Advanced Subsurface Characterization for CO Geologic Sequestration and Induced Seismicity Evaluations

Advanced Subsurface Characterization for CO2 Geologic
Sequestration and Induced Seismicity Evaluations
Tiraz Birdie, Lynn Watney, Aimee Scheffer, Jason Rush, Eugene Holubnyak, Mina Fazelalavi,
John Doveton, Jennifer Raney, Saugata Datta, Dennis Hedke, and Jennifer Roberts
Carbon Management Technology Conference
November 19th 2015
Sugarland, TX
Sedimentary Basins in the US
Suitability of Sedimentary Basins for Geologic Sequestration
Evolution of Sedimentary Basins
Carbonates
Evaporites
Shales
(Caprock)
Present Day Evolution of Evaporative Cap - Arabian Gulf
Analog to portions of the Arbuckle CO2 injection zone at Wellington Field, KS
Tidal Effects Reflected in Geologic Logs
Time
GR/CGR/
SP/Cal
Microresistivity
Neutron-Den-Pe
Sonic
Impedance
Reflection
Coefficient
Synthetic
100 Hz
Top Cherokee Gp.
Top Mississippian
Secondary caprock
Pay
CO2-EOR pilot
Depth
Equiv.
Pierson Fm.
~ 50 million years
Caprock
Carbonate
Evaporite
ØN
Primary caprock
Interval
Chattanooga Sh.
Simpson Group
Top Arbuckle
Jefferson CityCotter
Baffle/barrier
-Tight, dense
- High
impedance
Roubidoux Fm.
Gasconade Dol.
Gunter Ss.
CO2 Injection
zone
Importance of Characterization on CO2 Plume and Pressure
Projections
Coarse Vertical Characterization
Meter-scale Vertical Characterization
Co2 Plume
Induced Pressure
Co2 Plume
Induced Pressure
Wellington CO2Sequestration and EOR Site
26,000 tons
Mississippian
26,000 tons
(Saline Aquifer)
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Image Logging
Effect of Pore Space on Time to Return to Equilibrium
NMR Variables and Their Influence on
Petropohphsical Properties
T1 Time: Time to align the protons with the magnetic field
T2 Time: Time for protons to recover, through bulk, diffusion, and surface relaxivity
Mississippian MRI
Caprock MRI
#1-28, lower Miss to top Arbuckle
Magnetic resonance imaging analysis
low high
small large
T2
(pore size)
Permeability
Lower Mississippian
argillaceous dolosiltone,
small pores
50 ft
high
low
Porosity
Chattanooga Shale
Smallest pores
Simpson shales,
Smallest pores
Top Arbuckle
Caprock evidence of lower Miss. :
• Micro-nano darcy perm
• Quiet fracture wise
• Organic matter ~2% TOC
Flow Units in the Lower Arbuckle Injection Zone
KGS #1-32
0
2
Porosity%
4
6
8
10
12
Porosity%
14
4900
0
50 ft
Connected vugs
 Solution &
fracture
Nonconnected
vugs
5020
5030
5040
5050
5070
5080
5100
5110
5130
5010
5090
5100
5120
5110
Interparticle/matrix
5120
5140
5130
5150
5140
5160
Flow unit boundaries
5060
5070
5090
4950
Wellington #1-28
5060
5080
4940
5000
Wellington #1-32
5050
14
4990
5000
5040
12
4980
4990
5030
10
4970
4980
5020
8
4930
4960
4970
5010
6
4920
4930
4960
4
4910
4920
4950
2
Ø
4900
4910
4940
Wells 3500 ft apart
KGS #1-28
Ø
Doveton and Fazelalavi, 2012
Utilize whole core
analysis, NMR,
spectral sonic, and
resistivity logs
Porosity and Hydraulic Conductivity Comparsion with
Core Data
Good match with core data
MRI and PHND Estimates of Porosity
MRI effective porosity
and neutron-density
crossplot porosity in
the Arbuckle of
Wellington #1-32
Conclusion: there is a good match
between MRI porosity and lithologycorrected neutron-density porosity
which is a useful cross-validation of
these logs
Permeability Profile of Arbuckle
(NMR)
Redox reactive ions
reflect changes in
biogeochemistry
(microbial) occurring
between upper and
lower Arbuckle, in
turn attributed to lack
of hydraulic
communication
Scheffer, KGS
Upper Arbuckle
(High Permeability)
Mid Arbuckle
(Low Permeability)
Lower Arbuckle
(High Permeability)
Ion Based Verification of Baffle Zone and Caprock
Scheffer, KGS
• Brine of Lower Arbuckle vary substantially from Upper Arbuckle
• Lower Arbuckle brines cluster together
• Upper Arbuckle values more spaced out, suggests smaller baffles
Isotopic Verification of Baffle Zone and Caprock
Oxygen & Hydrogen
isotopes of brines from
DST and perf & swabbing
Mississippian
Brines
(distinct from
Arbuckle)
Upper Arbuckle
-- distinct
Lower Arbuckle
injection interval
-Waters distinct from upper Arbuckle and Miss
- Lower intervals are also geochemically
homogeneous  infer fracture connectivity
Scheffer, 2012
Microbial Ecology and Validation of Baffle Zone
Baffle top
•
Lowest biomass coincides with low perm zone (Lower JCC) and low DOC
•
Highest biomass coincides with high perm and high concentrations of sulfate
•
Same 9 genera were found in brine from Upper Arbuckle depths
•
Brine from tight zone had 7 genera; 3 less and 1 unique
•
Supports mixing of Upper Arbuckle and some degree of separation below
Seismic Profile Confirms Permeability Stratification in Arbuckle
South
Impedance = ρ x Ø
East
KGS #1-32
KGS #1-28
Top Oread
Thick
Lansing Group
Shales
Top Kansas City Ls.
Top Mississippian
Lower Pierson
Top Arbuckle
Baffle or potential barrier to vertical flow
(high impedance)
Low impedance injection interval
Bot Arbuckle
Hedke, 2012
Seismic Structure Mapping Confirms Regional
Presence of Caprock
Entry Pressure Analysis
Rhomaa-Umma Analysis
Depth-Constrained Clustering
using Potassium, Uranium, Thorium
condensed
condensed
condensed
condensed
Oil show
condensed
Significant flooding surface
from core description
K- RhomaaU- Umma
Th Lith Ø
Rt
Injection zone
Simulated Plume and Pressure Projections
Holubnyack, Rush, Fazelalavi (KGS)
•
Baffle Zones keep CO2 plume and pressures
confined deep in the Arbuckle injection zone
Earthquake Trends in Southern Kansas
Disposed Volume
140
0
120
20
100
40
80
60
60
80
40
Number of Quakes (>M2.0)
Disposal Volumes (MMBL)
Annual Earthquake Count
100
20
0
120
1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014
Induced Seismicity - Physical Mechanisms
Subsurface stress field
Faults slips when principal
stresses exceed threshold
Drilling Induced Fractures and Leak-off Test
Used to Estimate Principal Stresses
XRMI Log
Drilling Induced
Fractures
𝑆𝐻𝑚𝑎𝑥 ~ 3𝑆𝐻𝑚𝑖𝑛 - 2𝑃𝑝 + 0.1(𝑆ℎ𝑚𝑖𝑛 - 𝑃𝑝 )
Fault Identification
• Extensive data acquisition required to
identify faults and assess seismic risk
regionally
3D Stress Analysis Used to Estimate Fault Slip Tendency
Slip Tendency Plot
𝝈𝒏
ST = 𝝉/ 𝝈𝒏
•
ST= 0.3 (lower than of 0.5 for
fault slippage)
𝝉