HR: 10:50h
AN: H12D-03    [Abstracts]
TI: The influence of seal thickness and rate of pressure buildup on CO2 migration and sequestration
AU: * Meckel, T
EM: tip.meckel@beg.utexas.edu
AF: Gulf Coast Carbon Center, Bureau of Economic Geology, Jackson School of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, University Station, Box X, Austin, TX 78713, United States
AU: Kalyanaraman, N
AF: Gulf Coast Carbon Center, Bureau of Economic Geology, Jackson School of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, University Station, Box X, Austin, TX 78713, United States
AB: This research investigates the nature of hydrodynamic seal capacity in potential CO2 sequestration reservoirs and the conditions that lead to initial migration from an injection horizon resulting from pressure buildup and vertical brine displacement. We developed numerical codes adapted from the natural gas storage industry to investigate the influence that seal thickness and the rate of pressure buildup have on CO2 migration rates and net volume retained. In methane storage, computed vertical migration rates (and therefore the volume retained) depend on the shape of the injection profile (pressure increase versus time), suggesting that optimization of CO2 storage volumes (net capacity) should consider how the CO2 is injected (dynamic capacity) in addition to simply the petrophysical properties of the host reservoir and primary seal (threshold capillary entry pressure; static capacity). This paper investigates whether the methodology developed by the natural gas industry could be relevant to CO2 sequestration. Such analyses provide practical guidance regarding the injection profile advisable for a range of seal characteristics. Economic implications of various injection profiles that are compatible with the host rocks will need to be addressed to achieve optimal storage.
DE: 1847 Modeling
DE: 1859 Rocks: physical properties
SC: Hydrology [H]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting