Combining power plant water needs and carbon dioxide storage using saline formations: Implications for carbon dioxide and water management policies

Abstract

a b s t r a c tResearch involving management of carbon dioxide has increased markedly over the last decade as it relates to concerns over climate change. Capturing and storing carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) in geological formations is one of many proposed methods to manage, and likely reduce, CO 2 emissions from burning fossil fuels in the electricity sector. Saline formations represent a vast storage resource, and the waters they contain could be managed for beneficial use. To address this issue, a methodology was developed to test the feasibility of linking coal-fired power plants, deep saline formations for CO 2 storage, and extracting and treating saline waters for use as power plant cooling water.An illustrative hypothetical case study examines a representative power plant and saline formation in the south-western United States. A regional assessment methodology includes analysis of injectioninduced changes in subsurface groundwater chemistry and fate and transport of supercritical CO 2 . Initial water-CO 2 -formation reactions include dissolution of carbonate minerals as expected, and suggest that very little CO 2 will be stored in mineral form within the first few centuries. Reservoir simulations provide direct input into a systems-level economic model, and demonstrate how water extraction can help manage injection-induced overpressure. Options for treatment of extracted water vary depending upon site specific chemistry. A high efficiency reverse osmosis system (HERO TM ) shows promise for economical desalination at the volumes of recovered water under consideration. Results indicate a coupled use CO 2 storage and water extraction and treatment system may be feasible for tens to hundreds of years.

Multiwell CO2 Injectivity: Impact of Boundary Conditions and Brine Extraction on Geologic CO2 Storage Efficiency and Pressure Buildup

“…Bergmo et al 10 examine "passive" brine extraction (i.e., extraction of brine driven only by CO 2 injection and not by active pumping) and conclude that, to utilize more than 1−2% of the pore space for CO 2 storage, it is necessary to produce "massive" amounts of brine from the formation. Kobos et al 11 investigated "active" brine extraction while storing CO 2 from a 1848 MW coal-based power plant and found that approximately 6% of the power plant's cooling water requirements could be met from the extracted and treated saline waters. Birkholzer et al 12 demonstrate use of brine extraction to minimize pressure buildup at specific locations, such as near a fault.…”

Natural Gas Value-Chain and Network Assessments

“…Systems with the above attributes can be simulated to a degree by representing the agents and the interaction structures, but they are hard to understand analytically 2 . The approach employed in this analysis is conceptually based on our earlier work in agent-based modeling (Darley and Outkin, 2007), energy modelling work (Barter et al, 2012;Kobos et al, 2011), and economic disruption modelling work (Vargas and Ehlen, 2013). As a departure from normative approaches in economics, our agents are boundedly rational and can be data driven.…”

Management of water extracted from carbon sequestration projects

“…Samples taken at depths shallower than 2,500 ft were not included in this trimmed data set, except where no other data points were available for a specific formation. The 2,500-ft depth limit was selected to eliminate data points at depths that do not meet the pressure requirements for successful carbon sequestration (Kobos et al 2009). …”

“…This is illustrated in Figure 10. For these estimates CO 2 density values of 0.65 to 0.78 g/cm 3 were used (Bentham andKirby 2005 andKobos et al 2009). Using these assumptions, 1,300 to 1,500 L of water could be extracted and managed for every metric ton of CO 2 sequestered.…”