Review of CO2 storage efficiency in deep saline aquifers

Abstract At the time the IPCC Special Report on Carbon Capture and Storage was published in 2005, the concept of CO 2 storage efficiency was not introduced yet and, consequently, no numerical values were published in the literature. CO 2 storage efficiency is defined as the ratio of the volume of CO 2 injected into an aquifer rock volume to the pore space in that volume and this concept has been first introduced in 2007 in regional-scale assessments of storage capacity in the United States and Europe. Since then many papers, reviewed in this article, have been published on the subject of efficiency of CO 2 storage and associated values. CO 2 storage efficiency depends on a multitude of factors that can be grouped into several categories: (1) Characteristics of the storage aquifer, such as in situ conditions of pressure, temperature and salinity, displacement characteristics of the CO 2 /brine system, lithology, porosity, permeability, heterogeneity and anisotropy, aquifer areal extent, thickness and boundaries; (2) Characteristics of the confining aquitards, mainly permeability and capillary entry pressure; (3) Characteristics of the CO 2 storage operation, such as injection rate, duration of injection; number of injection wells, their orientation and their spacing, and injection strategy, including water production and/or injection; and (4) Regulatory constraints, such as maximum bottom-hole injection pressure, and definitions used to establish the volume of rock assigned for CO 2 storage for a given project, such as scale of assessment (local or regional), relevant time (e.g., at cessation of injection or at plume immobilization), and relevant aquifer area (e.g., footprint of the CO 2 plume itself, area where aquifer pressure is higher than a critical pressure, or area of tenure). Depending on the combination of factors listed above, values of storage efficiency as calculated to date and published in the literature vary in a wide range (from 10%, by a factor of 20 and even higher) and no single value or set of values can be universally used. Storage efficiency has both a spatial and a temporal dependency; being first pressure- and then space-limited; therefore it is critical in all assessments to specify the relevant aquifer area and time of reference. For closed aquifers, the cross-over time from pressure-limited to space-limited is achieved very quickly, and storage efficiency is based on the compressibility of the system. For open aquifers, a CO 2 storage operation is most likely pressure-limited during its entire life. Storage resource estimates are theoretically time and space independent in the sense that the entire aquifer is considered, and the estimate represents what would be achieved if all the aquifer pore space would be accessible through a very large number of wells and over a very long period of time, much longer than a project life-time and the period of time needed to achieve climate stabilization. Volumetric estimates could be used for regional-scale evaluations of CO 2 storage resources using values at the lower end of the spectrum of published values for storage efficiency. Dynamic estimates, based on numerical simulations that take into account operational and regulatory factors should be used for local-scale CO 2 storage reserves estimates. Storage efficiency can be increased using storage engineering technology, such as water extraction and/or (re)injection, and the type and location of various injection and producing wells.

[1]  Robert J. Finley,et al.  Classification of CO2 Geologic Storage: Resource and Capacity , 2009 .

[2]  Neil Wildgust,et al.  Pressurization and brine displacement issues for deep saline formation CO2 storage , 2011 .

[3]  Tony Espie,et al.  Testing some Common Concepts in CO2 Storage , 2014 .

[4]  M. Celia,et al.  Analysis of Plume Extent using Analytical Solutions for CO2 Storage , 2010 .

[5]  S. Thibeau,et al.  CO2 Storage Capacity Evaluation in Deep Saline Aquifers for an Industrial Pilot Selection. Methodology and Results of the France Nord Project , 2014 .

[6]  Robert C. Burruss,et al.  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 , 2009 .

[7]  Sam Holloway,et al.  Using Pressure and Volumetric Approaches to Estimate CO2 Storage Capacity in Deep Saline Aquifers , 2014 .

[8]  Abdullah Cihan,et al.  Pressure Buildup and Brine Migration During CO2 Storage in Multilayered Aquifers , 2012, Ground water.

[9]  Robert M. Enick,et al.  CO2 SOLUBILITY IN WATER AND BRINE UNDER RESERVOIR CONDITIONS , 1990 .

[10]  Stefan Bachu,et al.  Dependence on Temperature, Pressure, and Salinity of the IFT and Relative Permeability Displacement Characteristics of CO2 Injected in Deep Saline Aquifers , 2006 .

[11]  Stefan Bachu,et al.  Drainage and imbibition CO2/brine relative permeability curves at in situ conditions for sandstone formations in western Canada , 2013 .

[12]  Dissipation of Overpressure into Ambient Mudrocks During Geological Carbon Dioxide Storage , 2013 .

[13]  James A. Sorensen,et al.  Development of Storage Coefficients for Determining the Effective CO2 Storage Resource in Deep Saline Formations , 2009 .

[14]  William L. Bourcier,et al.  Pre-injection Brine Production for Managing Pressure in Compartmentalized CO2 Storage Reservoirs , 2014 .

