Topic 2: Preparing for Large Volume Storage – BIGFOOT
Gulf Coast Carbon Center 2018-2022 Aspirational Multi-Year “Big” Plan
Problem statement
Significant progress has been made in assessing CO2 storage capacity in terms of how fast and how much CO2 can be injected in a storage complex. From this work, we have come to identify a number of factors which have strong impacts on capacity which need further in-depth assessment. To prepare for large-scale injection with many sites in the same basin (and potentially same stratigraphy), advances in our understanding are necessary for areas such as:
- Pressure propagation (vertical and lateral), interference, and dissipation at stratigraphic scale.
- This activity could evolve to include dynamic aspects such as geomechanics, fault stability, and microseismicity.
- Pressure boundaries (baffles, seals, and faults) that compartmentalize or isolate injected fluids and pressure response; above and below-zone geomechanical influence
- Impacts of pressure change in zones displaced by faults
- Conceptualization and assumptions about expected CO2 saturations and flow behavior during migration through large subsurface volumes
Goals
Improve structural and stratigraphic characterization methods and simulation approaches to increase confidence in siting very large volume storage within a basin; apply to one or more important basins.
Methods
Assessment will focus on the Gulf of Mexico (onshore and offshore) with a vision to apply these concepts broadly:
- Conduct geologic assessment and numerical modeling at stratigraphic and site scales augmented by literature and global collaboration
- Use sequence stratigraphy and depositional systems as tools for understanding CO2 migration and pressure propagation at basin scale; consider further relationships of trapping mechanisms (structural or capillary trapping etc) to static and dynamic capacity
- Assess the impact of structural and tectonic components on fluid flow and capacity; compartmentalization, connectivity and geomechanical impacts; impact of regional fault systems, e.g between onshore and offshore Miocene
- Consider how petroleum systems analysis and concepts can inform CCS
- Evaluate and apply resource quantification methods at project-scale, beginning with SPE Storage Resource Management System (SRMS)
Four-year target accomplishments
Improved and demonstrated workflows for characterization at basin-scale that prepares for multiple sites to be operated at maximum injection rates and over prolonged time periods.
Go to Topic 3: Real-World Leakage Assessment
Last Updated: June 25, 2019
