentations in environmental education concerning groundwater, geology, the environment, weather, water activities, and interactive games. Activities include: (1) GW-Standard; (2) GW-w/no Leaky Underground Storage Tank (No UST); (3) GW-Karst; (4) GW-Landfill Models--Standard…

Effects of well spacing on geological storage site distribution costs and surface footprint.

PubMed

Eccles, Jordan; Pratson, Lincoln F; Chandel, Munish Kumar

2012-04-17

Geological storage studies thus far have not evaluated the scale and cost of the network of distribution pipelines that will be needed to move CO(2) from a central receiving point at a storage site to injection wells distributed about the site. Using possible injection rates for deep-saline sandstone aquifers, we estimate that the footprint of a sequestration site could range from <100 km(2) to >100,000 km(2), and that distribution costs could be <$0.10/tonne to >$10/tonne. Our findings are based on two models for determining well spacing: one which minimizes spacing in order to maximize use of the volumetric capacity of the reservoir, and a second that determines spacing to minimize subsurface pressure interference between injection wells. The interference model, which we believe more accurately reflects reservoir dynamics, produces wider well spacings and a counterintuitive relationship whereby total injection site footprint and thus distribution cost declines with decreasing permeability for a given reservoir thickness. This implies that volumetric capacity estimates should be reexamined to include well spacing constraints, since wells will need to be spaced further apart than void space calculations might suggest. We conclude that site-selection criteria should include thick, low-permeability reservoirs to minimize distribution costs and site footprint.

Impact of layer thickness and well orientation on caprock integrity for geologic carbon storage

DOE PAGES

Newell, P.; Martinez, M. J.; Eichhubl, P.

2016-07-29

Economic feasibility of geologic carbon storage demands sustaining large storage rates without damaging caprock seals. Reactivation of pre-existing or newly formed fractures may provide a leakage pathway across caprock layers. In this paper, we apply an equivalent continuum approach within a finite element framework to model the fluid-pressure-induced reactivation of pre-existing fractures within the caprock, during high-rate injection of super-critical CO 2 into a brine-saturated reservoir in a hypothetical system, using realistic geomechanical and fluid properties. We investigate the impact of reservoir to caprock layer thickness, wellbore orientation, and injection rate on overall performance of the system with respect tomore » caprock failure and leakage. We find that vertical wells result in locally higher reservoir pressures relative to horizontal injection wells for the same injection rate, with high pressure inducing caprock leakage along reactivated opening-mode fractures in the caprock. After prolonged injection, leakage along reactivated fractures in the caprock is always higher for vertical than horizontal injection wells. Furthermore, we find that low ratios of reservoir to caprock thickness favor high excess pressure and thus fracture reactivation in the caprock. Finally, injection into thick reservoir units thus lowers the risk associated with CO 2 leakage.« less

Long-term monitoring of marine gas leakage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spickenbom, Kai; Faber, Eckhard; Poggenburg, Jürgen; Seeger, Christian; Furche, Markus

2010-05-01

The sequestration of CO2 in sub-seabed geological formations is one of the Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) strategies currently under study. Although offshore operations are significantly more expensive than comparable onshore operations, the growing public resistance against onshore CCS projects makes sub-seabed storage a promising option. Even after a thorough review of the geological setting, there is always the possibility of leakage from the reservoir. As part of the EU-financed project CO2ReMoVe (Research, Monitoring, Verification), which aims to develop innovative research and technologies for monitoring and verification of carbon dioxide geological storage, we are working on the development of submarine long-term gas flow monitoring systems. The basic design of the monitoring system builds on our experience in volcano monitoring. Early prototypes were composed of a raft floating on the surface of a mud volcano, carrying sensors for CO2 flux and concentration, data storage and transmission, and power supply by battery-buffered solar panels. The system was modified for installation in open sea by using a buoy instead of a raft and a funnel on the seafloor to collect the gas, connected by a flexible tube. This setup provides a cost-effective solution for shallow waters. However, a buoy interferes with ship traffic, and it is also difficult to adapt this design to greater water depths. These requirements can best be complied by a completely submersed system. A system for unattended long-term monitoring in a marine environment has to be extremely durable. Therefore, we focussed on developing a mechanically and electrically as simple setup as possible, which has the additional advantage of low cost. The system consists of a funnel-shaped gas collector, a sensor head and pressure housings for electronics and power supply. Since this setup is inexpensive, it can be deployed in numbers to cover larger areas. By addition of multi-channel data loggers, data transmission by acoustic modem or cable, relay stations on the seafloor or buoys etc. the infrastructure can be adapted to the environmental setting and financial budget. Prototype tests under laboratory conditions as well as field tests on natural submarine gas vents as an analogue to leaking storage sites have demonstrated the capabilities and robustness of the systems.

A Survey of Measurement, Mitigation, and Verification Field Technologies for Carbon Sequestration Geologic Storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cohen, K. K.; Klara, S. M.; Srivastava, R. D.

2004-12-01

The U.S. Department of Energy's (U.S. DOE's) Carbon Sequestration Program is developing state-of-the-science technologies for measurement, mitigation, and verification (MM&V) in field operations of geologic sequestration. MM&V of geologic carbon sequestration operations will play an integral role in the pre-injection, injection, and post-injection phases of carbon capture and storage projects to reduce anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. Effective MM&V is critical to the success of CO2 storage projects and will be used by operators, regulators, and stakeholders to ensure safe and permanent storage of CO2. In the U.S. DOE's Program, Carbon sequestration MM&V has numerous instrumental roles: Measurement of a site's characteristics and capability for sequestration; Monitoring of the site to ensure the storage integrity; Verification that the CO2 is safely stored; and Protection of ecosystems. Other drivers for MM&V technology development include cost-effectiveness, measurement precision, and frequency of measurements required. As sequestration operations are implemented in the future, it is anticipated that measurements over long time periods and at different scales will be required; this will present a significant challenge. MM&V sequestration technologies generally utilize one of the following approaches: below ground measurements; surface/near-surface measurements; aerial and satellite imagery; and modeling/simulations. Advanced subsurface geophysical technologies will play a primary role for MM&V. It is likely that successful MM&V programs will incorporate multiple technologies including but not limited to: reservoir modeling and simulations; geophysical techniques (a wide variety of seismic methods, microgravity, electrical, and electromagnetic techniques); subsurface fluid movement monitoring methods such as injection of tracers, borehole and wellhead pressure sensors, and tiltmeters; surface/near surface methods such as soil gas monitoring and infrared sensors and; aerial and satellite imagery. This abstract will describe results, similarities, and contrasts for funded studies from the U.S. DOE's Carbon Sequestration Program including examples from the Sleipner North Sea Project, the Canadian Weyburn Field/Dakota Gasification Plant Project, the Frio Formation Texas Project, and Yolo County Bioreactor Landfill Project. The abstract will also address the following: How are the terms ``measurement,'' ``mitigation''and ``verification'' defined in the Program? What is the U.S. DOE's Carbon Sequestration Program Roadmap and what are the Roadmap goals for MM&V? What is the current status of MM&V technologies?

A Review of Major Non-Power-Related Carbon Dioxide Stream Compositions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Last, George V.; Schmick, Mary T.

A critical component in the assessment of long-term risk from geologic sequestration of carbon dioxide (CO2) is the ability to predict mineralogical and geochemical changes within storage reservoirs as a result of rock-brine-CO2 reactions. Impurities and/or other constituents in CO2 source streams selected for sequestration can affect both the chemical and physical (e.g., density, viscosity, interfacial tension) properties of CO2 in the deep subsurface. The nature and concentrations of these impurities are a function of both the industrial source(s) of CO2, as well as the carbon capture technology used to extract the CO2 and produce a concentrated stream for subsurfacemore » injection and geologic sequestration. This article reviews the relative concentrations of CO2 and other constituents in exhaust gases from major non-energy-related industrial sources of CO2. Assuming that carbon capture technology would remove most of the incondensable gases N2, O2, and Ar, leaving SO2 and NOx as the main impurities, the authors then summarize the relative proportions of the remaining impurities assumed to be present in CO2 source streams that could be targeted for geologic sequestration. The summary is presented relative to five potential sources of CO2: 1) Flue Gas with Flue Gas Desulfurization, 2) Combustion Stack from Coke Production, 3) Portland Cement Kilns, 4) Natural Gas Combustion, and 5) Lime Production.« less

The key to commercial-scale geological CO2 sequestration: Displaced fluid management

USGS Publications Warehouse

Surdam, R.C.; Jiao, Z.; Stauffer, P.; Miller, T.

2011-01-01

The Wyoming State Geological Survey has completed a thorough inventory and prioritization of all Wyoming stratigraphic units and geologic sites capable of sequestering commercial quantities of CO2 (5-15 Mt CO 2/year). This multi-year study identified the Paleozoic Tensleep/Weber Sandstone and Madison Limestone (and stratigraphic equivalent units) as the leading clastic and carbonate reservoir candidates for commercial-scale geological CO2 sequestration in Wyoming. This conclusion was based on unit thickness, overlying low permeability lithofacies, reservoir storage and continuity properties, regional distribution patterns, formation fluid chemistry characteristics, and preliminary fluid-flow modeling. This study also identified the Rock Springs Uplift in southwestern Wyoming as the most promising geological CO2 sequestration site in Wyoming and probably in any Rocky Mountain basin. The results of the WSGS CO2 geological sequestration inventory led the agency and colleagues at the UW School of Energy Resources Carbon Management Institute (CMI) to collect available geologic, petrophysical, geochemical, and geophysical data on the Rock Springs Uplift, and to build a regional 3-D geologic framework model of the Uplift. From the results of these tasks and using the FutureGen protocol, the WSGS showed that on the Rock Springs Uplift, the Weber Sandstone has sufficient pore space to sequester 18 billion tons (Gt) of CO2, and the Madison Limestone has sufficient pore space to sequester 8 Gt of CO2. ?? 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Hydrogeological characterisation of groundwater over Brazil using remotely sensed and model products.

PubMed

Hu, Kexiang; Awange, Joseph L; Khandu; Forootan, Ehsan; Goncalves, Rodrigo Mikosz; Fleming, Kevin

2017-12-01

For Brazil, a country frequented by droughts and whose rural inhabitants largely depend on groundwater, reliance on isotope for its monitoring, though accurate, is expensive and limited in spatial coverage. We exploit total water storage (TWS) derived from Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites to analyse spatial-temporal groundwater changes in relation to geological characteristics. Large-scale groundwater changes are estimated using GRACE-derived TWS and altimetry observations in addition to GLDAS and WGHM model outputs. Additionally, TRMM precipitation data are used to infer impacts of climate variability on groundwater fluctuations. The results indicate that climate variability mainly controls groundwater change trends while geological properties control change rates, spatial distribution, and storage capacity. Granular rocks in the Amazon and Guarani aquifers are found to influence larger storage capability, higher permeability (>10 -4 m/s) and faster response to rainfall (1 to 3months' lag) compared to fractured rocks (permeability <10 -7 m/s and lags > 3months) found only in Bambui aquifer. Groundwater in the Amazon region is found to rely not only on precipitation but also on inflow from other regions. Areas beyond the northern and southern Amazon basin depict a 'dam-like' pattern, with high inflow and slow outflow rates (recharge slope > 0.75, discharge slope < 0.45). This is due to two impermeable rock layer-like 'walls' (permeability <10 -8 m/s) along the northern and southern Alter do Chão aquifer that help retain groundwater. The largest groundwater storage capacity in Brazil is the Amazon aquifer (with annual amplitudes of > 30cm). Amazon's groundwater declined between 2002 and 2008 due to below normal precipitation (wet seasons lasted for about 36 to 47% of the time). The Guarani aquifer and adjacent coastline areas rank second in terms of storage capacity, while the northeast and southeast coastal regions indicate the smallest storage capacity due to lack of rainfall (annual average is rainfall <10cm). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Geology and ground-water resources of Hale County, Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cronin, J.G.; Wells, Lloyd C.

1963-01-01

It is estimated that in 1955 about 39 million acre-feet of water was in storage in the Ogallala formation in Hale County; however, only about 16 million is theoretically available to wells, and a somewhat smaller amount is practically available. About 3 million acre-feet was removed from storage during 1938-55. Water levels in wells have declined more or less steadily since 1938, and it is apparent that the ground-water resources of the county are insufficient to support large-scale perennial irrigation such as that of 1955.

Post-injection Multiphase Flow Modeling and Risk Assessments for Subsurface CO2 Storage in Naturally Fractured Reservoirs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, G.

2015-12-01

Subsurface storage of carbon dioxide in geological formations is widely regarded as a promising tool for reducing global atmospheric CO2 emissions. Successful geologic storage for sequestrated carbon dioxides must prove to be safe by means of risk assessments including post-injection analysis of injected CO2 plumes. Because fractured reservoirs exhibit a higher degree of heterogeneity, it is imperative to conduct such simulation studies in order to reliably predict the geometric evolution of plumes and risk assessment of post CO2injection. The research has addressed the pressure footprint of CO2 plumes through the development of new techniques which combine discrete fracture network and stochastic continuum modeling of multiphase flow in fractured geologic formations. A subsequent permeability tensor map in 3-D, derived from our preciously developed method, can accurately describe the heterogeneity of fracture reservoirs. A comprehensive workflow integrating the fracture permeability characterization and multiphase flow modeling has been developed to simulate the CO2plume migration and risk assessments. A simulated fractured reservoir model based on high-priority geological carbon sinks in central Alabama has been employed for preliminary study. Discrete fracture networks were generated with an NE-oriented regional fracture set and orthogonal NW-fractures. Fracture permeability characterization revealed high permeability heterogeneity with an order of magnitude of up to three. A multiphase flow model composed of supercritical CO2 and saline water was then applied to predict CO2 plume volume, geometry, pressure footprint, and containment during and post injection. Injection simulation reveals significant permeability anisotropy that favors development of northeast-elongate CO2 plumes, which are aligned with systematic fractures. The diffusive spreading front of the CO2 plume shows strong viscous fingering effects. Post-injection simulation indicates significant upward lateral spreading of CO2 resulting in accumulation of CO2 directly under the seal unit because of its buoyancy and strata-bound vertical fractures. Risk assessment shows that lateral movement of CO2 along interconnected fractures requires widespread seals with high integrity to confine the injected CO2.

Earth Battery: An Approach for Reducing the Carbon and Water Intensity of Energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buscheck, T. A.; Bielicki, J. M.; Randolph, J.

2016-12-01

Mitigating climate change requires a range of measures, including increased use of renewable and low-carbon energy and reducing the CO2 intensity of fossil energy use. Our approach, called the Earth Battery, uses the storage of supercritical CO2, N2, or pressurized air to enable utility-scale energy storage needed for increased use of variable renewable energy and low-carbon baseload power. When deployed with CO2, the Earth Battery is designed to address the major deployment barriers to CO2 capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) by managing overpressure and creating a business case for CO2 storage. We use the huge fluid and thermal storage capacity of the earth, together with overpressure driven by CO2, N2, or pressurized air storage, to harvest, store, and dispatch energy from subsurface (geothermal) and surface (solar, fossil) thermal resources, as well as excess energy from electric grids. The storage of CO2, N2, or air enables the earth to function as a low-carbon energy-system hub. Stored CO2, N2, or air plays three key roles: (1) as a supplemental fluid that creates pressure to efficiently recirculate working fluids that store and recover energy, (2) as a working fluid for efficient, low-water-intensity electricity conversion, and (3) as a shock absorber to allow diurnal and seasonal recharge/discharge cycles with minimal pressure oscillations, providing large pressure-storage capacity, with reduced risk of induced seismicity or leakage of stored CO2. To keep reservoir pressures in a safe range, a portion of the produced brine is diverted to generate water. Concentric rings of injection and production wells create a hydraulic divide to store pressure, CO2, N2/air, and thermal energy. Such storage can take excess power from the grid and excess thermal energy, and dispatch that energy when it is demanded. The system is pressurized and heated when power supply exceeds demand and depressurized when demand exceeds supply. The Earth Battery is designed for locations where a permeable geologic formation is overlain by an impermeable formation that constrains migration of buoyant CO2, N2/air, and heated brine. Such geologic conditions exist over half of the contiguous United States. This work was performed under the auspices of the USDOE by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344.

Application of the Basin Characterization Model to Estimate In-Place Recharge and Runoff Potential in the Basin and Range Carbonate-Rock Aquifer System, White Pine County, Nevada, and Adjacent Areas in Nevada and Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Flint, Alan L.; Flint, Lorraine E.

2007-01-01

A regional-scale water-balance model was used to estimate recharge and runoff potential and support U.S. Geological Survey efforts to develop a better understanding of water availability for the Basin and Range carbonate-rock aquifer system (BARCAS) study in White Pine County, Nevada, and adjacent areas in Nevada and Utah. The water-balance model, or Basin Characterization Model (BCM), was used to estimate regional ground-water recharge for the 13 hydrographic areas in the study area. The BCM calculates recharge by using a distributed-parameter, water-balance method and monthly climatic boundary conditions. The BCM requires geographic information system coverages of soil, geology, and topographic information with monthly time-varying climatic conditions of air temperature and precipitation. Potential evapotranspiration, snow accumulation, and snowmelt are distributed spatially with process models. When combined with surface properties of soil-water storage and saturated hydraulic conductivity of bedrock and alluvium, the potential water available for in-place recharge and runoff is calculated using monthly time steps using a grid scale of 866 feet (270 meters). The BCM was used with monthly climatic inputs from 1970 to 2004, and results were averaged to provide an estimate of the average annual recharge for the BARCAS study area. The model estimates 526,000 acre-feet of potential in-place recharge and approximately 398,000 acre-feet of potential runoff. Assuming 15 percent of the runoff becomes recharge, the model estimates average annual ground-water recharge for the BARCAS area of about 586,000 acre-feet. When precipitation is extrapolated to the long-term climatic record (1895-2006), average annual recharge is estimated to be 530,000 acre-feet, or about 9 percent less than the recharge estimated for 1970-2004.

Geochemical Impacts of Leaking CO2 from Subsurface Storage Reservoirs to Unconfined and Confined Aquifers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Qafoku, Nikolla; Brown, Christopher F.; Wang, Guohui

2013-04-15

Experimental research work has been conducted and is undergoing at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to address a variety of scientific issues related with the potential leaks of the carbon dioxide (CO2) gas from deep storage reservoirs. The main objectives of this work are as follows: • Develop a systematic understanding of how CO2 leakage is likely to influence pertinent geochemical processes (e.g., dissolution/precipitation, sorption/desorption and redox reactions) in the aquifer sediments. • Identify prevailing environmental conditions that would dictate one geochemical outcome over another. • Gather useful information to support site selection, risk assessment, policy-making, and public education effortsmore » associated with geological carbon sequestration. In this report, we present results from experiments conducted at PNNL to address research issues related to the main objectives of this effort. A series of batch and column experiments and solid phase characterization studies (quantitative x-ray diffraction and wet chemical extractions with a concentrated acid) were conducted with representative rocks and sediments from an unconfined, oxidizing carbonate aquifer, i.e., Edwards aquifer in Texas, and a confined aquifer, i.e., the High Plains aquifer in Kansas. These materials were exposed to a CO2 gas stream simulating CO2 gas leaking scenarios, and changes in aqueous phase pH and chemical composition were measured in liquid and effluent samples collected at pre-determined experimental times. Additional research to be conducted during the current fiscal year will further validate these results and will address other important remaining issues. Results from these experimental efforts will provide valuable insights for the development of site-specific, generation III reduced order models. In addition, results will initially serve as input parameters during model calibration runs and, ultimately, will be used to test model predictive capability and competency. The results from these investigations will provide useful information to support site selection, risk assessment, and public education efforts associated with geological, deep subsurface CO2 storage and sequestration.« less

