Feasibility of CO₂ Sequestration in Shallow Transition Zones

Author

Fang Yang
Baojun Bai, Missouri University of Science and TechnologyFollow
Shari Dunn-Norman, Missouri University of Science and TechnologyFollow
Fen Yang
Ruisong Zhou

Abstract

Geological CO₂ sequestration requires suitable storage sites to store CO₂ at a large scale. Shallow aquifers could be a viable regional solution for stationary CO₂ emitters because of their broad distribution, considerable capacity, and the potential low drilling cost associated with the shallow depths. This study introduces a shallow transition zone in which CO₂ can transit from a gaseous phase into supercritical CO₂ within the pressure range for CO₂ injection; thus, considerable storage capacity is expected. The characteristics and major influencing factors of shallow transition zone storage were compared with those of deep storage to determine the feasibility of CO₂ sequestration in shallow transition zones. The transition zone was found to provide a comparable storage capacity, greater storage efficiency, and a higher proportion of stable CO₂ than a deep aquifer. The depth of this transition zone can be as shallow as 537 m for a warm basin and 656 m for a cold basin. At a depth of 600-1000 m, the primary factors affecting CO₂ storage capacity are formation thickness and porosity, with reservoir heterogeneity and depth having lesser effects. Therefore, depth is of less concern when estimating CO₂ storage potential. This work explored the transition zone as an effective new option when seeking means of sequestering CO₂. These results not only establish parameters for CO₂ sequestration in shallow aquifers, but also strengthen the current understanding of CO₂ sequestration in deep aquifers.

Recommended Citation

F. Yang et al., "Feasibility of CO₂ Sequestration in Shallow Transition Zones," Greenhouse Gases: Science and Technology, Blackwell Publishing Ltd, Jun 2017.

The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.1002/ghg.1696

Department(s)

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering

Keywords and Phrases

Brine extraction; Carbon sequestration; Feasibility; Shallow aquifer; Transition zone; Hydrogeology; Carbon sequestration; Reservoir heterogeneity; Storage capacity; Storage efficiency; Storage potential; Carbon dioxide

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

2152-3878

Document Type

Article - Journal

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2017 Blackwell Publishing Ltd, All rights reserved.

Publication Date

01 Jun 2017