Geologic factors controlling CO2 storage capacity and permanence: case studies based on experience with heterogeneity in oil and gas reservoirs applied to CO2 storage

A variety of structural and stratigraphic factors control geological heterogeneity, inferred to influence both sequestration capacity and effectiveness, as well as seal capacity. Structural heterogeneity factors include faults, folds, and fracture intensity. Stratigraphic heterogeneity is primarily controlled by the geometry of depositional facies and sandbody continuity, which controls permeability structure. The permeability structure, in turn, has implications for CO₂ injectivity and near-term migration pathways, whereas the long-term sequestration capacity can be inferred from the production history. Examples of Gulf Coast oil and gas reservoirs with differing styles of stratigraphic heterogeneity demonstrate the impact of facies variability on fluid flow and CO₂ sequestration potential. Beach and barrier-island deposits in West Ranch field in southeast Texas are homogeneous and continuous. In contrast, Seeligson and Stratton fields in south Texas, examples of major heterogeneity in fluvial systems, are composed of discontinuous, channel-fill sandstones confined to narrow, sinuous belts. These heterogeneous deposits contain limited compartments for potential CO₂ storage, although CO₂ sequestration effectiveness may be enhanced by the high number of intraformational shale beds. These field examples demonstrate that areas for CO₂ storage can be optimized by assessing sites for enhanced oil and gas recovery in mature hydrocarbon provinces.     

On leakage and seepage of CO2 from geologic storage sites into surface water

Geologic carbon sequestration is the capture of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO₂) and its storage in deep geologic formations. The processes of CO₂ seepage into surface water after migration through water-saturated sediments are reviewed. Natural CO₂ and CH₄ fluxes are pervasive in surface-water environments and are good analogues to potential leakage and seepage of CO₂. Buoyancy-driven bubble rise in surface water reaches a maximum velocity of approximately 30 cm s⁻¹. CO₂ rise in saturated porous media tends to occur as channel flow rather than bubble flow. A comparison of ebullition versus dispersive gas transport for CO₂ and CH₄ shows that bubble flow will dominate over dispersion in surface water. Gaseous CO₂ solubility in variable-salinity waters decreases as pressure decreases leading to greater likelihood of ebullition and bubble flow in surface water as CO₂ migrates upward.     

温室气体CO2与钠长石相互作用实验研究

为寻求减缓全球变暖的途径,利用高压釜,开展不同温度下(75、100、125、150和175℃)CO₂与钠长石的水热实验研究,以探讨CO₂在长石砂岩中地质封存的可能性。结果表明,随着温度的升高,钠长石溶蚀强度逐渐增强,在150℃左右开始有菱镁矿、菱铁矿等碳酸盐矿物生成,175℃新矿物生成量增加,这表明CO₂能够以碳酸盐矿物的形式在含钠长石的长石砂岩中以矿物的形式被“固定”,其被“固定”的温度在150℃左右。     

Dawsonite fixation of mantle CO2 in the cretaceous Songliao Basin,Northeast China: a natural analogue for CO2 mineral trapping in oilfields

Abundant crude oil and CO₂ gas coexist in the fourth member of the Upper Cretaceous Quantou reservoir in the Huazijing Step of the southern Songliao Basin, China. Here, we present results of a petrographic characterization of this reservoir based on polarizing microscope, X-ray diffraction, fluid inclusion, and carbon–oxygen isotopic data. These data were used to identify whether CO₂ might be trapped in minerals after the termination of a CO₂-enhanced oil recovery (EOR) project, and to determine what effects might the presence of CO₂ have on the properties of crude oil in the reservoir. The crude oil reservoir in the study area, which coexists with mantle-derived CO₂, is hosted by dawsonite-bearing lithic arkoses and feldspathic litharenites. These sediments are characterized by a paragenetic sequence of clay, quartz overgrowth, first-generation calcite, dawsonite, second-generation calcite, and ankerite. The dawsonite analysed during this study exhibits δ¹³ C (Peedee Belemnite, PDB) values of ?4.97‰ to 0.67‰, which is indicative for the formation of magmatic–mantle CO₂. The paragenesis and compositions of fluid inclusions in the dawsonite-bearing sandstones record a sequence of two separate filling events, the first involving crude oil and the second involving magmatic–mantle CO₂. The presence of prolate primary hydrocarbon inclusions within the dawsonite indicates that these minerals precipitated from oil-bearing pore fluids at temperatures of 94–97°C, in turn suggesting that CO₂ could be stored as carbonate minerals after the termination of a CO₂-EOR project. In addition, the crude oil in the basin would become less dense after deposition of bitumen by deasphalting the injection of CO₂ gas into the oil pool.     

On CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> fluid flow and heat transfer behavior in the subsurface,following leakage from a geologic storage reservoir

Geologic storage of CO₂ is expected to produce plumes of large areal extent, and some leakage may occur along fractures, fault zones, or improperly plugged pre-existing wellbores. A review of physical and chemical processes accompanying leakage suggests a potential for self-enhancement. The numerical simulations presented here confirm this expectation, but reveal self-limiting features as well. It seems unlikely that CO₂ leakage could trigger a high-energy run-away discharge, a so-called “pneumatic eruption,” but present understanding is insufficient to rule out this possibility. The most promising avenue for increasing understanding of CO₂ leakage behavior is the study of natural analogues.     

四川盆地理论CO_2地质利用与封存潜力评估

结合CO_2地质利用与封存技术机理,在国际权威潜力评估公式的基础上,系统地提出了适合中国地质背景的次盆地尺度CO_2封存潜力评估方法及关键参数取值。同时,以四川盆地为例,依次开展了枯竭油田地质封存与CO_2强化石油开采、枯竭气田与CO_2强化采气、不可采煤层地质封存与CO_2驱替煤层气,以及咸水层地质封存技术的CO_2地质封存潜力。结果表明,四川盆地利用深部咸水层与枯竭天然气田CO_2地质封存潜力最大,期望值分别达154.20×10~8t和53.73×10~8t。其中,枯竭天然气田因成藏条件好、勘探程度高、基础建设完善,为四川盆地及其周边利用枯竭气田CO_2地质封存技术实现低碳减排提供了早期示范机会。CO_2地质利用与封存潜力评估方法,对进一步开展全国次盆地尺度理论封存潜力评估与工程规划具有重要意义。     

二氧化碳羽流地热系统的碳封存经济分析

【研究目的】 二氧化碳羽流地热系统（CPGS）在取热的同时可实现CO₂地质封存，在碳达峰与碳中和背景下，CPGS碳封存的经济性是众多学者关注的要点。【研究方法】 以松辽盆地泉头组为例，采用数值模拟方法对比分析了注入压力、井间距与回注温度对热提取率的影响，在供暖情景下，计算了CPGS供暖效益与碳封存成本，并与常规水热型地热系统供暖效益进行了对比。【研究结果】 受携热介质转变与热突破影响，CPGS开采井温度呈现“降低-稳定-降低”的趋势，其中井间距对开采井温降影响显著，井间距越小开采井温降越明显；热提取率与回注压力呈现正相关性，与回注温度呈现负相关性，井间距对热提取率影响不显著；CPGS与常规水热型地热系统相比，采热量呈现“高-低-高”三个阶段，其中回注压力越小、回注温度与储层温度越接近，实现CPGS较水介质多采热能所需的时间越短。【结论】 仅考虑CO₂价格与取热效益，供暖收益抵消部分碳封存成本后，井间距对CO₂封存单位成本影响最为显著，井间距越小，CO₂封存单位成本降低越迅速，在注采井间距300 m条件下，持续开采30 a后CO₂封存单位成本可降至160元/t。     

Natural and industrial analogues for leakage of CO2 from storage reservoirs: identification of features, events, and processes and lessons learned

