Projects
Projects: Projects for Investigator |
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| Reference Number | NE/F002645/1 | |
| Title | Predicting the fate of CO2 in geological reservoirs for modelling geological carbon storage | |
| Status | Completed | |
| Energy Categories | Fossil Fuels: Oil Gas and Coal(CO2 Capture and Storage, CO2 storage) 100%; | |
| Research Types | Basic and strategic applied research 100% | |
| Science and Technology Fields | ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES (Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences) 100% | |
| UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation | Not Cross-cutting 100% | |
| Principal Investigator |
Dr C (Christopher ) Rochelle No email address given Energy British Geological Survey (BGS) - NERC |
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| Award Type | R&D | |
| Funding Source | NERC | |
| Start Date | 07 May 2008 | |
| End Date | 06 May 2013 | |
| Duration | 60 months | |
| Total Grant Value | £741,845 | |
| Industrial Sectors | Transport Systems and Vehicles | |
| Region | East Midlands | |
| Programme | ||
| Investigators | Principal Investigator | Dr C (Christopher ) Rochelle , Energy, British Geological Survey (BGS) - NERC (99.999%) |
| Other Investigator | Dr J (Jonathan ) Pearce , Energy, British Geological Survey (BGS) - NERC (0.001%) |
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| Web Site | ||
| Objectives | The following grants : NE/F002645/1, NE/F004699/1, NE/F002823/1, NE/F005083/1 are all linked to each other The main objective of this proposal is to determining the nature and kinetics of fluid-rock interactions between CO2-rich brines and rocks, in field settings as well as in laboratory experiments, in order to formulate and test models of the behaviour and fate of CO2 injected in g eological strata. To do this we need to determine the processes which moderate the fluid-mineral reaction kinetics, particularly the nature of the processes which result in much more sluggish kinetics in field settings compared with the predictions from laboratory experiments. The ultimate objective is to creat a database and methodology that enables the results of this study to be used in risk a ssessments and performance modelling of geological carbon storage sites. To achieve these main objectives we will need to carry out the following: 1) Evaluate natural (CO2 natural gas reservoirs) and anthropogenic(CO2 injection EOR - Enhanced Oil Recovery) sites as analogues for geological CO2 storage. As necessary, determine the hydrology and the nature of the CO2-fluid to reservoir brine inter actions in these sites and characterise the reservoir mineralogy, mineral characteristics that might control reactionr ates (e.g. mineral surface areas and topologies) and fluid-mineral reactions by using a range of mineralogical, geochemical and isotopic analytical techniques. 2) Carry out laboratory experiments on reservoir materials, cap rocks and single minerals to investigate mineral-fluid reactions and reaction kinetics under controlled conditions and to test the reactions and reaction kinetics inferredfr om the field-scale studies. 3) Perform laboratory experiments to make detailed measurements of noble gas solubility in, and partitioning between, supercritical and liquid CO2 and brine and extend the data available for the natural analogues to include high precision noble-gas iso topic and concentration data. This data will inform modelling of the hydrology of the naturalCO2 reservoirs. 4) Util ise existing and develop improved thermodynamic modelling of both equilibrium and kinetically-rate limited mineral-fluid reactions to a) relate the results of field-based and laboratory experiments, b) enable more general application of theresults from this and other studies to spe cific field sites and c) use the laboratory and field results to test the applicability of widely used thermodynamic mod els for mineral reaction rates. |
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| Abstract | This proposal is to use natural geological examples to evaluate the fate and ultimate safety of disposing of carbon-dioxide deep underground in geological formations. Separation of carbon-dioxide from power station fuels or exhaust products, and the injection and storage of the CO2 underground in geological formations is an economical and practical way for global society to manage energy supplieswhile transforming to a low carbon economy. Theexistence of geological sites where natural carbon-dioxide has remained stored for millions of years suggests removal for more than the 10000-year period needed to protect climate maybe practical and safe. However the processes which govern the fate of carbon-dioxide in brine-filled aquifers are complex and to guarantee the safety and efficiency ofthe storage it is necessary to be able to predict these over the ~ 10000 year storage period, a time much longer than industry currently models reservoir processes. Many of the processes which operate on supercritical or gaseous carbon-dioxide underground may enhance its storage potential. The buoyant CO2 will dissolve in the formation brines to form denser CO2-saturated brine which will sink.TheCO2-saturated brine is relatively reactive but current models suggest that the reactions with carbonate and silicate minerals in the reservoirwill ultimately lead to a significant proportion of the CO2 being precipitated as carbonate minerals stored permanently. However the CO2-charged brines may also react with the caprocks which retain the carbon-dioxide and it is not known whether this willenhance the seals by mineral precipitation or degrade them by mineral dissolution. A major limitation in our ability to predict these fluid-mineral reactions is that the reactions proceed slowly at variable rates (days or months to many years) and our knowledge of the reaction rates in real field settings is very limited. This project will study fluids and gasses from natural carbon-dioxide reservoirsand, where possible, from sites where carbon dioxide is being actively injected underground, to determine the rates of the mineral-fluid reactions in natural settings. We will duplicate the reactions in laboratory experiments where itwill be possible to study the processes under controlled conditions, study individual reactions from the complex set of coupled reactions which take place inthenatural rocks and examine the effects of varying potential rate-controlling parameters. The ultimate objective is to inform site assessment, risk and monitoring for geological carbon storage. The research will benefit other areas of the environmental sciences where rates of kinetically-limited fluid-mineral reactions govern important processes. | |
| Publications | (none) |
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| Final Report | (none) |
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| Added to Database | 05/09/08 | |
