Search Menu
DOE PAGES title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information
Search Scholarly Publications

Title: Natural CO2 accumulations in the western Williston Basin: A mineralogical analog for CO2 injection at the Weyburn site

Abstract

The Devonian carbonates of the Duperow Formation on the western flank of the Williston Basin in southwest Saskatchewan contain natural accumulations of CO2, and may have done so for as long as 50 million years. These carbonate sediments are characterized by a succession of carbonate cycles capped by anhydrite-rich evaporites that are thought to act as seals to fluid migration. The Weyburn CO2 injection site lies 400 km to the east in a series of Mississippian carbonates that were deposited in a similar depositional environment. That long-term isolation of natural CO2 can be accomplished within carbonate strata has motivated the investigation of the Duperow rocks as a potential natural analog for storage of anthropogenic CO2 in carbonate lithologies. For the Duperow strata to represent a legitimate analog for Midale injection and storage, the similarity in lithofacies, whole rock compositions, mineral compositions and porosity with the Midale Beds must be established. Here we compare lithofacies, whole rock compositions, mineralogy and mineral compositions from both locales. The major mineral phases at both locales are calcite, dolomite and anhydrite. In addition, accessory pyrite, fluorite, quartz and celestine (strontium sulfate) are also observed. Dawsonite, a potential CO2-trapping mineral, is not observed within the CO2-bearingmore » horizons of the Duperow Formation, however. The distribution of porosity in the Midale Vuggy units is similar to that of the Duperow Formation, but the Marly units of the Midale have significantly higher porosity. The Duperow Formation is topped by the Dinesmore evaporite that is rich in anhydrite, and often contains authigenic K-feldspar. The chemistry of dolomite and calcite from the two localities also overlaps. Silicate minerals are in low abundance (<3%) within the analyzed Duperow samples, with quartz and K-feldspar the only silicates observed petrographically or in X-ray diffraction patterns. The Midale Beds contain significantly higher silica/silicate concentrations (Durocher et al., 2003), but the paucity of mono- and divalent cations that can be derived from dissolution of these silicate minerals likely precludes significant carbonate mineral formation. Therefore physical and solution trapping are likely to be the primary CO2 trapping mechanisms at both sites.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4]
+ Show Author Affiliations
  1. Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
  2. Lake Geological, Swift Current, SK (Canada)
  3. Petroleum Technology Research Centre, SK (Canada); Global CCS Institute, Canberra (Australia)
  4. Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Schlumberger-Doll Research, Cambridge, MA (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1245715
Report Number(s):
LLNL-JRNL-576092
Journal ID: ISSN 1750-5836
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC52-07NA27344
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 16; Journal Issue: S1; Journal ID: ISSN 1750-5836
Publisher:
Elsevier
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
58 GEOSCIENCES; water–rock interaction; natural carbon dioxide accumulations; supercritical carbon dioxide; natural analog; geologic carbon sequestration; Weyburn carbon dioxide injection