Instances of gas leakage from naturally occurring CO₂ reservoirs and natural gas storage sites serve as analogues for the potential release of CO₂ from geologic storage sites. This paper summarizes and compares the features, events, and processes that can be identified from these analogues, which include both naturally occurring releases and those associated with industrial processes. The following conclusions are drawn: (1) carbon dioxide can accumulate beneath, and be released from, primary and secondary shallower reservoirs with capping units located at a wide range of depths; (2) many natural releases of CO₂ are correlated with a specific event that triggered the release; (3) unsealed fault and fracture zones may act as conduits for CO₂ flow from depth to the surface; (4) improperly constructed or abandoned wells can rapidly release large quantities of CO₂; (5) the types of CO₂ release at the surface vary widely between and within different leakage sites; (6) the hazard to human health was small in most cases, possibly because of implementation of post-leakage public education and monitoring programs; (7) while changes in groundwater chemistry were related to CO₂ leakage, waters often remained potable. Lessons learned for risk assessment associated with geologic carbon sequestration are discussed. Electronic supplementary material Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at and is accessible for authorized users.     

Air-sea exchange of CO2 in the Gulf of Kutch,northern Arabian Sea based on bomb-carbon in corals and tree rings

Radiocarbon analyses were carried out in the annual bands of a 40 year old coral collected from the Gulf of Kutch (22.6°N, 70°E) in the northern Arabian Sea and in the annual rings of a teak tree from Thane (19°14′N, 73°24′E) near Bombay. These measurements were made in order to obtain the rates of air-sea exchange of CO₂ and the advective mixing of water in the Gulf of Kutch. The Δ¹⁴C peak in the Thane tree occurs in the year 1964, with a value of ∼630‰, significantly lower than that of the mean atmospheric Δ¹⁴C of the northern hemisphere (∼ 1000‰). The radiocarbon time series of the coral was modelled considering the supply of carbon and radiocarbon to the gulf through air-sea exchange and advective water transport from the open Arabian Sea. A reasonable fit for the coral data was obtained with an air-sea CO₂ exchange rate of 11–12 mol m⁻² yr⁻¹, and an advective velocity of 28 m yr⁻¹ between the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Kutch; this was based on a model generated time series for radiocarbon in the Arabian Sea. The deduced velocity (∼ 28 m yr⁻¹) of the advective transport of water between the gulf and the Arabian Sea is much lower than the surface tidal current velocity in this region, but can be understood in terms of net fluxes of carbon and radiocarbon to the gulf to match the observed coral Δ¹⁴C time series.     

Seal integrity and feasibility of CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> sequestration in the Teapot Dome EOR pilot: geomechanical site characterization

This paper reports a preliminary investigation of CO₂ sequestration and seal integrity at Teapot Dome oil field, Wyoming, USA, with the objective of predicting the potential risk of CO₂ leakage along reservoir-bounding faults. CO₂ injection into reservoirs creates anomalously high pore pressure at the top of the reservoir that could potentially hydraulically fracture the caprock or trigger slip on reservoir-bounding faults. The Tensleep Formation, a Pennsylvanian age eolian sandstone is evaluated as the target horizon for a pilot CO₂ EOR-carbon storage experiment, in a three-way closure trap against a bounding fault, termed the S1 fault. A preliminary geomechanical model of the Tensleep Formation has been developed to evaluate the potential for CO₂ injection inducing slip on the S1 fault and thus threatening seal integrity. Uncertainties in the stress tensor and fault geometry have been incorporated into the analysis using Monte Carlo simulation. The authors find that even the most pessimistic risk scenario would require ∼10 MPa of excess pressure to cause the S1 fault to reactivate and provide a potential leakage pathway. This would correspond to a CO₂ column height of ∼1,500 m, whereas the structural closure of the Tensleep Formation in the pilot injection area does not exceed 100 m. It is therefore apparent that CO₂ injection is not likely to compromise the S1 fault stability. Better constraint of the least principal stress is needed to establish a more reliable estimate of the maximum reservoir pressure required to hydrofracture the caprock.     

