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Title: Mudstone Baffles and Barriers in Lower Cretaceous Strata at a Proposed CO2 Storage Hub in Kemper County, Mississippi, United States

Journal Article · · Frontiers in Energy Research
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK (United States)
  2. Southern Company Services, Birmingham, AL (United States)
  3. Advanced Resources International, Arlington, VA (United States)
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The Cretaceous and Tertiary deposits in Mississippi, Alabama, and the adjacent continental shelf constitute a widespread succession of sandstone, mudstone, and carbonate that has proven to be an important target for geologic CO2storage in the onshore Gulf of Mexico basin. Integrated analysis of stratigraphy, sedimentology, and reservoir properties based on cores and geophysical well logs indicates that the Paluxy Formation and Washita- Fredericksburg interval present gigatonne-class storage opportunities. The distribution, geometry, and composition of the area is a direct reflection of the original depositional environments, and understanding these factors is essential for understanding the geologic storage potential of the Paluxy Formation and Washita-Fredericksburg interval at the Kemper County energy facility in Mississippi. Geologic characterization of the Mississippi Embayment at the energy facility focused primarily on characterizing the confinement potential of the storage complex. Integration of core analyses and geophysical well logs has yielded a high-resolution stratigraphic analysis of storage reservoirs, baffles, barriers, and seals. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and quantitative X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to characterize microfabric, pore types, and mineralogy within mudstone of the east-central Mississippi Embayment at the Kemper County energy facility. Mudstone beds in the Paluxy Formation and Washita-Fredericksburg interval have variable thickness and continuity. High water saturation in the Cretaceous mudstone units influences swelling smectite clay and mudrock permeability based on pulse decay analysis is 1–96 nD. These low permeability values indicate that the mudstone units are effective baffles, barriers, and confining intervals that make significant migration of injected CO2out of the storage complex unlikely. The numerous baffles and barriers within the target reservoir intervals, moreover, favor the retention of multiple CO2in plumes within the abundant stacked sandstone bodies.

Research Organization:
Southern States Energy Board, Peachtree Corners, GA (United States); Oklahoma State Univ., Stillwater, OK (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Fossil Energy (FE); American Association of Petroleum Geologists
Grant/Contract Number:
FE0031888; FE001055
OSTI ID:
1981078
Journal Information:
Frontiers in Energy Research, Vol. 10; ISSN 2296-598X
Publisher:
Frontiers Research FoundationCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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03 NATURAL GAS
sequestration
CCS
kemper county
plant ratcliffe
gulf coast
paluxy
washita-fredericksburg