Fort Nelson Test Site - Site Characterization Report

Technical Report · Sat Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 2014

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1874467· OSTI ID:1874467

Sorensen, James A. ^[1]; Gorecki, Charles D. ^[2]; Steadman, Edward N. ^[2]

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1. Univ. of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND (United States). Energy and Environmental Research Center; Univ. of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND (United States). Energy & Environmental Research Center
2. Univ. of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND (United States). Energy and Environmental Research Center

The Plains CO₂ Reduction (PCOR) Partnership, led by the Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC), is working with Spectra Energy Transmission (SET) to determine the feasibility of large-scale injection of carbon dioxide (CO₂) into a deep brine-saturated carbonate formation near Fort Nelson, British Columbia, Canada, for the purpose of CO₂ storage. Site characterization must be conducted prior to large-scale injection of CO₂ at the Fort Nelson test site. Effective characterization supports modeling; risk assessment; and monitoring, verification, and accounting (MVA) programs that will constantly evolve to suit the project’s needs. Site characterization activities have been conducted to address three critical issues affecting the viability of the Fort Nelson test site: 1) the capacity of the target formation, 2) injectivity, and 3) containment – the potential for leakage of the injected CO₂ into overlying formations and/or the near-surface environment. Geochemical, mineralogical/petrophysical, geomechanical, and hydrogeological data have been collected for the purpose of supporting modeling, risk assessment, and MVA activities. The geology, stratigraphy, and lithology have been evaluated, delineated, and described for the entire sedimentary succession from the base of the Devonian age Presqu’ile reef complex to the top of the Fort Simpson shale (cap rock) in the Fort Nelson project area. The structural elements of the reef complex have been investigated to identify any existing faults and/or fractures that would allow migration of any reservoir and/or injected fluids out of the storage reservoir. On this basis, a geologic model has been built, with particular attention given to the Devonian injection interval and overlying and underlying sealing formations.

• Research Organization: Univ. of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND (United States). Energy & Environmental Research Center
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Fossil Energy (FE)
• DOE Contract Number: FC26-05NT42592
• OSTI ID: 1874467
• Report Number(s): DOE-EERC-42592-33; 2014-EERC-03-02
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
58 GEOSCIENCES
PCOR
Plains Carbon Dioxide Reduction Partnership
Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership
carbon capture and storage
geologic CO2 storage