3D Geologic Modeling of the Southern San Joaquin Basin for the Westcarb Kimberlina Demonstration Project- A Status Report

The hydrodynamic behavior of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) injected into a deep saline formation is investigated, focusing on trapping mechanisms that lead to CO 2 plume stabilization. A numerical model of the subsurface at a proposed power plant with CO 2 capture is developed to simulate a planned pilot test, in which 1,000,000 metric tons of CO 2 is injected over a 4-year period, and the subsequent evolution of the CO 2 plume for hundreds of years. Key measures are plume migration distance and the time evolution of the partitioning of CO 2 between dissolved, immobile free-phase, and mobile free-phase forms. Model results indicate that the injected CO 2 plume is effectively immobilized at 25 years. At that time, 38% of the CO 2 is in dissolved form, 59% is immobile free phase, and 3% is mobile free phase. The plume footprint is roughly elliptical, and extends much farther up-dip of the injection well than down-dip. The pressure increase extends far beyond the plume footprint, but the pressure response decreases rapidly with distance from the injection well, and decays rapidly in time once injection ceases. Sensitivity studies that were carried out to investigate the effect of poorly constrained model parameters permeability, permeability anisotropy, and residual CO 2 saturation indicate that small changes in properties can have a large impact on plume evolution, causing significant trade-offs between different trapping mechanisms.

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“…A geologic model of the Southern San Joaquin Valley surrounding the Kimberlina power plant (Wagoner 2009) is shown in Fig. 4.…”

Section: Geologic and Facies Modelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigation of CO2 Plume Behavior for a Large-Scale Pilot Test of Geologic Carbon Storage in a Saline Formation

2009

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“…These properties are based on site characterization data available from oil and gas exploration and groundwater development in the area. Two Quaternary faults, the Pond-Poso-Creek (PPC) fault zone and the New Hope fault, and the older Greeley fault are mapped at the surface (Wagoner, 2009) (Fig. 2).…”

Section: Geological Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of the distribution and evolution of the coefficient of friction along a fault on the assessment of the seismic activity associated with a hypothetical industrial-scale geologic CO2 sequestration operation

Jeanne

Rutqvist

Foxall

et al. 2017

International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control

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“…At the time of the analysis presented above, a structural model of the Kimberlina site had been constructed from publicly available well logs and proprietary seismic picks provided by EOG resources, Inc. (Wagoner 2009). A northwest striking fault was interpreted northeast of the injection site from the seismic data, but uncertainty about it prevented it from being included explicitly in the geologic model available during this study.…”

Section: Outcomementioning

confidence: 99%

“…These sources allowed a more detailed interpretation of well log data, leading to interpretation of the Pond Fault passing through the Vedder Formation about 2.8 km (1.7 mi.) northeast of the site with an offset of about half the seal thickness (Wagoner 2009). …”

Section: Outcomementioning

confidence: 99%

Estimating the probability of CO₂ plumes encountering faults

2011

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One of the main concerns of storage in saline aquifers is leakage via faults. In the early stages of site selection, site-specific fault coverages are often not available for these aquifers.This necessitates a method using available fault data to estimate the probability of injected carbon dioxide encountering and migrating up a fault. The probability of encounter can be calculated from areal fault density statistics from available data, and carbon dioxide plume dimensions from numerical simulation. Given a number of assumptions, the dimension of the plume perpendicular to a fault times the areal density of faults with offsets greater than some threshold of interest provides probability of the plume encountering such a fault. Application of this result to a previously planned large-scale pilot injection in the southern portion of the San Joaquin Basin yielded a 3% and 7% chance of the plume encountering a fully and half seal offsetting fault, respectively. Subsequently available data indicated a half seal-offsetting fault at a distance from the injection well that implied a 20% probability of encounter for a plume sufficiently large to reach it.

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3D Geologic Modeling of the Southern San Joaquin Basin for the Westcarb Kimberlina Demonstration Project- A Status Report

Cited by 14 publications

References 0 publications

Investigation of CO2 Plume Behavior for a Large-Scale Pilot Test of Geologic Carbon Storage in a Saline Formation

Investigation of CO2 Plume Behavior for a Large-Scale Pilot Test of Geologic Carbon Storage in a Saline Formation

Effects of the distribution and evolution of the coefficient of friction along a fault on the assessment of the seismic activity associated with a hypothetical industrial-scale geologic CO2 sequestration operation

Estimating the probability of CO₂ plumes encountering faults

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3D Geologic Modeling of the Southern San Joaquin Basin for the Westcarb Kimberlina Demonstration Project- A Status Report

Cited by 14 publications

References 0 publications

Investigation of CO2 Plume Behavior for a Large-Scale Pilot Test of Geologic Carbon Storage in a Saline Formation

Investigation of CO2 Plume Behavior for a Large-Scale Pilot Test of Geologic Carbon Storage in a Saline Formation

Effects of the distribution and evolution of the coefficient of friction along a fault on the assessment of the seismic activity associated with a hypothetical industrial-scale geologic CO2 sequestration operation

Estimating the probability of CO2 plumes encountering faults

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Resources

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Estimating the probability of CO₂ plumes encountering faults