Citation Formats

Ryerson, F. J., Lake, John, Whittaker, Steven, and Johnson, James W. Natural CO2 accumulations in the western Williston Basin: A mineralogical analog for CO2 injection at the Weyburn site. United States: N. p., 2013. Web. doi:10.1016/j.ijggc.2012.12.015.
Copy to clipboard
Ryerson, F. J., Lake, John, Whittaker, Steven, & Johnson, James W. Natural CO2 accumulations in the western Williston Basin: A mineralogical analog for CO2 injection at the Weyburn site. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijggc.2012.12.015
Copy to clipboard
Ryerson, F. J., Lake, John, Whittaker, Steven, and Johnson, James W. Thu . "Natural CO2 accumulations in the western Williston Basin: A mineralogical analog for CO2 injection at the Weyburn site". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijggc.2012.12.015. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1245715.
Copy to clipboard
@article{osti_1245715,
title = {Natural CO2 accumulations in the western Williston Basin: A mineralogical analog for CO2 injection at the Weyburn site},
author = {Ryerson, F. J. and Lake, John and Whittaker, Steven and Johnson, James W.},
abstractNote = {The Devonian carbonates of the Duperow Formation on the western flank of the Williston Basin in southwest Saskatchewan contain natural accumulations of CO2, and may have done so for as long as 50 million years. These carbonate sediments are characterized by a succession of carbonate cycles capped by anhydrite-rich evaporites that are thought to act as seals to fluid migration. The Weyburn CO2 injection site lies 400 km to the east in a series of Mississippian carbonates that were deposited in a similar depositional environment. That long-term isolation of natural CO2 can be accomplished within carbonate strata has motivated the investigation of the Duperow rocks as a potential natural analog for storage of anthropogenic CO2 in carbonate lithologies. For the Duperow strata to represent a legitimate analog for Midale injection and storage, the similarity in lithofacies, whole rock compositions, mineral compositions and porosity with the Midale Beds must be established. Here we compare lithofacies, whole rock compositions, mineralogy and mineral compositions from both locales. The major mineral phases at both locales are calcite, dolomite and anhydrite. In addition, accessory pyrite, fluorite, quartz and celestine (strontium sulfate) are also observed. Dawsonite, a potential CO2-trapping mineral, is not observed within the CO2-bearing horizons of the Duperow Formation, however. The distribution of porosity in the Midale Vuggy units is similar to that of the Duperow Formation, but the Marly units of the Midale have significantly higher porosity. The Duperow Formation is topped by the Dinesmore evaporite that is rich in anhydrite, and often contains authigenic K-feldspar. The chemistry of dolomite and calcite from the two localities also overlaps. Silicate minerals are in low abundance (<3%) within the analyzed Duperow samples, with quartz and K-feldspar the only silicates observed petrographically or in X-ray diffraction patterns. The Midale Beds contain significantly higher silica/silicate concentrations (Durocher et al., 2003), but the paucity of mono- and divalent cations that can be derived from dissolution of these silicate minerals likely precludes significant carbonate mineral formation. Therefore physical and solution trapping are likely to be the primary CO2 trapping mechanisms at both sites.},
doi = {10.1016/j.ijggc.2012.12.015},
journal = {International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control},
number = S1,
volume = 16,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Jan 17 00:00:00 EST 2013},
month = {Thu Jan 17 00:00:00 EST 2013}
}
Copy to clipboard
Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
Publisher's Version of Record
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijggc.2012.12.015
Copyright Statement
Other availability
Search WorldCat Search WorldCat to find libraries that may hold this journal
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 4 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science
Save / Share:
Export Metadata
Save to My Library
You must Sign In or Create an Account in order to save documents to your library.

Works referenced in this record:

Geochemical modeling of CO2 storage in deep reservoirs: The Weyburn Project (Canada) case study
journal, July 2009

Modeling of coupled deformation and permeability evolution during fault reactivation induced by deep underground injection of CO2
journal, March 2011

Seismic rupture and ground accelerations induced by CO2 injection in the shallow crust: CO2 induced seismic rupture
journal, August 2012

The noble gas geochemistry of natural CO2 gas reservoirs from the Colorado Plateau and Rocky Mountain provinces, USA
journal, February 2008

  • Gilfillan, Stuart M. V.; Ballentine, Chris J.; Holland, Greg
  • Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, Vol. 72, Issue 4
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.gca.2007.10.009

Solubility trapping in formation water as dominant CO2 sink in natural gas fields
journal, April 2009

  • Gilfillan, Stuart M. V.; Lollar, Barbara Sherwood; Holland, Greg
  • Nature, Vol. 458, Issue 7238
  • DOI: 10.1038/nature07852

He and Ne as tracers of natural CO2 migration up a fault from a deep reservoir
journal, November 2011

  • Gilfillan, Stuart M. V.; Wilkinson, Mark; Haszeldine, R. Stuart
  • International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, Vol. 5, Issue 6
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.ijggc.2011.08.008

Why is Dawsonite Absent in CO 2 Charged Reservoirs?
journal, January 2011

  • Hellevang, H.; Declercq, J.; Aagaard, P.
  • Oil & Gas Science and Technology – Revue d’IFP Energies nouvelles, Vol. 66, Issue 1
  • DOI: 10.2516/ogst/2011002

Radiometric Ages of Intrusive Rocks in the Little Belt Mountains, Montana
journal, January 1973

Mineral Carbonation of CO2
journal, October 2008

    Sort by:
    [ × clear filter / sort ]

    Similar Records in DOE PAGES and OSTI.GOV collections: