Abstract
The states of Georgia and South Carolina emitted ∼100 million tons (Mt) of CO2 in 2019 from point sources. Integration and interpretation of subsurface data enabled identification of a previously unrecognized, regionally extensive, and thick (up to 450 m) sedimentary sequence—the Red beds of Hazlehurst (RbH)—as a potential saline reservoir for CO2 storage in the southeastern United States. Based on the renewed stratigraphic framework and structural interpretation of the RbH interval, we analyzed detailed well logs and the depositional environments to provide reconnaissance-level regional scale estimations of the storage resource. The volumetric results suggest the effective storage area (∼85,000 km2) has a maximum resource potential for 390 gigatons (Gt) of anthropogenic CO2. Petrophysical measurements suggest the permeability of RbH ranges from 0.001 to 48 mD, and the porosity ranges from 11.1 to 18.4%. Residual/capillary trapping and solubility trapping act as the main trapping mechanisms for long term storage and prevent vertical migration of CO2 into the shallow freshwater aquifers. Due to the heterogeneity observed in geophysical logs and the scarcity of well penetrations, future data collection is needed to characterize the storage aquifer and confining aquitards of a site-specific system at this stage.
Highlights
In 2019, Georgia and South Carolina emitted 91 million tons (Mt) of CO2 from large point source facilities such as power plants (82%), pulp and paper (6%), minerals (4%), and chemicals (2%) based on the EPA Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program
Based on the current available subsurface data, we identified an area of interest that possesses potential stratigraphic/structural trap
The newly identified deep saline formation - the Red beds of Hazlehurst (RbH) and the updated lithostratigraphic model brings a vast potential for the onshore CO2 storage in the southeastern United States
Summary
In 2019, Georgia and South Carolina emitted 91 Mt of CO2 from large point source facilities such as power plants (82%), pulp and paper (6%), minerals (4%), and chemicals (2%) based on the EPA Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program. These occurrences share common lithological and stratigraphic descriptions such as unfossiliferous, reddish-brown to pink, conglomeratic to fine grained sandstone or claystone lying unconformably above older rocks Based on those investigations, Cao and Knapp (2018) identified a Jurassic age, previously unrecognized, regionally extensive, post-rift red beds sequence (RbH) based on integrated seismic and well data in Georgia and South Carolina (Figure 1). For the following three subsections We utilize the subsurface data on local and regional scale to 1) evaluate the reservoir characteristics (lithology, porosity, permeability, and depositional environment) of the RbH; 2) delineate the suitable portion of the reservoir area with sufficient temperature, pressure and salinity to maintain injected CO2 in supercritical state; and 3) calculate the prospective storage capacity to accommodate injected CO2. Due to the ubiquitous presence of the reservoir, the cost for transporting CO2 is likely to be minimal
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