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Storage Appraisal - Appendix A5.6 - Exemplar Modelling and Dynamic Simulation of Bunter Sandstone Formation Closures in the Southern North Sea


Citation Bentham, M., Williams, J., Harris, S., Jin, M. and Pickup, G. Storage Appraisal - Appendix A5.6 - Exemplar Modelling and Dynamic Simulation of Bunter Sandstone Formation Closures in the Southern North Sea, ETI, 2011. https://doi.org/10.5286/UKERC.EDC.000933.
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Author(s) Bentham, M., Williams, J., Harris, S., Jin, M. and Pickup, G.
Project partner(s) RPS Energy Ltd, Senergy (Lead Coordinator), British Geological Survey, Durham University, Herriot Watt University, Imperial College, University of Edinburgh, Element Energy, Geopressure Technology, Geospatial Research Ltd , Senergy - DB hosting
Publisher ETI
DOI https://doi.org/10.5286/UKERC.EDC.000933
Download CCS_CC1001_17.pdf document type
Abstract This document is a supporting document to deliverable MS6.1 UK Storage Appraisal Final Report.

The aim of this work was to build a 3D geocellular model of the reservoir and sealing formations for a closure in the Bunter Sandstone Formation which could be used to model CO2 injection. A region in storage unit 139.000 (zone 4 Bunter Sandstone Formation) of 44.0 km by 25.2 km was chosen for detailed modelling. The target daughter storage unit 139.016 (Bunter closure 36) was chosen for modelling as:
  • No faulting was visible on the seismic over the closure
  • The storage capacity was estimated to be large enough to store a sizable amount of CO2
  • The area included three additional closures  that could be used to study the impact of CO2 injection on adjacent storage units
  • Data coverage was good over the chosen area
The static geocellular model was constructed by BGS in PETRELTM  using PGS seismic surfaces, IHS well tops (from the EDIN database), well logs (for 12 wells) and core data for one well.

Some important findings arose from this study:-
  • The storage capacity may be controlled by either the pressure (when the pressure increases above the maximum limit, the rate must be reduced), or the migration rate (if a high injection rate is maintained, CO2 will reach the spill point more rapidly).
  • The pore volume utilisation and total capacity are quite sensitive to the assumed value for the fracture pressure gradient. A change in this gradient may switch the storage control from pressure-controlled to rate-controlled.
  • The storage capacity for an open model may be less than that for a closed system, if heterogeneity encourages a low pore volume utilisation.
  • It is import to monitor the pressure at the crest of a dome. Even when the injection rate is pressure controlled at the depth of the well completions, the pressure may rise above a safe limit in the crest.
  • It may be possible to increase storage capacity by controlling the injection rate. A lower rate will allow CO2 more time to rise buoyantly and to dissolve in brine, before reaching the spill point.
Associated Project(s) ETI-CC1001: UK Storage Appraisal Project (UKSAP)
Associated Dataset(s)

UK Storage Appraisal Project

CO2 Stored Database

Associated Publication(s)

2007 - 2017 - 10 years of innovation - Carbon Capture and Storage

ETI Insights Report - Building the UK carbon capture and storage sector by 2030 - scenarios and actions

ETI: Innovation Learnings - Carbon Capture and Storage

Infographic - Reducing the cost of CCS

Infographic - Taking Stock of UK CO2 Storage

Storage Appraisal – Project Insights

Storage Appraisal - Appendix A3.1 - Storage Unit Characterisation

Storage Appraisal - Appendix A4.1 - Pressure Buildup During CO2 Injection into a Closed Brine Aquifer

Storage Appraisal - Appendix A4.2 - Well Penetrations and Production in Oil and Gas Fields

Storage Appraisal - Appendix A5.1 - Summary of Dynamic Modelling Scoping Studies

Storage Appraisal - Appendix A5.3 - Representative Structure Modelling of Dipping Open Saline Aquifers

Storage Appraisal - Appendix A5.4 - Storage Capacity in Large Open Aquifers Examplar : Base Case Simulation and Sensitivities to Top Surface and Heterogeneity

Storage Appraisal - Appendix A5.5 - Representative Structure Modelling of Aquifers with Identified Structure

Storage Appraisal - Appendix A5.7 - Dynamic Modelling of Pressure Cells Using Representative Structures

Storage Appraisal - Appendix A5.8 - Interjectivity Related Geomechanical Modelling of Large Open Aquifers

Storage Appraisal - Appendix A6.1 - Security of Storage

Storage Appraisal - Appendix A6.2 - Security of Storage (Appendices)

Storage Appraisal - Appendix A8.1 - Technical Specification for the UKSAP WDG Application

Storage Appraisal - Executive Summary

Storage Appraisal - One Page Summary

Storage Appraisal - UK Storage Appraisal Project - Final Report

Storage Appraisal - United Kingdom CO2 Storage Capacity Appraisal - Request for Proposal

Storage Appraisal - User Guide for the Web-enabled Database and Geographical Information System

Storage Appraisal - WP5 - Web-enabled Database and GIS Specification

Storage Appraisal - WP9 Final Report - Business and Regulatory Models for offshore CO2transport and storage in the late 2020s and beyond

Storage Appraisal- Approach for Dynamic Modelling of CO2 Storage in Deep Saline Aquifers - Summary Report

Taking Stock of UK CO2 Storage

UK Storage Appraisal Project (UKSAP) Database Analysis Project - Request for Proposal