Geological Storage of CO2: An Overview
Professor John KaldiChief ScientistCooperative Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Technologies (CO2CRC) &Chair of GeosequestrationUniversity of Adelaide
IEAGHG GHGT-10 Student MeetingRAI Amsterdam19 September 2010
© CO2CRC All rights reserved
Projected World Energy Demand & Supplies
19001900 19201920 19401940 19601960 19801980 2000 2020 2040 2060 20802080 2100
2020
4040
6060
8080
100100100 BILLION
BARRELS
BillionBarrels
of OilEquivalent
Per Year(GBOE) Gas
NaturalGas
Crude OilCrude Oil
CoalCoal
Decreasing
Fossil F
uelsN
ew Technologies
World Energy Demand
AAPG 8/97
Greenhouse GasGeneration
Remains Significant
2000 2020 2040 2060
Hydroelectric
Solar, Wind,Geothermal,
Hydrogen
Nuclear Electric
NGL
AAPG, 2006
Public Perception• Climate change / global warming is real
- is happening now (geological time too abstract)
- caused by greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
- GHG from anthropogenic activities
- fossil fuel industry is main contributor
- “something” can be / must be done
• Lawmakers responsive to public sentiments
• Industry positioning for carbon constrained world
Cutting energy-related CO2 emissions
Source: Energy Technology Perspectives, OECD/IEA, Paris (2008)
A Portfolio Approach
Reducing the uncertainty with geological storage of CO2requires screening and site specific studies including
reservoir characterisation, injection-migration modelling, monitoring, economics and risk analysis…
technologies commonly employed by the petroleum industry!
Geological Storage of CO2
Sandstone reservoir rock
RESERVOIR ROCK –porous, e.g. sandstone
Claystone seal rock
SEAL ROCK – non-porous, e.g. claystone
What do we need?
Geological Storage of CO2
Sandstone reservoir rock
Claystone seal rock
Porosity is the storage space in the rock for fluids and is shown by the blue spaces in this photograph of a thin slice through a reservoir sandstone.
Permeability is a measure of the ability of the rock to allow fluid flow. Permeability is strongly affected by the geometry of the porosity – in particular the size of the spaces connecting the pores in the rock (red circles).Permeability is main control on injectivity
THROAT
PORE
Movement of CO2Through Reservoir Pore System
CO2 Injected CO2 enters reservoir pore system
In order to migrate CO2 needs sufficient pressure to exceed capillary forces at each pore throat
A thin film of water remains around each grain: “Irreducible water saturation” (Swirr)
Seal
Seal
Reservoir
Reservoir
Swirr
Swirr
Sgr
Sor
1000’s of metres
CO2 storage in depleted reservoirs/structural traps
S. Holl. 2009
Migration Associated Trapping (MAT)
Sample only
MAT: key to CO2storage in deep saline reservoirs
• Least familiar• modelled, but poorly understood• highest uncertainty• focus of many storage demo projects
Migration Associated Trapping (MAT)
CO2 Trapped in solution
CO2 Trapped as a mineral CO2 Trapped in rock pores as Residual Saturation (SgrCO2)
1yr
5 yr
30 yr
From: J. Ennis-King
•Homogeneous Reservoir•Flat-lying Seal•Cross-sectional view
(Modelling the dissolution of injected CO2)
CO2 storage effectiveness increases with time
40 yr
130 yr
330 yr
From: J. Ennis-King
(Modelling the dissolution of injected CO2)
CO2 storage effectiveness increases with time
930 yr
1330 yr
2330 yrFrom: J. Ennis-King
(Modelling the dissolution of injected CO2)
CO2 storage effectiveness increases with time
Mineral trapping of CO2
1 m
1 cm
1 mm
Calcite cement (red)
CaCO3 (Calcite) precipitation occurs at all scales 200 µm
•Injection of fluids (eg CO2) causes reservoir pressure build up
•In depleted oil or gas fields, pressure build-up may be neutral or beneficial
•In both depleted fields and saline reservoirs, must maintain pressure below fracture pressure
•In low permeability reservoirs this may limit economic storage capacity due to decreased injection rate, requiring more wells (higher costs)
•Drilling pressure relief (water production) wells possible solution
Other Considerations: Injectivity / Pressure
InjectivityIv/t = A * Pi * k
Iv/t = Injection rateA = Area (of wellbore in contact with formation)Pi = injection pressure (below frac)k = permeability
(Iv/t is proportional to number of wells)
Pre
ssur
e
Time
Depleted Field (pressure v. Time))
Initial Pres
Pfrac
o/g production CO2 injection
Water production (pressure relief)
Pre
ssur
e
Time
Saline Formation (pressure v. time)
Initial Pres
Pfrac
CO2 injection
Water production (pressure relief)
CO2 injection
Sleipner (STATOIL)• Offshore Gas Production Facility• 250 kilometres west of Norway in
the North Sea• Injection into Utsira Formation, a
sandstone reservoir rock.• 1 million tons CO2 per year since
1996
Utsira Fm.
Gas Production Wells
Weyburn CO2 EOR Project• CO2 Source: Dakota Coal Gasification Company
• 95 mmscfd (5000 tonnes/day) injection rate
• Injection since 2001
• Currently 26% recycle.
Main CO2 pipeline enters Weyburn
Regina
Estevan
Bismarck
North DakotaMontana
Manitoba
Saskatchewan
Weyburn
Beulah
Krechba
Teg
Reg
Garet elBefinat Hassi Moumene
In SalahGour Mahmoud
Proposed ISG Pipeline
REB
Hassi BirRekaiz
Hassi Messaoud
Hassi R’Mel
Tiguentourine (BP)
02151093
Algiers
Tangiers
Lisbon
Cordoba
Cartagena
M O R O C C O
A L G E R I A
S P A I N
L I B Y A
MAURITANIA M A L I
SkikdaTunis
N I G E R
In Salah Gas Project
Krechba
Tegentour
Reg
Garet elBefinat
HassiMoumene
HassiR’Mel
In SalahGourMahmoud
48” 455km
38” 60km
24” 13km
24” 62km
Krechba
Tegentour
Reg
Garet elBefinat
HassiMoumene
HassiR’Mel
In SalahGourMahmoud
48” 455km
38” 60km
24” 13km
24” 62km
5-10% CO2
<0.3% CO2
In Salah Gas Project
33
Ketzin – the first “Onshore” storage project in Europe –CO2SINK
0 25 50 km
BerlinKetzin
Potsdam
Courtesy: F. Schilling
CO2CRC Otway Project, Victoria
Description – Australia’s only operational storage project, involving demonstration of geological storage of CO2 and monitoring and verification of the behaviour of the stored CO2.Storage – Depleted gas field at 2000m depth
• Storage Commence – April 2, 2008• Storage Rate – 65,000 tonnes / 18 months;
Cost – $A 40M plus Partners – CO2CRC, Industry, Government and Researchers (Universities, CSIRO, GA, LBNL, ARC, GNS, KIGAM),Participating countries Australia, New Zealand, USA, Korea, Canada
CSLF Recognised Project
Operating Company
The most common objections to CCS are...
• Cost
• Not enough storage capacity
• Public acceptance
• No clarity on regulations / liability
...and it will keep coal going
42
Economic Comparison Between CCS and Alternatives
Solar PV
Solar Thermal
Wind (offshore)
Pulverised coal (no CCS)
Advanced coal withCCS
What the IPCC say about storage capacity:
‘Available evidence suggests that worldwide, it is likely that there is a technical potential of at least about 2000GtCO2 ( 545GtC) of storage capacity in geological formations ‘IPCC Special Volume page 12
This is equivalent to approx 200 years of storage capacity at current rates of CO2 emissions from the world’s power stations
Public Acceptance Issues
• Is reducing CO2 emissions a priority compared to other social / environmental issues?
• CCS just a clever ploy of fossil fuels industry
• Influence of activist minority
• Not under my backyard (NUMBY)
• Getting the regulations right / Clarity on liability
• Demonstrating that it works
• An Environmental Necessity• A Socio-political Reality• A Business Challenge or Opportunity?:
Carbon Constrained World
• Carbon Price / Emissions Trading:
Not “if”….but “when”….& “how much”!
• Many questions still to consider:
Carbon Constrained World: a Resource Industry-style Business Model?
• Exploration (plays, prospects)• Permitting (acreage release)• Reserves-style certification• Unitization / equity determination• Infrastructure development• Regulatory regimes• Legal / liability issues
Good show today old chap.Heard about this CCS thingy???
Read about it in the Times.. Will keep us going for years!! Have put a deposit on the new Bentley on the strength
Overheard outside court…..
Conclusions...•The global response to climate change concerns will include a range of mitigation measures, including greater energy efficiency, more renewables, lower carbon fuels and CCS…no single answer!
• But we will continue to use fossil fuels, so we need to do it in cleaner and smarter ways, and CCS is the best option that we have at present for doing this
• CCS demonstration projects will provide the confidence that CCS is technically feasible, and will accelerate commercial deployment
• Commercial deployment of CCS will only happen if there is a viable carbon price!!!
• Commercial deployment of CCS will foster an industry equal in size or larger than the present oil and gas industry….
• CCS will require skills in engineering, geoscience, economics, legal areas and will offer broad career opportunities
Our thanks to the many researchers, especially those here in Adelaide, who contribute to the work of CO2CRC.Thanks also to the CRC Program and our many industry and government sponsors for their support.
CO2CRC Participants
Established & supported under the Australian Government’s Cooperative Research Centres Program