Radon potential, geologic formations, and lung cancer risk

PubMed Central

Hahn, Ellen J.; Gokun, Yevgeniya; Andrews, William M.; Overfield, Bethany L.; Robertson, Heather; Wiggins, Amanda; Rayens, Mary Kay

2015-01-01

Objective Exposure to radon is associated with approximately 10% of U.S. lung cancer cases. Geologic rock units have varying concentrations of uranium, producing fluctuating amounts of radon. This exploratory study examined the spatial and statistical associations between radon values and geological formations to illustrate potential population-level lung cancer risk from radon exposure. Method This was a secondary data analysis of observed radon values collected in 1987 from homes (N = 309) in Kentucky and geologic rock formation data from the Kentucky Geological Survey. Radon value locations were plotted on digital geologic maps using ArcGIS and linked to specific geologic map units. Each map unit represented a package of different types of rock (e.g., limestone and/or shale). Log-transformed radon values and geologic formation categories were compared using one-way analysis of variance. Results Observed radon levels varied significantly by geologic formation category. Of the 14 geologic formation categories in north central Kentucky, four were associated with median radon levels, ranging from 8.10 to 2.75 pCi/L. Conclusion Radon potential maps that account for geologic factors and observed radon values may be superior to using observed radon values only. Knowing radon-prone areas could help target population-based lung cancer prevention interventions given the inequities that exist related to radon. PMID:26844090

Policy and procedures for the management and archival storage of data collected for hydrologic investigations, U.S. Geological Survey, Indiana District

USGS Publications Warehouse

Martin, Jeffrey D.; Cohen, David A.

1993-01-01

This report describes the policy and procedures used by the Indiana District of the U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resources Division, to manage and store data collected during hydrologic investigations. It is the policy of the Indiana District that data collected to meet the objectives of projects for hydrologic investigations be documented, organized, and archieved in a manner that (1) facilitates retrieval, evaluation, and use by other District personnel, and (2) enables verifi- cation of data contained in all reports and computer data bases.

Report list Arizona's oil, gas potential

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rauzi, S.L.

2001-01-01

This article is a summary of Arizona geological survey circular 29, which addresses the petroleum geology of Arizona, USA. Eight areas have been identified with fair to excellent oil and gas potential, and some Tertiary basins have evidence of source or reservoir rocks. The following are considered here: production history, lands status and services, regulation and permitting, petroleum geology, hydrocarbon indications, and areas with hydrocarbon potential and their petroleum geology and characteristics. The full report contains detailed figures of each of these basin areas, a descriptive tabulation of seeps and petroliferous rocks and extensive references.

Decay heat power of spent nuclear fuel of power reactors with high burnup at long-term storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ternovykh, Mikhail; Tikhomirov, Georgy; Saldikov, Ivan; Gerasimov, Alexander

2017-09-01

Decay heat power of actinides and fission products from spent nuclear fuel of power VVER-1000 type reactors at long-term storage is calculated. Two modes of storage are considered: mode in which single portion of actinides or fission products is loaded in storage facility, and mode in which actinides or fission products from spent fuel of one VVER reactor are added every year in storage facility during 30 years and then accumulated nuclides are stored without addition new nuclides. Two values of fuel burnup 40 and 70 MW·d/kg are considered for the mode of storage of single fuel unloading. For the mode of accumulation of spent fuel with subsequent storage, one value of burnup of 70 MW·d/kg is considered. Very long time of storage 105 years accepted in calculations allows to simulate final geological disposal of radioactive wastes. Heat power of fission products decreases quickly after 50-100 years of storage. The power of actinides decreases very slow. In passing from 40 to 70 MW·d/kg, power of actinides increases due to accumulation of higher fraction of 244Cm. These data are important in the back end of fuel cycle when improved cooling system of the storage facility will be required along with stronger radiation protection during storage, transportation and processing.

Integrating CO₂ storage with geothermal resources for dispatchable renewable electricity

DOE PAGES

Buscheck, Thomas A.; Bielicki, Jeffrey M.; Chen, Mingjie; ...

2014-12-31

We present an approach that uses the huge fluid and thermal storage capacity of the subsurface, together with geologic CO₂ storage, to harvest, store, and dispatch energy from subsurface (geothermal) and surface (solar, nuclear, fossil) thermal resources, as well as energy from electrical grids. Captured CO₂ is injected into saline aquifers to store pressure, generate artesian flow of brine, and provide an additional working fluid for efficient heat extraction and power conversion. Concentric rings of injection and production wells are used to create a hydraulic divide to store pressure, CO₂, and thermal energy. Such storage can take excess power frommore » the grid and excess/waste thermal energy, and dispatch that energy when it is demanded, enabling increased penetration of variable renewables. Stored CO₂ functions as a cushion gas to provide enormous pressure-storage capacity and displaces large quantities of brine, which can be desalinated and/or treated for a variety of beneficial uses.« less

Pragmatic consideration of geologic carbon storage design based upon historic pressure response to oil and gas production in the southern San Joaquin basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jordan, P. D.

2015-12-01

Annual CO2 emissions from large fixed sources in the southern San Joaquin Valley and vicinity in California are about 20 million metric tons per year (MMT/Y). Cumulative net fluid production due to oil and gas extracted from below the minimum depth for geologic carbon storage (taken as 1,500 m) was 1.4 billion m3 at reservoir conditions as of 2010. At an average CO2 storage density of 0.5 metric tons per m3, this implies 35 years of storage capacity at current emission rates just to refill the vacated volume, neglecting possible reservoir consolidation. However, the production occurred from over 300 pools. The production rate relative to average pressure decline in the more productive pools analyzed suggests they could receive about 2 MMT/Y raising the field average pressure to nearly the fracturing pressure. This would require well fields as extensive as those used for production, instead of the single to few wells per project typically envisioned. Even then, the actual allowable injection rate to the larger pools would be less than 2 MMT/Y in order to keep pressures at the injection well below the fracture pressure. This implies storing 20 MMT/Y would require developing storage operations in tens of pools with hundreds, if not over a thousand, wells. This utilization of one of the basins with the most storage capacity in the state would result in reducing the state's fixed source emissions by only one eighth relative to current emissions. The number of fields and wells involved in achieving this suggests a different strategy might provide more capacity at similar cost. Specifically, staging wells that initially produce water in the vicinity of fewer injection wells could result in both more storage. This water could be directed to a shallower zone, or supplied to the surface at a similar cost. The commencement of ocean water desalination in the state indicates the economics of water supply might support treating this water for beneficial use, particularly if it has a lower salinity than sea water.

Natural analogues for CO2 storage sites - analysis of a global dataset

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miocic, Johannes; Gilfillan, Stuart; McDermott, Christopher; Haszeldine, R. Stuart

2013-04-01

Carbon Capture and Storage is the only industrial scale technology currently available to reduce CO2 emissions from fossil-fuelled power plants and large industrial source to the atmosphere and thus mitigate climate change. CO2 is captured at the source and transported to subsurface storage sites, such as depleted oil and gas fields or saline aquifers. In order to have an effect on emissions and to be considered safe it is crucial that the amount of CO2 leaking from storage sites to shallow aquifers or the surface remains very low (<1% over 1000 years). Some process that influence the safety of a reservoir, such as CO2-rock-brine interactions, can be studied using experiments on both laboratory and field-scale. However, long-term processes such as the development of leakage pathways can only be understood by either predictive modelling or by studying natural CO2 reservoirs as analogues for long term CO2 storage sites. Natural CO2 reservoirs have similar geological trapping mechanisms as anticipated for CO2 storage sites and often have held CO2 for a geological period of time (millions of years) without any indication for leakage. Yet, migration of CO2 from reservoirs to the surface is also common and evidenced by gas seeps such as springs and soil degassing. We have compiled and analysed a dataset comprising of more than 50 natural CO2 reservoirs from different settings all around the globe to provide an overview of the factors that are important for the retention of CO2 in the subsurface and what processes lead to leakage of CO2 from the reservoir. Initial results indicate that if the reservoir is found to be leaking, CO2 migration is along faults and not through caprock layers. This indicates that faults act as fluid pathways and play an important role when characterizing a storage site. Additionally, it appears that overpressure of the overburden and the state of CO2 in the reservoir influence the likelihood of migration and hence the safety of a reservoir.

Petroleum Systems and Geologic Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas, Navarro and Taylor Groups, Western Gulf Province, Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2006-01-01

The purpose of the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) National Oil and Gas Assessment is to develop geologically based hypotheses regarding the potential for additions to oil and gas reserves in priority areas of the United States. The USGS recently completed an assessment of undiscovered oil and gas potential of the Late Cretaceous Navarro and Taylor Groups in the Western Gulf Province in Texas (USGS Province 5047). The Navarro and Taylor Groups have moderate potential for undiscovered oil resources and good potential for undiscovered gas resources. This assessment is based on geologic principles and uses the total petroleum system concept. The geologic elements of a total petroleum system include hydrocarbon source rocks (source rock maturation, hydrocarbon generation and migration), reservoir rocks (sequence stratigraphy and petrophysical properties), and hydrocarbon traps (trap formation and timing). The USGS used this geologic framework to define one total petroleum system and five assessment units. Five assessment units were quantitatively assessed for undiscovered oil and gas resources.

Carbon Capture and Storage

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Friedmann, S

2007-10-03

Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) is the long-term isolation of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through physical, chemical, biological, or engineered processes. This includes a range of approaches including soil carbon sequestration (e.g., through no-till farming), terrestrial biomass sequestration (e.g., through planting forests), direct ocean injection of CO{sub 2} either onto the deep seafloor or into the intermediate depths, injection into deep geological formations, or even direct conversion of CO{sub 2} to carbonate minerals. Some of these approaches are considered geoengineering (see the appropriate chapter herein). All are considered in the 2005 special report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climatemore » Change (IPCC 2005). Of the range of options available, geological carbon sequestration (GCS) appears to be the most actionable and economic option for major greenhouse gas reduction in the next 10-30 years. The basis for this interest includes several factors: (1) The potential capacities are large based on initial estimates. Formal estimates for global storage potential vary substantially, but are likely to be between 800 and 3300 Gt of C (3000 and 10,000 Gt of CO{sub 2}), with significant capacity located reasonably near large point sources of the CO{sub 2}. (2) GCS can begin operations with demonstrated technology. Carbon dioxide has been separated from large point sources for nearly 100 years, and has been injected underground for over 30 years (below). (3) Testing of GCS at intermediate scale is feasible. In the US, Canada, and many industrial countries, large CO{sub 2} sources like power plants and refineries lie near prospective storage sites. These plants could be retrofit today and injection begun (while bearing in mind scientific uncertainties and unknowns). Indeed, some have, and three projects described here provide a great deal of information on the operational needs and field implementation of CCS. Part of this interest comes from several key documents written in the last three years that provide information on the status, economics, technology, and impact of CCS. These are cited throughout this text and identified as key references at the end of this manuscript. When coupled with improvements in energy efficiency, renewable energy supplies, and nuclear power, CCS help dramatically reduce current and future emissions (US CCTP 2005, MIT 2007). If CCS is not available as a carbon management option, it will be much more difficult and much more expensive to stabilize atmospheric CO{sub 2} emissions. Recent estimates put the cost of carbon abatement without CCS to be 30-80% higher that if CCS were to be available (Edmonds et al. 2004).« less

Water resources data for Kansas, water year 1972; Part 1, Surface water records

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thompson, M.L.; Curtis, R. E.

1973-01-01

Surface-water records for the 1972 water year for Kansas, including records of streamflow or reservoir storage at gaging stations and partial-record stations, are given in this report. The locations of the stations are on figures 1 and 2. Records for a few pertinent gaging stations in bordering States also are included. These data represent that part of the National Water Data System collected by the U. S. Geological Survey and cooperating State and Federal agencies in Kansas. The records were collected and computed by the Water Resources Division of the U. S. Geological Survey under the direction of C. W. Lane, district chief. Kansas district personnel who contributed significantly to the collection and preparation of data included in this report were: J. L. Ebling, C. 0. Geiger, K. D. Medina, L. E. Stuliken, C. 0. Peek, J. D. Craig, L. L. Jones, A. T. Klamm, J. P. Marshall, C. W. Kennedy, W. J. Carswell, D. L. Lacock, G. G. Quy II, J. T. Religa, R. D. Thomas, S. V. Bond, S. T. Green, C. G. Sauer, A. B. Evans, A. F. Browning, M. J. Goetz, M. L. Penny, and M. Pabst.Through September 30, 1960, the records of discharge and stage of streams and canals and contents and stage of lakes or reservoirs were published in an annual series of U. S. Geological Survey water-supply papers entitled "Surface Water Supply of the United States."Beginning with the 1961 water year, surface-water records have been released by the Geological Survey in annual reports on a State-boundary basis. Distribution of these reports is limited; they are designed primarily for rapid release of data shortly after the end of the water year to meet local needs. The discharge and reservoir storage records for 1961-65 also have been published in a Geological Survey water-supply paper series entitled "Surface Water Supply of the United States 1961-65."

