Reservoir modeling for Wabamun lake sequestration project

Abstract

A study, entitled "Wabamun Lake Sequestration Project" or "WASP," was performed to evaluate large-scale CO 2 storage opportunities in the Wabamun area including potential risks. The project examined the feasibility of storing 20 megatons (Mt) of CO 2 per year over 50 years. This scale is one order of magnitude larger than the typical benchmark (1 Mt/year) used in academic research and commercial projects that are currently in place or under review. The study was conducted by a group of researchers from several universities as well as industry consultants. This study presents an overview of the reservoir modeling part of this study, which the authors were responsible for. The main objectives of the reservoir modeling for WASP project were as follows: (1) estimation of storage capacity (traditionally, this value is projected based on the available pore space, but we have an additional practical consideration: the maximum amount one can inject within short period of time [~50 years] and within a localized injection area [~30 km 9 90 km]); (2) investigation of CO 2 plume movement and pressure distribution during and after injection including the effect of formation dip angle on the plume shape and its migration; (3) investigation of the long-term fate of injection associated with free phase CO 2 (risks of leakage) and aquifer pressurization (possible geomechanical changes and related phenomena); (4) investigation of the phase behavior of H 2 S initially available and dissolved in brine during CO 2 sequestration process. The WASP reservoir modeling study mentioned above led to a few important findings. The most important one is that, when CO 2 is being injected into a sour aquifer, initially dissolved H 2 S will release into the expanding CO 2 plume and accumulate at the leading edge of the plume. Also, the large-scale injection scheme (20 Mt/ year), which requires multi well injectors, provides very different pressure response compared to a one well (1 Mt/year) scenario.

Potential technical hazards associated with four North American carbon capture and sequestration projects

“…Pore pressure changes from induced seismicity or earthquakes might also affect stresses, leading to reactivation of existing faults, slip along bedding planes, or significant reductions in the horizontal stresses in the caprock. Slip can lead to damage in cased wellbores (Dusseault et al, 2001) and impairments to caprocks providing pathways for migration of CO 2 (DNV, 2012;Ghaderi and Leonenko, 2009;Nicot and Duncan, 2012;Preston et al, 2005; US Department of Energy, 2007; Wilson and Monea, 2004). CO 2 can also diffuse through the caprock at a molecular level, regardless of the presence or absence of an interconnected pore space or a narrow-aperture natural fracture.…”

“…Any reduction in the well integrity of injection, monitoring, or legacy wells can provide a pathway for CO 2 leakage (Shell Canada Limited, 2010c;Nygaard, 2010;DNV, 2012;Ghaderi and Leonenko, 2009;US Department of Energy, 2007;Wilson and Monea, 2004;Nicot and Duncan, 2012;Preston et al, 2005). Acidified brine as well as pressure and temperature conditions can cause cement corrosion (Shell Canada Limited, 2011c; US Department of Energy, 2007), but if the cement corrosion is only because of diffusion, it would be too slow to be of consequence.…”

A Galerkin‐free/equation‐free model reduction method for single‐phase flow in fractured porous media

“…Applications, where fractures should be seriously studied for reservoir behavior, include development of tight sandstone oil and gas reservoirs, CO 2 geological sequestration, and geothermal energy extraction, among others. Fractures provide preferential flow paths and important heat transfer area in a low‐permeability reservoir.…”

Effect of Dynamic Loading on Wellbore Leakage for the Wabamun Area CO2-Sequestration Project

“…A comprehensive characterization of large-scale CO 2 -storage opportunities in the Wabamun Lake area (Fig. 2), known as the WASP, was conducted by a University-of-Calgary-led research group and identified the possibility of storing 0.25 to 0.40 Gt of CO 2 (Ghaderi and Leonenko 2009). The possible injection formations within the study area ( Fig.…”

“…injection zone, with storage capacity of 0.25 to 0.4 Gt of CO 2 , which could be increased two-to three-fold with brine removal (Ghaderi and Leonenko 2009). In addition, the Nisku formation in this area does not contain oil or gas resources.…”