IEAGHG Investigation of Extraction of Formation Water from CO2 Storage
The EERC has investigated the proposed practice of formation water extraction from CO2 storage reservoirs for the purpose of enhancing CO2 storage. The project was performed under joint sponsorship by the IEA Greenhouse Gas (IEAGHG) R&D Programme and the U.S. Department of Energy. The concept of extracting saline waters from reservoirs has been proposed as a means of managing storage formation pressures, increasing reservoir storage capacity, and controlling migration of CO2 plumes and displaced formation water. The practice may also provide water that may be put to beneficial uses, such as the supply of potable water, where treatment can be performed at a reasonable cost. This concepts utility will depend on feasible water extraction rates, which will, in turn, depend on site-specific factors such as geologic structure, permeability, heterogeneity, and project design features (i.e., the desired CO2 injection rate). The impacts of formation water extraction were tested through heterogeneous geologic modeling and dynamic simulations of four case study sites. Reservoir-scale dynamic simulations were conducted to investigate the impact formation water extraction could have on storage capacity and reservoir management strategies. Storage capacity was found to increase through water extraction at all test sites, generally doubling available storage. Use of extracted water was also found to be effective for reservoir pressure management and plume control. Analysis of the resulting water quality and quantity, available treatment technologies, and potential transportation costs reveals that barriers remain for potential beneficial use of extracted water from carbon capture and storage (CCS) facilities.View/Download Document
Event/Meeting Information
PCOR Partnership 2012 Annual Meeting
9/11/2012
Milwaukee, WI