Screening and ranking framework for geologic CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> storage site selection on the basis of health,safety, and environmental risk

A screening and ranking framework (SRF) has been developed to evaluate potential geologic carbon dioxide (CO₂) storage sites on the basis of health, safety, and environmental (HSE) risk arising from CO₂ leakage. The approach is based on the assumption that CO₂ leakage risk 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. The framework is implemented in a spreadsheet in which users enter numerical scores representing expert opinions or published information along with estimates of uncertainty. Applications to three sites in California demonstrate the approach. Refinements and extensions are possible through the use of more detailed data or model results in place of property proxies.     

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.     

The double solid reactant method: II. An application to the shallow groundwaters of the Porto Plain,Vulcano Island (Italy)

This paper presents an example of application of the double solid reactant method (DSRM) of Accornero and Marini (Environmental Geology, 2007a), an effective way for modeling the fate of several dissolved trace elements during water–rock interaction. The EQ3/6 software package was used for simulating the irreversible water–rock mass transfer accompanying the generation of the groundwaters of the Porto Plain shallow aquifer, starting from a degassed diluted crateric steam condensate. Reaction path modeling was performed in reaction progress mode and under closed-system conditions. The simulations assumed: (1) bulk dissolution (i.e., without any constraint on the kinetics of dissolution/precipitation reactions) of a single solid phase, a leucite-latitic glass, and (2) precipitation of amorphous silica, barite, alunite, jarosite, anhydrite, kaolinite, a solid mixture of smectites, fluorite, a solid mixture of hydroxides, illite-K, a solid mixture of saponites, a solid mixture of trigonal carbonates and a solid mixture of orthorhombic carbonates. Analytical concentrations of major chemical elements and several trace elements (Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Sr and Ba) in groundwaters were satisfactorily reproduced. In addition to these simulations, similar runs for a rhyolite, a latite and a trachyte permitted to calculate major oxide contents for the authigenic paragenesis which are comparable, to a first approximation, with the corresponding data measured for local altered rocks belonging to the silicic, advanced argillic and intermediate argillic alteration facies. The important role played by both the solid mixture of trigonal carbonates as sequestrator of Mn, Zn, Cu and Ni and the solid mixture of orthorhombic carbonates as scavenger of Sr and Ba is emphasized.

Experimental constraints on the effects of pressure and H2O on the fractional crystallization of high-Mg island arc basalt

H₂O-undersaturated melting experiments of synthesized basalt (SiO₂ = 50.7 wt.%, MgO = 8.3 wt.%, Mg# = 60) were conducted at fO₂ corresponding to NNO+1 and NNO−1 to clarify the effects of pressure (2–7 kbar) and H₂O on fractional crystallization in island arcs. H₂O content was ranged from nominally anhydrous to 4.4 wt.%. Differentiation trends, namely the liquid lines of descent, change sensitively according to pressure-H₂O relations. Tholeiitic differentiation trends are reproduced with H₂O ≤ ∼2 wt.% in primary magma. With such quantities of H₂O, fractional crystallization is controlled by olivine + plagioclase at 2 kbar. Increasing the pressure from 2 to ≥4 kbar induces early crystallization of orthopyroxene instead of olivine and therefore SiO₂ enrichment in the residual melts is suppressed. Increasing H₂O (≥ ∼2 wt.% in primary magma) stabilizes clinopyroxene relative to orthopyroxene and/or magnetite. Although the phase relations and proportions strongly depend on fO₂ and H₂O content, differentiation trends are always calc-alkaline.     

Room-temperature equation of state of Li<Subscript>2</Subscript>VOSiO<Subscript>4</Subscript> up to 8.5 GPa

High-pressure single-crystal X-ray diffraction measurements of lattice parameters of the compound Li₂VOSiO₄, which crystallises with a natisite-type structure, has been carried out to a pressure of 8.54(5) GPa at room temperature. Unit-cell volume data were fitted with a second-order Birch-Murnaghan EoS (BM-EoS), simultaneously refining V ₀ and K ₀ using the data weighted by the uncertainties in V. The bulk modulus is K ₀ = 99(1) GPa, with K′ fixed to 4. Refinements of third order equations-of-state yielded values of K′ that did not differ significantly from 4. The compressibility of the unit-cell is strongly anisotropic with the c axis (K ₀(c) = 49.7 ± 0.5 GPa) approximately four times more compressible than the a axis (K ₀(a) = 195 ± 3 GPa).     

