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Title: Using chemical and isotopic data to quantify ionic trapping of injected carbon dioxide in oil field brines

Abstract

Injection of carbon dioxide into depleted oil fields or deep saline aquifers represents one of the most promising means of long-term storage of this greenhouse gas. While the ultimate goal of CO{sub 2} injection in the subsurface is mineral storage of CO{sub 2} as carbonates, short-term ({lt}50 year) storage of injected CO{sub 2} is most likely to be accomplished by ionic trapping of CO{sub 2} as bicarbonate ions (HCO{sub 3}{sup -}) and hydrogeological trapping of molecular CO{sub 2}. Here, a technique is demonstrated for quantifying ionic trapping of injected CO{sub 2} as HCO{sub 3}{sup -} using geochemical data collected prior to and during 40 months of CO{sub 2} injection into a hydrocarbon reservoir at the International Energy Agency (IEA) Weyburn CO{sub 2} Monitoring and Storage Project, Saskatchewan, Canada. As a result of injection of CO{sub 2} with a low carbon isotope ratio ({delta}{sup 13}C value), fluid and gas samples from four selected production wells showed an increase in HCO{sub 3}{sup -} concentration and a decrease in {delta}{sup 13}C values of HCO{sub 3}{sup -} and CO{sub 2} over the observation period. Isotope and mass balance calculations indicate that, after 40 months of injection, {approximately} 80% of the HCO{sub 3}{sup -} inmore » the reservoir brines sampled from the four wells formed via dissolution and dissociation of injected CO{sub 2}. This chemical and isotopic technique should be applicable to CO{sub 2} injection and storage in oil fields and in deep saline aquifers, provided there is sufficient carbon isotopic distinction between injected CO{sub 2} and baseline aquifer HCO{sub 3}{sup -} and CO{sub 2}. 37 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab.« less

Authors:
; ; ; ; ; ;  [1]
  1. University of Calgary, Calgary, AB (Canada). Applied Geochemistry Group, Department of Geology and Geophysics
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
20838174
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Environmental Science and Technology
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 40; Journal Issue: 21; Other Information: mraistri@ucalgary.ca; Journal ID: ISSN 0013-936X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CARBON DIOXIDE INJECTION; BRINES; AQUIFERS; ACID CARBONATES; UNDERGROUND STORAGE; OIL FIELDS; ABANDONED SITES; SASKATCHEWAN; CANADA; CARBON 13

Citation Formats

Raistrick, Mark, Mayer, Bernhard, Shevalier, Maurice, Perez, Renee J, Hutcheon, Ian, Perkins, Ernie, and Gunter, Bill. Using chemical and isotopic data to quantify ionic trapping of injected carbon dioxide in oil field brines. United States: N. p., 2006. Web. doi:10.1021/es060551a.
Raistrick, Mark, Mayer, Bernhard, Shevalier, Maurice, Perez, Renee J, Hutcheon, Ian, Perkins, Ernie, & Gunter, Bill. Using chemical and isotopic data to quantify ionic trapping of injected carbon dioxide in oil field brines. United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/es060551a
Raistrick, Mark, Mayer, Bernhard, Shevalier, Maurice, Perez, Renee J, Hutcheon, Ian, Perkins, Ernie, and Gunter, Bill. 2006. "Using chemical and isotopic data to quantify ionic trapping of injected carbon dioxide in oil field brines". United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/es060551a.
@article{osti_20838174,
title = {Using chemical and isotopic data to quantify ionic trapping of injected carbon dioxide in oil field brines},
author = {Raistrick, Mark and Mayer, Bernhard and Shevalier, Maurice and Perez, Renee J and Hutcheon, Ian and Perkins, Ernie and Gunter, Bill},
abstractNote = {Injection of carbon dioxide into depleted oil fields or deep saline aquifers represents one of the most promising means of long-term storage of this greenhouse gas. While the ultimate goal of CO{sub 2} injection in the subsurface is mineral storage of CO{sub 2} as carbonates, short-term ({lt}50 year) storage of injected CO{sub 2} is most likely to be accomplished by ionic trapping of CO{sub 2} as bicarbonate ions (HCO{sub 3}{sup -}) and hydrogeological trapping of molecular CO{sub 2}. Here, a technique is demonstrated for quantifying ionic trapping of injected CO{sub 2} as HCO{sub 3}{sup -} using geochemical data collected prior to and during 40 months of CO{sub 2} injection into a hydrocarbon reservoir at the International Energy Agency (IEA) Weyburn CO{sub 2} Monitoring and Storage Project, Saskatchewan, Canada. As a result of injection of CO{sub 2} with a low carbon isotope ratio ({delta}{sup 13}C value), fluid and gas samples from four selected production wells showed an increase in HCO{sub 3}{sup -} concentration and a decrease in {delta}{sup 13}C values of HCO{sub 3}{sup -} and CO{sub 2} over the observation period. Isotope and mass balance calculations indicate that, after 40 months of injection, {approximately} 80% of the HCO{sub 3}{sup -} in the reservoir brines sampled from the four wells formed via dissolution and dissociation of injected CO{sub 2}. This chemical and isotopic technique should be applicable to CO{sub 2} injection and storage in oil fields and in deep saline aquifers, provided there is sufficient carbon isotopic distinction between injected CO{sub 2} and baseline aquifer HCO{sub 3}{sup -} and CO{sub 2}. 37 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab.},
doi = {10.1021/es060551a},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/20838174}, journal = {Environmental Science and Technology},
issn = {0013-936X},
number = 21,
volume = 40,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 2006},
month = {Wed Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 2006}
}