An overview of the IEA greenhouse gas R&D programme regional geologic storage capacity studies

Abstract

Abstract Mapping of CO 2 geological storage resources provides an important element in the planning of widespread CO 2 capture and storage (CCS) deployment. Recent high-level studies by the IEA Greenhouse Gas RD in both, a storage coefficient, E (or efficiency factor), is used to derive resource estimates. The E coefficient takes account of various geological and technical factors that could restrict the amount of pore space available for storage but does not take into account economic, regulatory, and source-sink matching considerations. IEAGHG and DOE commissioned a study in 2008 by the Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC), to improve the accuracy of storage coefficients for DSF. As there was insufficient real-world CO 2 injection data to derive a representative range for E, geological input parameters were derived from global hydrocarbon reservoir data as a proxy for DSF. Modeling allowed derivation of probabilistic ranges of storage coefficients at both site-specific and formation levels for clastic, carbonate, and dolomite lithologies. The overall mean value of E for all lithologies was calculated as 2.6% at the formation level. A key assumption made in the study was that DSF will predominantly act as “open” systems, whereby pressure and displaced formation fluids can be safely dissipated through the wider storage formation and adjacent strata.