Optimal use of a dome-shaped anticline structure for CO2 storage: a case study in the North German sedimentary basin

Abstract

Structural traps like anticline structures are preferred for carbon dioxide sequestration as they limit lateral spreading of CO2 and thus provide localized storage. This study, therefore, assesses strategies for maximizing storage of CO2 using as hypothetical but realistic storage site a typical anticline structure in the North German sedimentary basin. Scenario simulations are performed to investigate the effects of well number, location, spacing and alignment, using fracture pressure and containment of CO2 within the anticline as constraining factors. Scenarios are ranked by stored CO2 mass, pressure increase due to injection and CO2 immobilized by dissolution or residual trapping. It is found that pressure overlap from different injectors influences CO2 migration considerably, limiting the storable amount to about 150 Mt, which represents half of the static capacity estimate.