CaMI.FRS: Controlled CO2

release at 300 m and 500 m

Donald C. Lawton1,2, Kirk Osadetz1, and Amin Saeedfar1,

1Containment and Monitoring Institute & 2University of Calgary

Calgary, CANADA

CO2 emissions in Canada

Closure: Measurement, Monitoring and

Verification (MMV)

Recommendations for Closure Requirements

“a) Sequestered CO2 and affected fluids are conforming to theobjectives and regulatory requirements as described in the project application and approvals.

c) Sequestered CO2 and affected fluids are contained in thesequestration complex.

d) Sequestered CO2 is behaving in a predictable manner.

e) Sequestered CO2 is expected to continue to behave in apredictable manner and is trending towards stability.”

CCS monitoring challenges in Alberta

Verification of conformance and containment

Thin storage formations (saturation-thickness)

Possible thief zones, resolution from monitoring methods

High rock matrix K and µ values

Brine/CO2 migration through legacy wells

Cap rock integrity

Impacts on groundwater

Pressure vs. CO2 saturation

Pressure interference with existing hydrocarbon pools

Pressure interference between adjacent CCS projects

Stacked CCS projects

CCS challenge: thin reservoir, strong matrix

Pembina-Cardium CO2-EOR

Baseline Monitor

Time-lapse Difference

2D time-lapse seismic survey

Injected CO2 not detectable

due to thin thief zone

CCS challenge: legacy wells

South-central Alberta wells

Total of 49,880 wells

Area : 36000 km2

Celia et al., 2004

CO2 migration risk: legacy wells

After Celia et al., 2004

CO2 migration risk: legacy wells

Cemented casing

Uncemented casing

Cemented surfacecasing

CaMI/UofC – Field Research Station (FRS)

Technical

• Undertake controlled CO2 release at 300 m & 500 m depth;

~1000 t/yr

• Determine CO2 detection thresholds

• Improve monitoring technologies, cap rock assessment

• Monitor gas migration at shallow to intermediate depths and

impacts on groundwater (CO2 and CH4)

• Determine fate of CO2 (trapping/dissolution)

• On-site fuel cell for CO2 source and natural gas utilization; energy

storage; energy efficiency

Non-technical

• University & industry field training & research,

• Integrating engineering and geoscience

• Public outreach & education

Credit CNRL/Emma Pullman www.montrealgazette.com

ERCB ERCB

Field Research Station (FRS) : Location

Land leased from Cenovus Energy

FRS monitoring plan layout

Purchased:• 500 Inova 3C

Hawk nodes• MPT ERT system• Analytical

equipment

FRS schematic

BGP : Base of

Groundwater

Protection

BBRS : Basal

Belly River

Sandstone

MHS : Medicine

Hat Sandstone

FRS monitoring technologies

3D-3C surface seismic surveys/3D vertical seismic profiles

Cross-well seismic surveys

Microseismic surveys

Full logging suites & core analysis

Fibre-optic monitoring technologies (DAS, DTS, chem)

Geomechanics analysis

Geochemical sampling/tracers (isotopes, noble gases)

Groundwater monitoring surveys

Electrical and electromagnetic geophysical surveys

Casing gas, soil & atmospheric surveys

Tilt-meters & DGPS surveys

InSAR imaging and interpretation

Muon density tomography

Fuel cell CO2 supply

• March 13 & May 8, 2014: County of Newell

- Manager – Planning and Development

- Director of Information Technology

- Manager of Fire and Emergency Services

- Chief Administrative Officer

- Director of Corporate Services

- Director of Agricultural Services

FRS public engagment

3C-3D seismic survey : May 2014

1 km

1 km 1434 VPs (mini-vibe)

1400 3C-geophones

All live

FRS multicomponent seismic volumes

PP PS

FRS Seismic Volume : P-P vs. P-S

PP - inline PS - inline

Helen Isaac (CREWES) : Univ. of Calgary

Synthetic seismogram

Sonic log :

Shear and compressional wave

velocities

FRS#1 well drilled : Feb. - March 2015

Depth: 550 m

• Chrome steel casing across injection zones

• CO2 resistant cement

FRS#1 500 m injection zone

FRS#1 500 m injection zone : Cores

Cap rock Reservoir

FRS#1 300 m injection zone

FRS#1 300 m injection zone : Cores

Cap rock Reservoir

FRS#1 mud gas analyses

FRS geochemical monitoring

Sondes for field measurements (pH, EC, T, DO, Eh)

Soil gas flux chambers and soil gas collection probes

Gas chromatographs for hydrocarbon and soil gas analyses

Ion chromatograph (Dionex) for anion and cation

concentration analyses on water samples

Titrators for alkalinity and H2S in water samples

Portable H2S gas analyzer

Carbon isotope laser analyzer for methane

Carbon and oxygen isotope laser

Mobile geochemistry

laboratory

Dr. Bernhard Mayer : Univ. of Calgary

FRS walk-away and walk-around VSP

May, 2015

FRS geostatic model

Schlumberger Jessica Dongas: Univ. of Calgary

FRS first groundwater monitoring well

June, 201570 m depth

d13C CO2 = -19 per milDissolved CO2 = 18 mg/L

d13C CH4 = -84 per milDissolved CH4 = 25 mg/L

TDS: 2550 mg/L

Analyses courtesy Bernhard Mayer, AGL, UofC

Courtesy Aaron Cahill, G360, University of Guelph

FLUTe hydrology profiling at FRS

Driving Head

Provides

depth-discrete

transmissivity

distribution

Aaron Cahill, G360 group, Univ. of Guelph

April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

PS processing

Seismic interp.

Log analysis

Core logging

Core analysis

Reservoir model

Simulation

Injection appl.

FRS 1 injector

Monitor 1 well

Water wells (4)

Baseline work

Monitor 2 well

FRS #2

FRS Gantt chart 2015

Summary

Need to better characterize containment risks

for injection of CO2 into reservoirs for

geological storage

CMC-Field Research Station (FRS) :

• An internationally unique benchmarking

and evaluation program for monitoring

subsurface injected fluids.

• An operational field site, available for

international collaborations, industry

• Being developed by CMC.CaMI in

collaboration with the Univ. of Calgary for

training / education

Technologies transferable to other monitoring

challenges (EOR, HF, AGD, SAGD)