Acid-gas injection at West Stoddart, British Columbia: An analogue for the detailed hydrogeological characterization of a CO2 sequestration site

Geological sequestration of CO₂ is an option for significantly reducing emissions into the atmosphere. Various hydrocarbon companies in western Canada are currently injecting acid-gas (CO₂ and H₂S) into deep subsurface formations. At West Stoddart, in northeast British Columbia, acid-gas has been injected since 1998 at 1600 m depth into sandstones of the Triassic Halfway Formation, which forms a regional aquifer. A comprehensive subsurface characterization was conducted of the regional and local-scale geology, reservoir characteristics, mineralogy, in situ fluid properties, and hydrogeology. Preliminary results from geochemical and numerical multi-phase flow modelling suggest that the majority of the injected acid-gas will dissolve in the formation water and remain within a radius of a few kilometres of the injection well. The experience with the acid-gas injection at West Stoddart and other operations in the Alberta Basin has shown that the process of large-scale CO₂-injection into deep aquifers is technically feasible.     

二氧化碳地质封存中的储存容量评估：问题和研究进展

二氧化碳地质封存被认为是一项非常有潜力的CO₂减排技术。其中对CO₂地质储存能力的评估可作为某一国家、某一区域或某一具体储层是否适合CO₂地质封存开展的判断依据之一。但目前的研究结果表明,对CO₂地质储存容量的评估并不是一个简单而直接的过程。介绍了由碳封存领导人论坛（CSFL）提出的用于不可采煤层、油气储层和深部咸水含水层中CO₂储存容量评估的方法。总结了影响CO₂地质储存容量评估的主要因素,为我国在CO₂地质封存领域研究的广泛合作提出了建议,有助于推动该技术在中国的深入开展。     

桂林盘龙洞岩溶表层带土壤CO2浓度的季节变化研究

以桂林盘龙洞岩溶实验场为例,选择岩溶洼地里的坡地和洼地2个样地,通过长期定时监测土壤CO2浓度变化,表明:(1)土壤CO2浓度具有明显的季节性变化特征,夏季(6-8月)土壤CO2浓度是其它时期的2～3倍,并显示与气温、降水和生物活动密切相关;(2)洼地地段土壤CO2浓度比坡地地段要高,尤其夏季时洼地比坡地高近1000mg/m2;(3)在垂直剖面上,大多数的情况下土壤CO2浓度随土壤深度的递增而升高,但在雨季时坡地(-50cm与-80cm处)和洼地(-80cm与-100cm处)的土壤CO2浓度随深度的增加而降低。      

富CO2深部流体对碳酸盐岩的溶蚀-充填作用的热力学分析

由于广泛而强烈的岩浆作用,我国东部的松辽、渤海湾、莺歌海以及西部的塔里木等盆地中都有富CO₂深部流体的活动。富CO₂深部流体与碳酸盐岩相互作用可用Duan and Li(2008)所建立的CO₂-H₂O-CaCO₃-NaCl体系的热力学模型来进行模拟计算。计算结果表明,富CO₂深部流体在自深部向浅部运移过程中对CaCO₃的溶解度会逐渐增加,到达一定深度后溶解度达到最大值,再向浅部溶解度开始逐渐降低; 也就是深部流体具有深部溶蚀碳酸盐岩-浅部沉淀碳酸盐矿物的规律。与浅部地层中的流体发生混合会使流体的CO₂含量和盐度降低,会导致CaCO₃的沉淀充填; 深部流体进入开启性断裂/裂缝体系中时,由于压力的降低,也会发生CaCO₃的沉淀充填。深部流体的CO₂含量、盐度、温度和压力的变化影响着实际的溶蚀-充填过程。塔中地区钻井也揭示了深部下奥陶统碳酸盐岩中发育有丰富的溶蚀孔隙,而在相对浅部的奥陶系灰岩和志留系砂岩中见有大量方解石的充填,这是富CO₂流体深部溶蚀-浅部充填的一个较好的实例。基于理论和实际分析,本文认为在岩浆火山作用广泛发育的塔里木等盆地中下古生界深部优质碳酸盐岩储层存在的可能性。     

