A tool for first order estimates and optimisation of dynamic storage resource capacity in saline aquifers

• Published in: International journal of greenhouse gas control Vol. 106; p. 103258
• Main Authors: De Simone, Silvia, Krevor, Samuel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.03.2021; Elsevier
• Subjects: CO2 storage capacity; Earth Sciences; Hydrology; Injectivity; Resource optimization; Sciences of the Universe; Simplified models; Resource optimization; Injectivity; CO2 storage capacity; Simplified models
• ISSN: 1750-5836; 1878-0148
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijggc.2021.103258

•A methodology for the evaluation and optimization of the CO2 storage potential of geologic formations is developed•Dynamic storage resource is estimated under different scenarios of well numbers and interwell distance•Around 140 Gt of CO2 can be stored in 30 years in the offshore UK•The workflow is designed to be included into the optimization of site development in more complex techno-economic energy models The importance of carbon capture and storage in mitigating climate change has emerged from the results of techno-economic or integrated assessment modeling, in which scenarios of future energy systems are developed subject to constraints from economic growth and climate change targets. These models rarely include limits imposed by injectivity, ultimate amounts, or the geographic distribution of storage resources. However, they could if a sufficiently simple model were available. We develop a methodology for the fast assessment of the dynamic storage resource of a reservoir under different scenarios of well numbers and interwell distance. The approach combines the use of a single-well multiphase analytical solution and the superposition of pressure responses to evaluate the pressure buildup in a multiwell scenario. The injectivity is directly estimated by means of a nonlinear relationship between flow-rate and overpressure and by imposing a limiting overpressure, which is evaluated on the basis of the mechanical parameters for failure. The methodology is implemented within a tool, named CO2BLOCK, which can optimise site design for the numbers of wells and spacing between wells. Given its small computational expense, the methodology can be applied to a large number of sites within a region. We apply this to analyse the storage potential in the offshore of the UK. We estimate that 25–250 GtCO2 can be safely stored over an injection time interval of 30 years. We also demonstrate the use of the tool in evaluating tradeoffs between infrastructure costs and maximising injectivity at two specific sites in the offshore UK.