EPR investigation of the methyl radical,the hydrogen atom and carbon oxide radicals in Maxixe-type beryl

The EPR spectra of Maxixe-type beryl contain a large number of overlapping signals. The angular dependence of the 1:3:3:1 signal typical for the CH₃ radical shows that this radical is located at the center of the channel cavity with its symmetry axis parallel to the crystal c-axis and is rotating around this axis. Its EPR spectrum is axially symmetric with g _// = 2.00263, g _⊥ = 2.00249 and A_// = 2.288 mT, A_⊥ = 2.256 mT. These anisotropies have the opposite signs of those found for surface-adsorbed methyl radicals. Hydrogen atoms are located at position 2a at the center of the beryl cavity and the EPR parameters of the narrow doublet signal are A ₀ = 1,407 MHz and g = 2.00230. Another doublet signal, which is broader and has axial symmetry with g _// = 2.00265, g _⊥ = 2.00625 and A_// = 0.895 mT, A_⊥ = 0.885 mT, could come from a HCO₃ radical. One narrow and easily saturated signal with g _// = 2.00227 and g _⊥ = 2.00386 is interpreted to arise from a carbon monoxide radical in the beryl channel, oriented with its axis parallel to the crystal c-axis. Additional weak doublet lines, which have similar g values as the carbon monoxide radical, are created by nearby hydrogens. A powder spectrum with g _// = 2.0017 and g _⊥ = 2.0004 appears upon UV irradiation of the single crystal and is easily saturated. This spectrum is interpreted to arise from a carbon dioxide radical, which rotates around its symmetry axis.     

Influence of Structural Non-Stationarity of Surface Roughness on Morphological Characterization and Mechanical Deformation of Rock Joints

Summary Structural non-stationarity of surface roughness affects accurate morphological characterization as well as mechanical behaviour of rock joints at the laboratory scale using samples with a size below the stationarity threshold. In this paper, the effect of structural non-stationarity of surface roughness is investigated by studying the scale dependence of surface roughness and mechanical behaviour of rock joints. The results show that the structural non-stationarity mainly affects the accurate characterization of the surface roughness of the fracture samples. It also controls the amount and location of the contact areas during shear tests, which in turn affects the mechanical properties and asperity degradation of the samples. It is concluded that for accurate determination of the morphological and mechanical properties of rock joints at laboratory and field scales, samples with size equal to or larger than the stationarity threshold are required. Author’s address: Nader Fardin, Rock Mechanics Group, Department of Mining Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Tehran, P.O. Box: 11365/4563, Tehran, Iran     

滑坡体三维地质建模与可视化分析

针对滑坡地质研究的自身特点,提出了面向滑坡地质体三维建模的NURBS-BRep混合数据结构和地质结构单元实体构造技术.通过对滑坡基础地质数据的预处理、滑坡数字地形和滑动面的三维建模、地质结构面的系统构造、地质结构体的生成和显示,形成了一套完整的滑坡三维地质模型的构建方法.将该方法应用于某水库滑坡,建立了相应的三维滑坡地质模型,并基于此模型进行了三维剖切分析、数字钻孔、等值线生成、滑块自动剖分、滑坡失稳可视化动态模拟和滑坡体方量精确计算等一系列实用的可视化分析,为滑坡稳定性的准确计算和客观评价提供了有力的支持.     

陕西白河县月儿潭绿松石与次生磷钙铝矾研究

对陕西省白河县月儿潭风化严重的绿松石样品进行了岩石薄片观察、化学成分测试、X射线粉晶衍射和红外吸收光谱分析等研究.结果表明,绿松石风化分解由天蓝色退色成黄绿色,最后变成白色,结构也由致密细腻变得松散多孔,主要原因是发生了硫酸根对磷酸根的交代作用,最终的交代产物主要是磷钙铝矾.     

Cd2+在甘肃靖远坡缕石粘土上的吸附作用研究

以提纯后的甘肃靖远坡缕石粘土作吸附剂,常温下对水中Cd2 进行吸附实验,考察了吸附时间、吸附剂用量、振荡速率及pH值对吸附效果的影响,并对吸附动力学过程和吸附平衡进行了探讨.XRD和红外光谱分析结果显示,原矿在提纯后杂质石英被有效分离,得到了坡缕石含量较高的提纯样品.吸附实验结果显示,约60 min吸附反应可达平衡;pH值对吸附效果有显著影响,吸附率随pH值的升高而增加,当平衡溶液pH>8时吸附率超过99%;吸附过程与pseudo-second-order Lagergren动力学模型方程有较好的一致性,吸附平衡同时符合Langmuir和Freundlich等温吸附模型,由Langmuir方程得到饱和吸附量为31.65 mg/g.