[15]  H. Herzog,et al.  Lifetime of carbon capture and storage as a climate-change mitigation technology , 2012, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

[16]  James Craig,et al.  A comparison of volumetric and dynamic storage efficiency in deep saline reservoirs: An overview of IEAGHG study IEA/CON/13/208☆ , 2014 .

[17]  Lincoln Paterson,et al.  Coupling of geochemical reactions and convective mixing in the long-term geological storage of carbon dioxide , 2007 .

[18]  John D. Bredehoeft,et al.  Will salt repositories be dry , 1988 .

[19]  S. Frailey,et al.  Effect of Geologic Depositional Environment on CO2 Storage Efficiency , 2014 .

[20]  Ruben Juanes,et al.  CO2 migration in saline aquifers. Part 1. Capillary trapping under slope and groundwater flow , 2010, Journal of Fluid Mechanics.

[21]  Thomas Le Guénan,et al.  Corrective measures based on pressure control strategies for CO2 geological storage in deep aquifers , 2011 .

[22]  John L. Bradshaw,et al.  Regional storage capacity estimates: Prospectivity not statistics , 2011 .

[23]  Jens T. Birkholzer,et al.  Impact-driven pressure management via targeted brine extraction Conceptual studies of CO2 storage in saline formations , 2012 .

[24]  Per Bergmo,et al.  Large scale CO2 storage with water production , 2014 .

[25]  Zhijing Wang,et al.  Seismic properties of pore fluids , 1992 .

[26]  Ruben Juanes,et al.  CO2 migration in saline aquifers. Part 2. Capillary and solubility trapping , 2011, Journal of Fluid Mechanics.

[27]  Karsten Pruess,et al.  Laboratory Flow Experiments for Visualizing Carbon Dioxide-Induced, Density-Driven Brine Convection , 2009, Transport in Porous Media.

[28]  Gary A. Pope,et al.  Buoyancy-Dominated Multiphase Flow and Its Impact on Geological Sequestration of CO2 , 2006 .

[29]  Franklin M. Orr,et al.  Storage of CO2 in saline aquifers: Effects of gravity, viscous, and capillary forces on amount and timing of trapping , 2007 .

[30]  Karsten Pruess,et al.  CO2-H2O Mixtures in the Geological Sequestration of CO2. II. Partitioning in Chloride Brines at 12-100oC and up to 600 bar , 2004 .

[31]  Roger A. Chadwick,et al.  The impact of boundary conditions on CO2 storage capacity estimation in aquifers , 2011 .

[32]  W. Wakeham,et al.  The Viscosity of Carbon Dioxide , 1998 .

[33]  N. Nakicenovic,et al.  Summary for policymakers , 1963 .

[34]  L.G.H. van der Meer,et al.  CO2 storage capacity calculations for the Dutch subsurface , 2009 .

[35]  Jeffrey A. Cunningham,et al.  Analytical solution for estimating storage efficiency of geologic sequestration of CO2 , 2010 .

[36]  M. Dusseault,et al.  Parametric sensitivity analysis for CO2 geosequestration , 2014 .

[37]  J. Birkholzer,et al.  Basin-scale hydrogeologic impacts of CO2 storage: Capacity and regulatory implications , 2009 .

[38]  Grant S. Bromhal,et al.  Comparison of methods for geologic storage of carbon dioxide in saline formations , 2013 .

[39]  S. Bachu,et al.  Interfacial Tension between CO2, Freshwater, and Brine in the Range of Pressure from (2 to 27) MPa, Temperature from (20 to 125) °C, and Water Salinity from (0 to 334 000) mg·L−1 , 2009 .

[40]  John A. Harju,et al.  A Workflow to Determine CO2 Storage Potential in Deep Saline Formations , 2014 .

[41]  Keni Zhang,et al.  Investigation of CO2 storage capacity in open saline aquifers with numerical models , 2012 .

[42]  Mark Naylor,et al.  Review and implications of relative permeability of CO2/brine systems and residual trapping of CO2 , 2014 .

[43]  C. Ehlig-Economides,et al.  Sequestering carbon dioxide in a closed underground volume , 2010 .

[44]  Yang Wang,et al.  Numerical Investigation of the Storage Efficiency Factor for CO2 Geological Sequestration in Saline Formations , 2013 .

[45]  Marco Bianchi,et al.  Targeted Pressure Management During CO2 Sequestration: Optimization of Well Placement and Brine Extraction , 2014 .

[46]  Michael Small,et al.  U.S. DOE methodology for the development of geologic storage potential for carbon dioxide at the national and regional scale , 2011 .

[47]  Yevhen Holubnyak,et al.  A New Classification System for Evaluating CO2 Storage Resource/Capacity Estimates , 2009 .