Site characterisation of a basin-scale CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> geological storage system: Gippsland Basin,southeast Australia

Geological storage of CO₂ in the offshore Gippsland Basin, Australia, is being investigated by the Cooperative Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Technologies (CO2CRC) as a possible method for storing the very large volumes of CO₂ emissions from the nearby Latrobe Valley area. A storage capacity of about 50 million tonnes of CO₂ per annum for a 40-year injection period is required, which will necessitate several individual storage sites to be used both sequentially and simultaneously, but timed such that existing hydrocarbon assets will not be compromised. Detailed characterisation focussed on the Kingfish Field area as the first site to be potentially used, in the anticipation that this oil field will be depleted within the period 2015–2025. The potential injection targets are the interbedded sandstones of the Paleocene-Eocene upper Latrobe Group, regionally sealed by the Lakes Entrance Formation. The research identified several features to the offshore Gippsland Basin that make it particularly favourable for CO₂ storage. These include: a complex stratigraphic architecture that provides baffles which slow vertical migration and increase residual gas trapping and dissolution; non-reactive reservoir units that have high injectivity; a thin, suitably reactive, lower permeability marginal reservoir just below the regional seal providing mineral trapping; several depleted oil fields that provide storage capacity coupled with a transient production-induced flow regime that enhances containment; and long migration pathways beneath a competent regional seal. This study has shown that the Gippsland Basin has sufficient capacity to store very large volumes of CO₂. It may provide a solution to the problem of substantially reducing greenhouse gas emissions from future coal developments in the Latrobe Valley.     

全国二氧化碳地质储存适宜性评价编图技术方法研究

将全国CO2地质储存潜力与适宜性评价工作划分为5个阶段,依次为区域级预测潜力(E级)评价、盆地级推定潜力(D级)评价、目标区级控制潜力(C级)评价、场地级基础储存量(B级)评价和灌注级工程储存量(A级)评价阶段.第一阶段编制的成果图件主要为全国1∶500万CO2地质储存成果图系;第二、三阶段主要编制沉积盆地CO2地质储存成果图集;第四、五阶段主要编制CO2地质储存示范工程成果图册.提出中国CO2地质储存潜力与适宜性评价和编图是一项有步骤、分阶段逐步完成的工程,评价及编图方法有待通过潜力与适宜性评价和编图的实践不断完善.     

水射流破碎联合CO2置换开采天然气水合物新工艺及实验研究

本文对目前开采天然气水合物的5种方法进行了归纳总结,重点分析了CO₂置换开采以及固体开采法,并通过分析这2种开采方法的优劣势,提出了水射流冲蚀、破碎海洋天然气水合物储层联合CO₂置换开采天然气水合物的新思路。水射流冲蚀、破坏水合物储层后形成的采空区能为CO₂提供更好的储藏空间并提高其与储层的作用面积,提高置换效率;封存的CO₂水合物也可以提高水合物储层的稳定性,具有良好的互补效应。实验结果表明,在整个置换过程中,含采空区储层CH₄置换率为24.3%,CO₂封存率为22.1%;完整储层CH₄置换率为15.3%,CO₂封存率为20.9%,置换率提升约59%,封存率提升约5.7%。采空区的作用主要体现在提升水合物置换介质的注入量上。     

