Grantee Research Project Results
2012 Progress Report: Integrated Design, Modeling, and Monitoring of Geologic Sequestration of Anthropogenic Carbon Dioxide to Safeguard Sources of Drinking Water
EPA Grant Number: R834386Title: Integrated Design, Modeling, and Monitoring of Geologic Sequestration of Anthropogenic Carbon Dioxide to Safeguard Sources of Drinking Water
Investigators: McPherson, Brian J. , Deo, Milind D. , Solomon, Douglas Kip , Mandalaparty, Prashanth , Goel, Ramesh
Current Investigators: McPherson, Brian J. , Deo, Milind D. , Solomon, Douglas Kip , Goel, Ramesh
Institution: University of Utah
EPA Project Officer: Aja, Hayley
Project Period: December 1, 2009 through November 30, 2012 (Extended to November 30, 2013)
Project Period Covered by this Report: December 1, 2011 through November 30,2012
Project Amount: $899,567
RFA: Integrated Design, Modeling, and Monitoring of Geologic Sequestration of Anthropogenic Carbon Dioxide to Safeguard Sources of Drinking Water (2009) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Drinking Water , Water
Objective:
We hypothesize that (1) geologic sequestration will impact USDWs, but (2) at suitable sites, GS will not adversely impact USDWs. The specific objectives of our study are to: (1) identify risks specific to USDWs and develop associated Probability Density Functions (PDFs), (2) quantify risks to USDWs by pressure/brine/CO2 migration through seals, (3) quantify risks to USDWs by lateral migration of pressure/brine/CO2, and (4) determine conditions that minimize (or eliminate) the risks to USDWs.
Progress Summary:
As per the statement of work provided by the ARAF development team to EPA, efforts are being concentrated to complete the tasks and achieve the targeted goal of the project, i.e., development of aquifer risk assessment framework. As a part of the annual report submitted for the period 12/01/2009 to 12/01/2010, Task 1 was completed which included a detailed description of the natural analog sites for CO2 leakage, the Crystal Geyser site. As a part of Task 2, site screening and characterization protocol for the Gordon Creek site were established. Risk registry for CO2 sequestration in a generic saline aquifer was developed. A site-specific risk registry for Gordon Creek was also developed. Detailed characterization of the Gordon creek site with comprehensive description of different formations, seals, fractures and faults in the vicinity of the target aquifer in the site was also reported. A static geologic model for the Gordon creek site, which includes a detailed domain of all the wells, formation peaks and stratigraphic distribution of the geologic formation within the Gordon Creek site Model boundary, have been reported. A complete description of the geology of the site with a structural and stratigraphic cross section and the geology of the target formations and the seals above them have also been reported. As a part of Task 3, appropriate FEPS have been identified as a part of developing site-specific risk registries for Gordon Creek and SACROC. Site Screening and characterization protocol for SACROC, which is a CO2 EOR site, has also been reported. A comprehensive static geologic model comprising of 9,450.623 elements was developed. To reduce the computational time and costs for geochemical reactive transport simulations, the grid was upscaled using different normalization techniques and the results have been reported. A generic layer model with alternating low permeability shales and high permeability aquifers was generated using CMG-GEM. Different curves were used in the model to assess the effect of relative permeabilities on CO2 plume behavior in a saline aquifer. Gas saturations and pressure profiles within the aquifer over simulation time periods have also been reported. A novel ensemble kalman filter method for data incorporation into poorly verified simulation models was developed and tested on a generic domain. This method would help in identification of high permeability leakage pathways such as faults, fractures and abandoned wells and thus help in mitigating the risks. As a part of Task 4, analysis of tracer data, ⁴He content of minerals obtained from drill core or cuttings was measured, and was related to pore water concentrations of ⁴He via solubility relationships, and then utilized the derived pore-water concentrations to estimate natural rates of fluid flow. Results were evaluated by comparing with more traditional estimates of fluid flow (e.g., based on Darcy’s Law), along with results from numerical simulations and with other environmental tracers such as stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen in water. Helium release data from the cores, helium impregnation results and pore water He composition results were also reported. The spatial and temporal distribution of helium was simulated using a general 2-D model with a low-permeability zone and a site-specific 1-D model for the Kirtland Formation of the San Juan Basin and the results are reported. The objective of Task 5 was to evaluate the effect of CO2 on microbial population in the subsurface. The microbiological component of this sub-objective targeted the second research direction in which case the effect of CO2 on autotrophic bacteria was evaluated. Autotrophic microorganisms use inorganic carbon as a carbon source and hence, the possibility is that the escaped CO2 can serve as inorganic carbon source for autotrophic microorganisms. In this research, two different types of autotrophic organisms were considered: (1) those that require the presence of oxygen and called aerobic autotrophic bacteria and (2) those which can grow in strictly anaerobic environment. Changes in bacterial cell count as a response to inorganic carbon source and changes in NH3-N and NO2-N concentrations were reported. A comprehensive microbial analysis on the ground water samples collected from the Farnsworth unit in Texas has been reported. We will try to correlate these microbial signatures to inorganic geochemical analysis of the waters. As a part of Task 6, a protocol for the aquifer risk assessment framework was developed. This protocol includes the following steps: collect and review existing public data from the region, including well logs and previous studies, capacity estimation with existing data, developing site-specific static model, compile and analyze existing subsurface data, conduct field work to acquire new data and compile site specific risk registry. A detailed description for each of these steps has been provided. Project management, which is Task 7, has taken the form of weekly meetings of the project team to report ongoing progress to each other and to plan integrated activities. Education and outreach is Task 8, which has a detailed development profile in the coming year.
Future Activities:
The crux of the activities for the coming year is to develop the same set of protocols for San Juan Basin and Farnsworth field in Texas. So the majority of effort would be concentrated on static model and PDF development for San Juan Basin and Farnsworth unit in Texas for the upcoming year.
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 3 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
Isotopes, water quality, risk management, Bayesian risk assessmentProgress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.