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Geologic Sequestration

The National Energy Technology Laboratory and Los Alamos National Laboratory are partnering to develop a framework for making science-based decisions about geologic carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration. Geologic sequestration involves injecting supercritical CO2 deep underground into porous rock formations capped by impermeable layers to prevent CO2 from escaping. While natural evidence shows sequestration can work, deploying it at the large scale needed to address climate change requires selecting suitable sites and managing risks. The partnership aims to integrate existing knowledge into predictive models to help policymakers and industry evaluate sites and regulations to ensure long-term storage effectiveness and safety.

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37 views

Geologic Sequestration

The National Energy Technology Laboratory and Los Alamos National Laboratory are partnering to develop a framework for making science-based decisions about geologic carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration. Geologic sequestration involves injecting supercritical CO2 deep underground into porous rock formations capped by impermeable layers to prevent CO2 from escaping. While natural evidence shows sequestration can work, deploying it at the large scale needed to address climate change requires selecting suitable sites and managing risks. The partnership aims to integrate existing knowledge into predictive models to help policymakers and industry evaluate sites and regulations to ensure long-term storage effectiveness and safety.

Uploaded by

kashif_t
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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8 08 FACT SHEET

The National Energy Technology Laboratory and Los Alamos National Laboratory
are partnering to enable science-based decisions for geologic CO2 sequestration.

Geologic Sequestration
A National Plan for Making Science-Based Decisions

Meeting global energy demands without exacerbating into layers of porous rock (see image on reverse). The
global climate change will require a portfolio of carbon- porous layers will usually have other fluids in them, often
neutral energy options. Fossil fuels can play a central saline water and sometimes oil and natural gas. These fluids
role in this portfolio if their carbon dioxide emissions will have to move to make room for the CO2. A properly
are captured and stored rather than released into the selected site will have an impermeable trapping layer,
atmosphere. Geologic sequestration, storing CO2 in called a “cap rock,” above the porous reservoir holding the
subsurface geologic reservoirs, is perhaps the best near- CO2. The integrity of the cap rock is important because
term option. CO2 is lighter than saline water and oil and will tend to
migrate above
Natural and industrial evidence indicates that geologic these fluids.
sequestration can work safely and effectively. However, to
affect climate change, geologic sequestration operations As CO2 is
will have to sequester billions of tons of CO2 yearly. This injected into
will require a vast number the reservoir,
of geologic sites all with several things
varying site-specific properties, could occur.
regional issues, and economic The CO2 could
considerations. Selecting, force the native
engineering, and regulating fluids, and any
these sites will require a substances these NETL researcher analyzing CO flow using a CT scanner.
2
comprehensive decision fluids mobilize,
making framework that is into freshwater aquifers or other natural resources. The
robust enough to evaluate increased pressure in the reservoir could cause structural
all possible conditions yet changes in the formation, such as fractures in the cap
adaptable enough to provide rock, which could become escape routes. The CO2 mixed
site-specific predictions of with saline water could react with cement plugging the
long-term effectiveness. To wells, which may open escape routes or may improve the
A Los Alamos geochemist meet this need, Los Alamos cement’s sealing capability. The CO2 could chemically
analyzes a cement sample to see National Laboratory (LANL) react with minerals in the storage reservoir to create new
if plugged wellbores will hold up and the National Energy minerals, which could be good because it immobilizes the
under the pressures of geologic Technology Laboratory CO2 permanently, but could also be bad if it happens quick
sequestration. (NETL) are collaborating to enough to hamper injection operations. All these things
develop a national plan to could happen but probably will not or their impact could be
determine the overall long-term effectiveness of geologic minimized if sequestration sites are selected and managed
CO2 storage. using a comprehensive framework that is built upon
science. Scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory have
In a geologic sequestration process, CO2 is compressed into been developing such a framework and a computational
a supercritical state and injected down wells to disperse model known as CO2-PENS.

Geologic Sequestration: Science-Based Decisions 8 08


Much is already known from industry experience and together all the knowledge—industry experience, existing
past scientific research, but there are many gaps to be predictive models, field and laboratory experimental
filled. The Department of Energy’s carbon sequestration results—about basic physical and chemical processes
program has been working to fill those basic scientific and turn it into predictions that decision makers can use.
gaps through laboratory, computational, and field efforts. It will be an invaluable tool for lawmakers, regulators,
The DOE’s Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership investors, and sequestration site operators. The partnership
program has been assessing reservoir capacity and between NETL and LANL is laying the foundation for
conducting injection and storage tests for a wide range sound, science-based decisions in deploying geologic CO2
of reservoir types. CO2-PENS is being developed to pull sequestration as part of the solution to climate change.

In geologic sequestration, supercritical CO2 is


injected into porous layers, such as depleted
oil and gas reservoirs, unmineable coal seams,
and saline aquifers. Impermeable layers, or “cap
rocks,” would prevent CO2 from returning to the
surface. But CO2 tends to rise and cap rocks could
contain escape routes through faults, fractures,
and well holes. The white arrows to the right show
injected CO2, and the yellow indicate possible
escape routes. These potential problems can be
avoided or their impact minimized with proper
site selection and management based on science-
based prediction. Los Alamos National Laboratory
and the National Energy Technology Laboratory
are working together to provide the science base
and a computer prediction tool called “CO2-PENS.”

Human hair and grain of salt


compared to pore spaces in a geologic
sequestration reservoir. The electron
microscope image shows a cross section of sandstone
taken from a CO2 injection field study. The large gray areas are mineral
grains. The black spaces, which are narrower than a human hair or a grain of
Grain of salt salt, are the pore spaces through which injected CO2 must flow.
Human hair
Cross section of mineral grains in
a geologic reservoir
For more information

Rajesh Pawar Grant S. Bromhal


Los Alamos National Laboratory National Energy Technology Laboratory
Los Alamos National Laboratory is operated for the Department of Energy’s National
Nuclear Security Administration by Los Alamos National Security, LLC, a team of Bechtel 505-665-6929 304-285-4688
National, the University of California, The Babcock & Wilcox Company, and Washington [email protected] [email protected]
Group International.

LALP-08-055 Geologic Sequestration: Science-Based Decisions 8 08

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