HR: 08:30h
AN: GC31A-03    [PDF]
TI: Strategies for CO2 Sequestration in Geologic Formations and the Role of Geophysics
AU: * Klara, S M
EM: Scott.Klara@netl.doe.gov
AF: U.S. Department of Energy/National Energy Technology Laboratory, 626 Cochrans Mill Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15236 United States
AU: Cohen, K
EM: Cohen@netl.doe.gov
AF: U.S. Department of Energy/National Energy Technology Laboratory, 626 Cochrans Mill Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15236 United States
AU: Byrer, C
EM: Charles.Byrer@netl.doe.gov
AF: U.S. Department of Energy/National Energy Technology Laboratory, 3610 Collins Ferry Road, Morgantown, WV 26507 United States
AU: Srivastava, R D
EM: Ram.Srivastava@sa.netl.doe.gov
AF: Science Applications International Corporation/National Energy Technology Laboratory, 626 Cochrans Mill Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15236 United States
AB: Among proposed options for CO2 emissions mitigation, capture and sequestration is a promising solution that has the advantage of being able to cope with the large volume of CO2 involved, which will increase because of a growing energy demand. Consequently, an important component of the United States Department of Energy's (DOE) research and development program is dedicated to reducing CO2 emissions from power plants by developing technologies for capturing CO2 and for subsequent utilization and/or sequestration. Capture technologies target novel, low-cost approaches for separation and capture of CO2 from energy production and conversion facilities. Injection of CO2 into geologic formations is being practiced today by the petroleum industry for enhanced oil recovery, but it is not yet possible to predict with confidence storage volume, formation integrity and storage permanence over long time periods. Many important issues dealing with geologic storage, monitoring, and verification of fluids (including CO2) in underground oil and gas reservoirs, coal beds, and saline formations are now being addressed. Preliminary field tests are being conducted to confirm practical considerations, such as economics, safety, stability, permanence, and public acceptance. This paper presents an overview of DOE's research program in the area of CO2 sequestration and storage in geologic formations and specifically addresses the status of new knowledge, improved tools and enhanced technology for cost optimization, monitoring, modeling and capacity estimation. This paper also highlights those fundamental and applied studies, including field tests, sponsored by DOE that are measuring the degree to which CO2 can be injected and remain safely and permanently sequestered in geologic formations while concurrently assuring no adverse long term ecological impacts. Field geophysical techniques are playing a major role in these demonstrations, such as the Weyburn project in North Dakota and Canada, the Mountaineer Power Plant project in Ohio, and the Frio Formation project in Texas.
DE: 1600 GLOBAL CHANGE (New category)
SC: Global Climate Change [GC]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting