| Authors |
Alan Lee Brown, Eric H. Berlin, Robert J. Butsch, Ozgur Senel, Joseph Mills,
and Arutchelvi Harichandran; Schlumberger Carbon Services; James Wang,
Schlumberger Data Consulting Services
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Abstract
The onshore area of the Northeastern United States is lacking in reservoir
intervals appropriate for storing large volumes of carbon dioxide (CO2). It is
proposed that the geologic conditions found offshore of the Eastern Seaboard
are conducive to the safe storage of large volumes of CO2 generated from
anthropogenic activities in the region (Schrag, 2009). Little subsurface
investigation has occurred in this area since it was initially explored for
hydrocarbons in the mid-1970s. Can newer data evaluation techniques be applied
to older data to ascertain the CO2 storage potential of the Atlantic Outer
Continental Shelf?
Schlumberger Carbon Services recently performed an initial site evaluation of
storage potential for CO2 within the Cretaceous intervals near the Baltimore
Canyon Trough utilizing vintage wireline, core, and 2D seismic data to develop
a geocellular model to simulate CO2 injection and storage. The evaluation site
is centered approximately on the COST B-2 well, located about 70 miles offshore
of New Jersey and drilled as a stratigraphic test in 1976. The COST B-2 well
and others drilled in the late 1970s and 80s penetrated a Lower Cretaceous
interval abundant in channel and mouth-bar sands deposited in a wave-dominated
delta-front to nearshore depositional environment. Petrophysical analysis of
available wireline data indicates these sands exhibit porosity and permeability
ranges adequate for the potential injection of CO2. Additonally, log analysis
indicates laterally extensive and vertically thick marine shales overly these
potential reservoir intervals and provide an appropriate seal across the
region. This petrophysical analysis was integrated with interpretations from
available two dimensional seismic lines to investigate the spatial potential of
the targeted sediments to store large volumes of injected CO2.
Introduction
In order to properly assess the potential for CO2 storage of any specific
geologic formation at any specific geologic site, the primary attributes for
the subsurface interval being investigated must be evaluated for storage
potential. We will explain analysis of the key variables associated with the
construction of a subsurface model that can adequately evaluate the potential
Storage Capacity, Injectivity, and Containment for CO2 storage. The site being
investigated in this study is located within the United States (U.S.) Atlantic
Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), approximately 70 miles east of the upper New
Jersey coastline in the vicinity of the COST B-2 well (Figure 1). For this
initial assessment, vintage wireline, core, and two dimensional (2D) seismic
data, acquired during exploration for hydrocarbons in the late 1970s and early
1980s at or near the proposed site, were utilized to develop a geocellular
earth model and reservoir simulation model so that injection rates, plume size,
well design, and construction costs could be estimated.
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