Hydrology of the Forest City basin, Mid-Continent, USA: implications for CO2 sequestration in the St. Peter Sandstone

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to perform a preliminary assessment of the stratigraphy, storage capacity, hydrology and mineralogy of this basin to determine its suitability and structural trapping capacity for geologic sequestration of carbon dioxide. The basin is stratigraphically suited in that it contains the St. Peter Sandstone, a high permeability aquifer which is overlain by multiple low permeability units. These should act as a seal to prevent the upward migration of injected CO2. Construction of a three dimensional stratigraphic model produces storage capacity estimates within the St. Peter ranging from 5.2 to 830 megatonnes CO2. Groundwater modeling results highlight potential areas of flow stagnation and a predominately lateral flow regime within the St. Peter Sandstone. This, coupled with relatively low flow velocities in most model scenarios, indicates that CO2 as a dissolved phase in groundwater is not likely to escape the basin through lateral migration in less than 1,000 years, the commonly accepted performance standard for sequestration (Hepple and Benson, 2005). Mineralogical analysis also indicates a grain matrix composed almost entirely of quartz which is non-reactive with CO2; this indicates that dissolution of the grain matrix upon injection is not likely to occur and result in any loss of conductivity or porosity through grain collapse. The preliminary results presented in this study indicate that the Forest City Basin is indeed suitable for carbon sequestration and warrants further investigation.

Production of Methanol from Aqueous CO2 by Using Co3O4 Nanostructures as Photocatalysts

“…Almost all the excess of this gas in the atmosphere is produced by the combustion of mineral fuels, like gasoline or coal. Many efforts have been done in the last years aiming to reduce CO 2 emissions to the atmosphere: imposition of taxes for CO 2 emissions, CO 2 sequestration using different methods [10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20], or the conversion of this gas using different techniques to obtain value added products, e.g., fuels [21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33]. In order to reduce CO 2 quantity in the atmosphere and produce fuels using this gas and water, different materials and methods have been applied: metal complexes [21], microalgae [28,33], syngas procedure [24], polymers [31], electrochemical transformations [26,32], photothermal and thermochemical conversions [23,25], semiconductors [27,30], and several others.…”

Cost and Life Cycle Emissions of Ethanol Produced with an Oxyfuel Boiler and Carbon Capture and Storage

“…The baseline facility (BASE) for this study is assumed to be a modern dry mill ethanol refinery in the midwestern United States with a capacity of 40 M-gal (151 ML) of ethanol per year. The Midwest is home to a high density of existing corn production and ethanol refineries, and parts of the region are proximate to suitable formations for geologic sequestration of CO 2 such as the Forest City and Illinois Basins. , The facility produces dried distiller’s grains and solids (DDGS) and corn oil co-products. BASE utilizes a conventional natural gas boiler for thermal energy requirements and utilizes a direct natural gas-fired drying system for the DDGS co-product.…”

Geochemical assessment of mineral sequestration of carbon dioxide in the midcontinent rift

“…8,9 Several studies have examined the sequestration of CO 2 in the Proterozoic and Paleozoic layers of the central United States. [10][11][12][13][14][15][16] These research works concentrated on whether the intended sites was suitable for ensuring efficient trapping, including if seal rocks, porous permeable medium, and sufficient storage capacity were present. The geological survey of Minnesota has conducted a comprehensive study of CO 2 sequestration in the state's midcontinent rift (MCR) Proterozoic strata.…”

“…To evaluate any site for mineral sequestration, specific criteria should be applied, such as rock lithology, water saturation, pressure, temperature, salinity, porosity, permeability, heterogeneity, anisotropy, and seal rocks 8,9 . Several studies have examined the sequestration of CO 2 in the Proterozoic and Paleozoic layers of the central United States 10–16 . These research works concentrated on whether the intended sites was suitable for ensuring efficient trapping, including if seal rocks, porous permeable medium, and sufficient storage capacity were present.…”