Date of Award
August 2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Petroleum Engineering
First Advisor
Kegang Ling
Abstract
Carbon dioxide (CO2) storage in deep saline aquifers holds promise as a viable solution to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Bulk-CO2 injection and sequestration in deep saline aquifers is a complex geological process. Previous studies have shown that bulk-CO2 injection into deep saline aquifers provides sufficient aquifer storage efficiency. In North Dakota, the Broom Creek Formation exists in the subsurface as the upper unit of the Minnelusa Group.This study presents a simulation study of bulk-CO2 injection and storage in a saline aquifer belonging to the Minnelusa Group in the Broom Creek Formation by providing insights into and evaluating the efficiency of three CO2 trapping mechanisms in the Broom Creek Formation: solubility trapping, residual trapping by hysteresis, and mineral trapping. A five-case scenario was investigated as a precursor to inform future work of storing CO2 in the Broom Creek Formation. A simple geological model of the area of interest (Oliver County) was constructed using Computer Modeling Group (CMG) and contour maps of the Broom Creek Formation and the North Dakota Industrial Commission (NDIC) well logs of the zones of interest. Based on the findings of this study, a continuous 50-year period of gas injection into an established aquifer target within the Broom Creek Formation was feasible. At a sustained daily gas injection rate of 500,000 m3, a target of 17.7 MMScf/d (approximately 18.3 million tons) was achieved. Accordingly, the basis for evaluating the three trapping mechanisms was established, providing the body of work to inform the State of North Dakota of its intention to store up to 30 gigatons of CO2 in the Broom Creek Formation in the future. Additional research is required to evaluate the benefits of managing excessive pressure buildup during bulk-CO2 injection into the Broom Creek Formation. Moreover, findings of this study highlight the need for investigation into why residual gas trapping and free gas volume did not respond to variations in parameters in sensitivity analysis.
Recommended Citation
Nkansah, Christopher, "CO2-Storage Trapping In Deep Saline Aquifers: Numerical Modeling On The Broom Creek Formation" (2024). Theses and Dissertations. 6445.
https://commons.und.edu/theses/6445