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Title: Sensitivity of injection costs to input petrophysical parameters in numerical geologic carbon sequestration models

Abstract

Numerical simulations are widely used in feasibility studies for geologic carbon sequestration. Accurate estimates of petrophysical parameters are needed as inputs for these simulations. However, relatively few experimental values are available for CO2-brine systems. Hence, a sensitivity analysis was performed using the STOMP numerical code for supercritical CO2 injected into a model confined deep saline aquifer. The intrinsic permeability, porosity, pore compressibility, and capillary pressure-saturation/relative permeability parameters (residual liquid saturation, residual gas saturation, and van Genuchten alpha and m values) were varied independently. Their influence on CO2 injection rates and costs were determined and the parameters were ranked based on normalized coefficients of variation. The simulations resulted in differences of up to tens of millions of dollars over the life of the project (i.e., the time taken to inject 10.8 million metric tons of CO2). The two most influential parameters were the intrinsic permeability and the van Genuchten m value. Two other parameters, the residual gas saturation and the residual liquid saturation, ranked above the porosity. These results highlight the need for accurate estimates of capillary pressure-saturation/relative permeability parameters for geologic carbon sequestration simulations in addition to measurements of porosity and intrinsic permeability.

Authors:
; ; ; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States). Environmental Molecular Sciences Lab. (EMSL)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1132695
Report Number(s):
PNNL-SA-100827
2402
DOE Contract Number:  
AC05-76RL01830
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 18:277-284
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Name: International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 18:277-284
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
Geological carbon sequestration; Numerical modeling; Uncertainty Petrophysical parameters; Cost estimate; Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory

Citation Formats

Cheng, C. L., Gragg, M. J., Perfect, E., White, Mark D., Lemiszki, P. J., and McKay, L. D. Sensitivity of injection costs to input petrophysical parameters in numerical geologic carbon sequestration models. United States: N. p., 2013. Web. doi:10.1016/j.ijggc.2013.07.018.
Cheng, C. L., Gragg, M. J., Perfect, E., White, Mark D., Lemiszki, P. J., & McKay, L. D. Sensitivity of injection costs to input petrophysical parameters in numerical geologic carbon sequestration models. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijggc.2013.07.018
Cheng, C. L., Gragg, M. J., Perfect, E., White, Mark D., Lemiszki, P. J., and McKay, L. D. 2013. "Sensitivity of injection costs to input petrophysical parameters in numerical geologic carbon sequestration models". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijggc.2013.07.018.
@article{osti_1132695,
title = {Sensitivity of injection costs to input petrophysical parameters in numerical geologic carbon sequestration models},
author = {Cheng, C. L. and Gragg, M. J. and Perfect, E. and White, Mark D. and Lemiszki, P. J. and McKay, L. D.},
abstractNote = {Numerical simulations are widely used in feasibility studies for geologic carbon sequestration. Accurate estimates of petrophysical parameters are needed as inputs for these simulations. However, relatively few experimental values are available for CO2-brine systems. Hence, a sensitivity analysis was performed using the STOMP numerical code for supercritical CO2 injected into a model confined deep saline aquifer. The intrinsic permeability, porosity, pore compressibility, and capillary pressure-saturation/relative permeability parameters (residual liquid saturation, residual gas saturation, and van Genuchten alpha and m values) were varied independently. Their influence on CO2 injection rates and costs were determined and the parameters were ranked based on normalized coefficients of variation. The simulations resulted in differences of up to tens of millions of dollars over the life of the project (i.e., the time taken to inject 10.8 million metric tons of CO2). The two most influential parameters were the intrinsic permeability and the van Genuchten m value. Two other parameters, the residual gas saturation and the residual liquid saturation, ranked above the porosity. These results highlight the need for accurate estimates of capillary pressure-saturation/relative permeability parameters for geologic carbon sequestration simulations in addition to measurements of porosity and intrinsic permeability.},
doi = {10.1016/j.ijggc.2013.07.018},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1132695}, journal = {International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 18:277-284},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Aug 24 00:00:00 EDT 2013},
month = {Sat Aug 24 00:00:00 EDT 2013}
}