Water resources data for Kansas, water year 1973; Part 1, Surface water records

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thompson, M.L.; Curtis, R. E.

1974-01-01

Surface-water records for the 1973 water year for Kansas, including records of streamflow or reservoir storage at gaging stations and partial-record stations, are given in this report. The locations of the stations are on figures 1 and 2. Records for a few pertinent gaging stations in bordering States also are included. These data represent that part of the National Water Data System collected by the U. S. Geological Survey and cooperating State and Federal agencies in Kansas. The records were collected and computed by the Water Resources Division of the U. S. Geological Survey under the direction of C. W. Lane, district chief. Kansas district personnel who contributed significantly to the collection and preparation of data included in this report were: J. L. Ebling, C. 0. Geiger, K. D. Medina, C. 0. Peek, J. D. Craig, L. L. Jones, J. P. Marshall, W. J. Carswell, D. L. Lacock, G. G. Quy II, J. T. Religa, R. D. Thomas, S. V. Bond, S. T. Green, C. G. Sauer, L. M. Pope, F. D. Toepfer, A. F. Browning, M. L. Penny, M. Pabst, and L. R. Stringer.Through September 30, 1960, the records of discharge and stage of streams and canals and contents and stage of lakes or reservoirs were published in an annual series of U. S. Geological Survey water-supply papers entitled "Surface Water Supply of the United States."Beginning with the 1961 water year, surface-water records have been released by the Geological Survey in annual reports on a State-boundary basis. Distribution of these reports is limited; they are designed primarily for rapid release of data shortly after the end of the water year to meet local needs. The discharge and reservoir storage records for 1961-65 also have been published in a Geological Survey water-supply paper series entitled "Surface Water Supply of the United States 1961-65."

Microbial lime-mud production and its relation to climate change

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yates, K.K.; Robbins, L.L.; Gerhard, L.C.; Harrison, W.E.; Hanson, B.M.B.

2001-01-01

Microbial calcification has been identified as a significant source of carbonate sediment production in modern marine and lacustrine environments around the globe. This process has been linked to the production of modern whitings and large, micritic carbonate deposits throughout the geologic record. Furthermore, carbonate deposits believed to be the result of cyanobacterial and microalgal calcification suggest that the potential exists for long-term preservation of microbial precipitates and storage of carbon dioxide (CO2). Recent research has advanced our understanding of the microbial-calcification mechanism as a photosynthetically driven process. However, little is known of the effects of this process on inorganic carbon cycling or of the effects of changing climate on microbial-calcification mechanisms.Laboratory experiments on microbial cellular physiology demonstrate that cyanobacteria and green algae can utilize different carbon species for metabolism and calcification. Cyanobacterial calcification relies on bicarbonate (HCO3–)utilization while green algae use primarily CO2. Therefore, depending on which carbonate species (HCO3– or CO2) dominates in the ocean or lacustrine environments (a condition ultimately linked to atmospheric partial pressure PCO2), the origin of lime-mud production by cyanobacteria and/or algae may fluctuate through geologic time. Trends of cyanobacteria versus algal dominance in the rock record corroborate this conclusion. These results suggest that relative species abundances of calcareous cyanobacteria and algae in the Phanerozoic may serve as potential proxies for assessing paleoclimatic conditions, including fluctuations in atmospheric PCO2.

Major occurrences and reservoir concepts of marine clathrate hydrates: Implications of field evidence

USGS Publications Warehouse

Booth, J.S.; Winters, W.J.; Dillon, William P.; Clennell, M.B.; Rowe, M.M.

1998-01-01

This paper is part of the special publication Gas hydrates: relevance to world margin stability and climatic change (eds J.P. Henriet and J. Mienert). Questions concerning clathrate hydrate as an energy resource, as a factor in modifying global climate and as a triggering mechanism for mass movements invite consideration of what factors promote hydrate concentration, and what the quintessential hydrate-rich sediment may be. Gas hydrate field data, although limited, provide a starting point for identifying the environments and processes that lead to more massive concentrations. Gas hydrate zones are up to 30 m thick and the vertical range of occurrence at a site may exceed 200 m. Zones typically occur more than 100m above the phase boundary. Thicker zones are overwhelmingly associated with structural features and tectonism, and often contain sand. It is unclear whether an apparent association between zone thickness and porosity represents a cause-and-effect relationship. The primary control on the thickness of a potential gas hydrate reservoir is the geological setting. Deep water and low geothermal gradients foster thick gas hydrate stability zones (GHSZs). The presence of faults, fractures, etc. can favour migration of gas-rich fluids. Geological processes, such as eustacy or subsidence, may alter the thickness of the GHSZ or affect hydrate concentratiion. Tectonic forces may promote injection of gas into the GHSZ. More porous and permeable sediment, as host sediment properties, increase storage capacity and fluid conductivity, and thus also enhance reservoir potential.

Characterization of the Triassic Newark Basin of New York and New Jersey for geologic storage of carbon dioxide

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Collins, Daniel J.

The Newark Basin is a Triassic-aged rift basin underlying densely populated, industrialized sections of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The Basin is an elongate half-graben encompassing an area of more than 7,510 square-kilometers (2,900 square-miles), and could represent a key storage component for commercial scale management of carbon dioxide emissions via geologic sequestration. The project team first acquired published reports, surface and subsurface maps, and seismic data, which formed the basis for a three-dimensional model framework for the northern end of the Basin incorporating stratigraphic, hydrologic, and water quality data. Field investigations included drilling, coring, and logging of two stratigraphic test borings in Clarkstown, NY (Exit 14 Tandem Lot Well No. 1), drilled to a depth of 2,099 meters (6,885 feet); and Palisades, NY (Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Test Well No. 4) drilled to a depth of 549 meters (1,802 feet). Two two-dimensional seismic reflection data lines arrayed perpendicularly were acquired by Schlumberger/WesternGeco to help characterize the structure and stratigraphy and as part of pre-drilling field screening activities for the deep stratigraphic borehole. A total of 47 meters (155 feet) of continuous whole core was recovered from the Tandem Lot boring from depths of 1,393 meters (4,570 feet) to 1,486 meters (4,877 feet). Twenty-five horizontal rotary cores were collected in mudstones and sandstones in the surface casing hole and fifty-two cores were taken in various lithologies in the deep borehole. Rotary core plugs were analyzed by Weatherford Laboratories for routine and advanced testing. Rotary core plug trim end thin sections were evaluated by the New York State Museum for mineralogical analysis and porosity estimation. Using core samples, Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory designed and completed laboratory experiments and numerical modeling analyses to characterize the dissolution and reaction of carbon dioxide with formation brine and minerals, and resulting effects on injection rate, pressure, effective storage volume, and carbon dioxide migration within a prospective sandstone reservoir.more » $$Three potential porous and permeable sandstone units were identified in the Passaic Formation at the New York State Thruway Exit 14 location. Potential Flow Unit 1, at a depth of 643 meters (2,110 feet) to 751 meters (2,465 feet); Potential Flow Unit 2 at a depth of 853 meters (2,798 feet) to 1,000 meters (3,280 feet); and Potential Flow Unit 3, at a depth of 1,114 meters (3,655 feet) to 1,294 meters (4,250 feet). Reactive transport simulations of interactions between carbon dioxide, brine and formation minerals were carried out to evaluate changes in formation water chemistry, mineral precipitation and dissolution reactions, and any potential resulting effects on formation permeability. The experimental and modeling analyses suggest that mineral precipitation and dissolution reactions (within the target formation) are not expected to lead to significant changes to the underground hydrologic system over time frames (~30 years) typically relevant for carbon dioxide injection operations. Key findings of this basin characterization study include an estimate of carbon dioxide storage capacity in the Newark Basin. Assuming an average porosity of twelve percent and an aquifer volume of 6.1E+12 meters3, calculated ranges of likely storage capacity range from 1.9 – 20.2 gigatonnes under high temperature (low carbon dioxide density) conditions; and 2.9 – 30.2 gigatonnes under low temperature (low carbon dioxide density) conditions. Intra-basin faulting, geometry of the Palisades Sill, and the presence of altered meta-sediments above and below the Sill, increase potential compartmentalization within the basin. A structural/stratigraphic trap type may occur where porous/permeable sediments are cross-cut by the Palisades Sill. Potential injection intervals are present within the Stockton Formation of the Newark Basin. Additional porous/permeable intervals may be present within sandstones of the Passaic Formation, increasing projected storage capacity. Deeper wedges of strata are likely present in the deeper portions of the basin in southern New York and into northern New Jersey. Abundant mudstones are present in the Passaic, Lockatong, and Stockton Formations. These intervals have the requisite petrophysical properties to form effective primary and secondary containment intervals to industrial-scale sequestration of carbon dioxide in the Newark Basin. Hydro-thermally altered meta-sediments in the region immediately surrounding the top and base of the Palisades Sill is devoid of porosity/permeability and forms an additional effective lateral/vertical sealing cap rock.« less

Reactivity of rock and well in a geological storage of CO2 : role of co-injected gases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Renard, S.; Sterpenich, J.; Pironon, J.

2009-04-01

The CO2 capture and geological storage from high emitting sources (coal and gas power plants) is one of a panel of solutions proposed to reduce the global greenhouse gas emissions. Different pre- , post- or oxy-combustion capture processes are now available to separate associated gases (SOx, NOx, etc…) and the CO2. However, complete purification of CO2 is unachievable for cost reasons as well as for CO2 surplus of emissions due to the separation processes. By consequence, a non-negligible part (more or less 5%) of these gases, called "annex gases", could be co-injected with the CO2. Their impact on the chemical stability of reservoir rocks, caprocks and wells has to be evaluated before any large scale injection procedure. Physico-chemical transformations could modify mechanical and injectivity properties of the site and possibly alter storage safety. One of the aims of the CCS pilot project leaded by TOTAL at Lacq (France) is to develop, through a real case study, a methodology for a long-term safe storage qualification. Greenhouse gases are captured from an oxy-combustion power plant, transported along 30 km to the carbonate reservoir of Rousse at around 4500 m in depth. The study presented here is focused on laboratory simulations of geochemical interactions between the reservoir rock (fractured dolomite), the caprock (marl) and the injected CO2 with some potential annex gases. In the same time, experiments are performed on the reactivity of reference minerals such as calcite, dolomite, muscovite, quartz and pyrite to better understand the implication of each phase on bulk rock reactivity. Moreover, well reactivity is observed through specific steel and cement used by petroleum industry. Two annex gases (SO2 and NO) have been selected.. Their reactivity is compared to that of N2 considered as an inert annex gas from a chemical point of view. Solid samples are placed in 1cm3 gold capsules in presence or not of water with a salinity of 25 NaCl g/l. Gases are hermetically transferred by cold trap into the gold reactors that are sealed by electrical welding and placed in an autoclave during one month at 150˚ C and 100 bar, which represent the geological conditions in the Rousse reservoir after two years of injection. After experiments, solid samples (rock, cement, steel) are observed and analysed with different techniques (SEM, TEM, Raman and XRD). Gases are also collected and analysed by Raman spectrometry whereas the aqueous solution is analysed with ICP-MS, ICP-AES and ionic chromatography. As sampling methods cannot be used during experiment the synthetic fluid inclusions technique has been developed to trap and analyse the fluids in experimental conditions. It allows to characterise the number of phase and the nature of dissolved species. Mass balances are established in order to quantify the reaction rates. This study shows the first results concerning the mineralogical transformation of rocks and well materials that have undergone CO2and co-injected annex gases. The results are used to better constrain thermodynamical approaches leading to a predictive geochemical modelling. The results are interpreted in terms of petrophysical and chemical impacts of the injected gases on the mineral assemblages of a storage site. This work is supported by TOTAL and ADEME (national agency for energy control and development, France).

10 CFR 2.1012 - Compliance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Compliance. 2.1012 Section 2.1012 Energy NUCLEAR... Geologic Repository § 2.1012 Compliance. (a) If the Department of Energy fails to make its initial... storage media in a format consistent with NRC regulations and guidance, or for non-compliance with any...

Molecular Gibbs Surface Excess and CO2-Hydrate Density Determine the Strong Temperature- and Pressure-Dependent Supercritical CO2-Brine Interfacial Tension.

PubMed

Ji, Jiayuan; Zhao, Lingling; Tao, Lu; Lin, Shangchao

2017-06-29

In CO 2 geological storage, the interfacial tension (IFT) between supercritical CO 2 and brine is critical for the storage capacitance design to prevent CO 2 leakage. IFT relies not only on the interfacial molecule properties but also on the environmental conditions at different storage sites. In this paper, supercritical CO 2 -NaCl solution systems are modeled at 343-373 K and 6-35 MPa under the salinity of 1.89 mol/L using molecular dynamics simulations. After computing and comparing the molecular density profile across the interface, the atomic radial distribution function, the molecular orientation distribution, the molecular Gibbs surface excess (derived from the molecular density profile), and the CO 2 -hydrate number density under the above environmental conditions, we confirm that only the molecular Gibbs surface excess of CO 2 molecules and the CO 2 -hydrate number density correlate strongly with the temperature- and pressure-dependent IFTs. We also compute the populations of two distinct CO 2 -hydrate structures (T-type and H-type) and attribute the observed dependence of IFTs to the dominance of the more stable, surfactant-like T-type CO 2 -hydrates at the interface. On the basis of these new molecular mechanisms behind IFT variations, this study could guide the rational design of suitable injecting environmental pressure and temperature conditions. We believe that the above two molecular-level metrics (Gibbs surface excess and hydrate number density) are of great fundamental importance for understanding the supercritical CO 2 -water interface and engineering applications in geological CO 2 storage.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

White, Mark D.; McPherson, Brian J.; Grigg, Reid B.

Numerical simulation is an invaluable analytical tool for scientists and engineers in making predictions about of the fate of carbon dioxide injected into deep geologic formations for long-term storage. Current numerical simulators for assessing storage in deep saline formations have capabilities for modeling strongly coupled processes involving multifluid flow, heat transfer, chemistry, and rock mechanics in geologic media. Except for moderate pressure conditions, numerical simulators for deep saline formations only require the tracking of two immiscible phases and a limited number of phase components, beyond those comprising the geochemical reactive system. The requirements for numerically simulating the utilization and storagemore » of carbon dioxide in partially depleted petroleum reservoirs are more numerous than those for deep saline formations. The minimum number of immiscible phases increases to three, the number of phase components may easily increase fourfold, and the coupled processes of heat transfer, geochemistry, and geomechanics remain. Public and scientific confidence in the ability of numerical simulators used for carbon dioxide sequestration in deep saline formations has advanced via a natural progression of the simulators being proven against benchmark problems, code comparisons, laboratory-scale experiments, pilot-scale injections, and commercial-scale injections. This paper describes a new numerical simulator for the scientific investigation of carbon dioxide utilization and storage in partially depleted petroleum reservoirs, with an emphasis on its unique features for scientific investigations; and documents the numerical simulation of the utilization of carbon dioxide for enhanced oil recovery in the western section of the Farnsworth Unit and represents an early stage in the progression of numerical simulators for carbon utilization and storage in depleted oil reservoirs.« less

Simulation of CO₂ leakages during injection and storage in sub-seabed geological formations: metal mobilization and biota effects.

PubMed

Rodríguez-Romero, Araceli; Basallote, M Dolores; De Orte, Manoela R; DelValls, T Ángel; Riba, Inmaculada; Blasco, Julián

2014-07-01

To assess the potential effects on metal mobilization due to leakages of CO2 during its injection and storage in marine systems, an experimental set-up was devised and operated, using the polychaete Hediste diversicolor as the model organism. The objective was to study the effects of such leakage in the expected scenarios of pH values between 8.0 and 6.0. Polychaetes were exposed for 10 days to seawater with sediment samples collected in two different coastal areas, one with relatively uncontaminated sediment as reference (RSP) and the other with known contaminated sediment (ML), under pre-determined pH conditions. Survival and metal accumulation (Al, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, As and Hg) in the whole body of H. diversicolor were employed as endpoints. Mortality was significant at the lowest pH level in the sediment with highest metal concentrations. In general, metal concentrations in tissues of individuals exposed to the contaminated sediment were influenced by pH. These results indicate that ocean acidification due to CO2 leakages would provoke increased metal mobilization, causing adverse side effects in sediment toxicity. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optimisation of the Management of Higher Activity Waste in the UK - 13537

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Walsh, Ciara; Buckley, Matthew

2013-07-01

The Upstream Optioneering project was created in the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (UK) to support the development and implementation of significant opportunities to optimise activities across all the phases of the Higher Activity Waste management life cycle (i.e. retrieval, characterisation, conditioning, packaging, storage, transport and disposal). The objective of the Upstream Optioneering project is to work in conjunction with other functions within NDA and the waste producers to identify and deliver solutions to optimise the management of higher activity waste. Historically, optimisation may have occurred on aspects of the waste life cycle (considered here to include retrieval, conditioning, treatment, packaging, interimmore » storage, transport to final end state, which may be geological disposal). By considering the waste life cycle as a whole, critical analysis of assumed constraints may lead to cost savings for the UK Tax Payer. For example, it may be possible to challenge the requirements for packaging wastes for disposal to deliver an optimised waste life cycle. It is likely that the challenges faced in the UK are shared in other countries. It is therefore likely that the opportunities identified may also apply elsewhere, with the potential for sharing information to enable value to be shared. (authors)« less

Non-volcanic CO2 Earth degassing: Case of Mefite d'Ansanto (southern Apennines), Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiodini, G.; Granieri, D.; Avino, R.; Caliro, S.; Costa, A.; Minopoli, C.; Vilardo, G.

2010-06-01

Mefite d'Ansanto, southern Apennines, Italy is the largest natural emission of low temperature CO2 rich gases, from non-volcanic environment, ever measured in the Earth. The emission is fed by a buried reservoir, made up of permeable limestones and covered by clayey sediments. We estimated a total gas flux of ˜2000 tons per day. Under low wind conditions, the gas flows along a narrow natural channel producing a persistent gas river which has killed over a period of time people and animals. The application of a physical numerical model allowed us to define the zones which potentially can be affected by dangerous CO2 concentration at breathing height for humans. The geometry of the Mefite gas reservoir is similar to those designed for sequestering CO2 in geological storage projects where huge amounts of CO2 should be injected in order to reduce atmospheric CO2 concentration. The approach which we have used at Mefite to define hazardous zones for the human health can be applied also in case of large CO2 leakages from storage sites, a phenomena which, even if improbable, can not be ruled out.

Surficial geologic map of the Germantown quadrangle, Shelby County, Tennessee

USGS Publications Warehouse

Arsdale, Roy Van

2004-01-01

The depiction of geology on this map is designed to aid in urban planning and analysis of potential damage in the event of strong earthquake motion. The geologic map by itself does not analyze potential earthquake damage, but is designed to be used by seismologists who perform such analyses. The nature of geologic materials to a degree determines the severity of damage to infrastructure sustained during a strong earthquake.