[48]  Stefan Bachu,et al.  Deep Injection of Acid Gas in Western Canada , 2005 .

[49]  Martin J. Blunt,et al.  Dipping open aquifers-The effect of top-surface topography and heterogeneity on CO2 storage efficiency , 2013 .

[50]  Stefan Bachu,et al.  Approach to Evaluating the CO2 Storage Capacity in Devonian Deep Saline Aquifers for Emissions from Oil Sands Operations in the Athabasca Area, Canada☆ , 2014 .

[51]  P. Domenico,et al.  Physical and chemical hydrogeology , 1990 .

[52]  John L. Bradshaw,et al.  CO2 storage capacity estimation: Issues and development of standards , 2007 .

[53]  Matthew Flett,et al.  Heterogeneous saline formations for carbon dioxide disposal: Impact of varying heterogeneity on containment and trapping , 2007 .

[54]  Christine Ehlig-Economides,et al.  Reply to: Open or closed? A discussion of the mistaken assumptions in the Economides analysis of carbon sequestration , 2010 .

[55]  S. Brennan.  The U. S. Geological Survey carbon dioxide storage efficiency value methodology: Results and observations , 2014 .

[56]  Jan M. Nordbotten,et al.  Injection and Storage of CO2 in Deep Saline Aquifers: Analytical Solution for CO2 Plume Evolution During Injection , 2005 .

[57]  Leslie F. Ruppert,et al.  A Probabilistic Assessment Methodology for the Evaluation of Geologic Carbon Dioxide Storage , 2010 .

[58]  Ruben Juanes,et al.  Theoretical analysis of how pressure buildup and CO2 migration can both constrain storage capacity in deep saline aquifers , 2014 .

[59]  G. H. Newman.  Pore-Volume Compressibility of Consolidated, Friable, and Unconsolidated Reservoir Rocks Under Hydrostatic Loading , 1973 .

[60]  B. Metz.  IPCC special report on carbon dioxide capture and storage , 2005 .

[61]  Stefan Bachu,et al.  Drainage and Imbibition CO2/Brine Relative Permeability Curves at Reservoir Conditions for High-Permeability Carbonate Rocks , 2010 .

[62]  Curtis M. Oldenburg,et al.  CO 2 migration and pressure evolution in deep saline aquifers , 2015 .

[63]  Charles D. Gorecki,et al.  A comparison of volumetric and dynamic CO2 storage resource and efficiency in deep saline formations , 2015 .

[64]  Peter D. Warwick,et al.  National assessment of geologic carbon dioxide storage resources: methodology implementation , 2013 .

[65]  C. Tsang,et al.  A method for quick assessment of CO2 storage capacity in closed and semi-closed saline formations , 2008 .

[66]  Per Bergmo,et al.  Simultaneous CO2 injection and water production to optimise aquifer storage capacity , 2011 .

[67]  Michael A. Celia,et al.  Basin-scale modeling of CO2 storage using models of varying complexity , 2014 .

[68]  Yunwei Sun,et al.  Active CO2 reservoir management for carbon storage: Analysis of operational strategies to relieve pressure buildup and improve injectivity , 2012 .

[69]  Hamid Emami-Meybodi,et al.  Convective dissolution of CO2 in saline aquifers: Progress in modeling and experiments , 2015 .

[70]  S. Thibeau,et al.  Have We Overestimated Saline Aquifer CO2 Storage Capacities , 2011 .

[71]  John G. Kaldi,et al.  CO2 storage in saline aquifers I-Current state of scientific knowledge , 2009 .

[72]  A. Kopp,et al.  Investigations on CO2 storage capacity in saline aquifers—Part 2: Estimation of storage capacity coefficients , 2009 .

[73]  Rainer Helmig,et al.  Investigations on CO2 storage capacity in saline aquifers: Part 1. Dimensional analysis of flow processes and reservoir characteristics , 2009 .

[74]  C. Tsang,et al.  Large-scale impact of CO2 storage in deep saline aquifers: A sensitivity study on pressure response in stratified systems , 2009 .

[75]  John L. Bradshaw,et al.  CO2 storage capacity estimation: Methodology and gaps , 2007 .

[76]  R. Juanes,et al.  Residual trapping, solubility trapping and capillary pinning complement each other to limit CO2 migration in deep saline aquifers , 2014 .

[77]  W. Wagner,et al.  A New Equation of State for Carbon Dioxide Covering the Fluid Region from the Triple‐Point Temperature to 1100 K at Pressures up to 800 MPa , 1996 .

[78]  M. Blunt,et al.  Capillary trapping for geologic carbon dioxide storage - From pore scale physics to field scale implications , 2015 .

[79]  Martin J. Blunt,et al.  Open or closed? A discussion of the mistaken assumptions in the Economides pressure analysis of carbon sequestration , 2010 .