Assessment of soil moisture influence on CO2 flux: a laboratory experiment

Accurate measurements to assess the influence of soil moisture on CO₂ flux requires the absolute estimates of soil CO₂ flux. Thus, it was constructed a calibration system where CO₂ with fixed concentration flowed through the different porous material. Previous to measurement, in order to verify the performance and reliability of a closed dynamic chamber, different discontinuous air-mixing rates and times were tested. The CO₂ flux was estimated through sequential lectures and the best fit for flux measurements was obtained taking short readings every 3 min, during a total time of 12 min (R ² = 0.99). The best mixing rate was attained for 250 mL min⁻¹, allowing 25 s of mixing previous to CO₂ extraction for an infrared gas analyzer. The deviation of the measured values for dry sand from the reference CO₂ flux (0.097 and 0.071 g m⁻² min⁻¹) was 5 and 7%. On dry sandy loam soil (SLS) the deviation was 2%. The measured fluxes decreased 73 and 22% with content moisture of 20 and 10% (sand), and 78% with content moisture of 31% (SLS). This work allowed to estimate how much the measured emission rates deviate from the true ones for the specified chamber and sampling conditions.     

CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> leakage through an abandoned well: problem-oriented benchmarks

The efficiency and sustainability of carbon dioxide (CO₂) storage in deep geological formations crucially depends on the integrity of the overlying cap-rocks. Existing oil and gas wells, which penetrate the formations, are potential leakage pathways. This problem has been discussed in the literature, and a number of investigations using semi-analytical mathematical approaches have been carried out by other authors to quantify leakage rates. The semi-analytical results are based on a number of simplifying assumptions. Thus, it is of great interest to assess the influence of these assumptions. We use a numerical model to compare the results with those of the semi-analytical model. Then we ease the simplifying restrictions and include more complex thermodynamic processes including sub- and supercritical fluid properties of CO₂ and non-isothermal as well as compositional effects. The aim is to set up problem-oriented benchmark examples that allow a comparison of different modeling approaches to the problem of CO₂ leakage.     

Inducing fractures and increasing cleat apertures in a bituminous coal under isotropic stress via application of microwave energy

For the degassing of coal seams, either prior to mining or in un-minable seams to obtain coalbed methane, it is the combination of cleat frequency, aperture, connectivity, stress, and mineral occlusions that control permeability. Unfortunately, many potential coalbeds have limited permeability and are thus marginal for economic methane extraction. Enhanced coalbed methane production, with concurrent CO₂ sequestration is also challenging due to limited CO₂ injectivity. Microwave energy can, in the absence of confining stress, induce fractures in coal. Here, creation of new fractures and increasing existing cleat apertures via short burst, high-energy microwave energy was evaluated for an isotropically stressed and an unstressed bituminous coal core. A microwave-transparent argon gas pressurized (1000 psi) polycarbonate vessel was constructed to apply isotropic stress simulating ~ 1800 foot depth. Cleat frequency and distribution was determined for the two cores via micro-focused X-ray computed tomography. Evaluation occurred before and after microwave exposure with and without the application of isotropic stress during exposure. Optical microscopy was performed for tomography cleat aperture calibration and also to examine lithotypes influences on fracture: initiation, propagation, frequency, and orientation. It was confirmed that new fractures are induced via high-energy microwave exposure in an unconfined bituminous core and that the aperture increased in existing cleats. Cleat/fracture volume, following microwave exposure increased from 1.8% to 16.1% of the unconfined core volume. For the first time, similar observations of fracture generation and aperture enhancement in coal were also determined for microwave exposure under isotropic stress conditions. An existing cleat aperture, determined from calibrated X-ray computed tomography increased from 0.17 mm to 0.32 mm. The cleat/fracture volume increased from 0.5% to 5.5%. Optical microscopy indicated that fracture initiated likely occurred in at least some cases at fusain microlithotypes. Presumably this was due to the open pore volumes and potential for bulk water presence or steam pressure buildup in these locations. For the major induced fractures, they were mostly horizontal (parallel to the bedding plane) and often contained within lithotype bands. Thus it appears likely that microwaves have the potential to enhance the communication between horizontal wellbore and existing cleat network, in coal seams at depth, for improved gas recovery or CO₂ injection.