CO₂ Storage Efficiency in Deep Saline Formations: A Comparison of Volumetric and Dynamic Storage resource Estimation Methods

Publication Overview

The goal of this study was to compare the volumetric and dynamic CO₂ storage resource estimation methodologies used to evaluate the storage potential of deep saline formations (DSFs). This comparison was carried out to investigate the applicability of using volumetric methods, which typically require less data and time to apply, to estimate the CO₂ storage resource potential of a given saline formation or saline system. The project goals were accomplished by applying both the volumetric and dynamic CO₂ storage resource estimation methodologies to the open-system upper Minnelusa Formation in the Powder River Basin, United States, and a closed-system comprising the Qingshankou and Yaojia Formations in the Songliao Basin, China

Publication Summary

In order to compare volumetric and dynamic resource estimation methodologies, it was first important to evaluate and compare the volumetric methods in the literature. As a result of this comparison, it was determined that all of the volumetric CO₂ storage resource methodologies resulted in roughly equivalent values for the effective storage resource of a DSF. In addition, most of these methodologies use the same base equation where the mass of CO₂ that can be stored in a DSF is equal to the pore volume of the DSF multiplied by a CO₂ storage efficiency term. As such, it was determined that the method and storage efficiency terms used in the DOE Carbon Sequestration Atlas of the United States and Canada (U.S. Department of Energy, 2010) would be used for the basis of this comparison since the storage efficiency terms had already been thoroughly developed for both open and closed systems. In addition, an approach was also presented that goes through a method to determine the effective pore volume (the pore volume amenable to CO₂ storage) and a way to apply the effective CO₂ storage efficiency to estimate the effective CO₂ storage resource potential of a target DSF.