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Multi-Level CO2 Injection Testing and Monitoring at the South West Hub In-Situ Laboratory
Available online at www.sciencedirect.com
ScienceDirect Availableonline onlineatatwww.sciencedirect.com www.sciencedirect.com Available Energy Procedia 00 (2018) 000–000
ScienceDirect ScienceDirect
www.elsevier.com/locate/procedia
Energy (2018) 000–000 151–156 EnergyProcedia Procedia154 00 (2017) www.elsevier.com/locate/procedia
Applied Energy Symposium and Forum, Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage, CCUS 2018, 27–29 June 2018, Perth, Australia
Multi-Level COInternational Testingonand Monitoring at the South 2 Injection The 15th Symposium District Heating and Cooling West Hub In-Situ Laboratory a a a a Assessing feasibility usingRicard the heat Karsten Michael ,the Arsham Avijegon of , Ludovic , Tessdemand-outdoor Dance , Claudio Delle b b a c a Pianea, Barry Freifeld , Markfor Woitt , Linda Stalker , Jo Myers , Marina Peruvkhina , temperature function a long-term district heat demand forecast a a a b Laurent Langhi , Allison Hortle , Don Geeves , and Stefan Finsterle I. Andrića,b,c*, A. Pinaa, P. Ferrãoa, J. Fournierb., B. Lacarrièrec, O. Le Correc CSIRO Energy, 26 Dick Perry Avenue, Kensington, WA 6151, Australia a
a
b Class VI Solutions Inc., Oakland, CA, USA IN+ Center for Innovation, Technology and Policy Research - Instituto Superior Técnico, Av. Rovisco Pais 1, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal c CSIRO Wealth from Oceans, Australia b Veolia Recherche & Innovation, 291 Avenue Dreyfous Daniel, 78520 Limay, France c Département Systèmes Énergétiques et Environnement - IMT Atlantique, 4 rue Alfred Kastler, 44300 Nantes, France
Abstract Abstract The In-Situ Laboratory Project entails completing, instrumenting and pump testing five intervals in an existing well and injecting purposes addressed into the Lesueur the South projectsolutions in Western aDistrict small volume CO2 for testing heatingofnetworks are commonly in the Formation literature asat one of theWest mostHub effective for Australia. decreasingThe the project commenced in the middle of October 2016 and is scheduled to run until the end of April 2019, with hydraulic testing greenhouse gas emissions from the building sector. These systems require high investments which are returned through the and heat CO towardsclimate the endconditions of 2018. The to aid demonstration of thedemand commercial geologically 2 injection sales. Due toplanned the changed and purpose buildingis renovation policies, heat in theviability future of could decrease, storing carbon and contribute to broadening the portfolio of globally evaluated geological settings for storage via testing of a prolonging the investment return period. more than 1000 injection which CO migration is largely residual saturation dissolution The main scope m of thick this paper is to reservoir assess theinfeasibility of2 using the heat demandgoverned – outdoorbytemperature function and for heat demand trapping. The project will develop the first part of an enduring research facility at the South West Hub to enable further research forecast. The district of Alvalade, located in Lisbon (Portugal), was used as a case study. The district is consisted of 665 ofbuildings a geological has moreperiod uncertainty than many otherweather current scenarios projects; i.e. in the case ofhigh) the South Westdistrict Hub that environment vary in both that construction and typology. Three (low, medium, and three there is uncertainty around the extent of a regional seal. renovation scenarios were developed (shallow, intermediate, deep). To estimate the error, obtained heat demand values were
compared results from a dynamic heatLtd. demand model, previously developed and validated by the authors. © 2018 The©with Authors. Published Copyright 2018 Elsevier Ltd. by AllElsevier rights reserved. Theisresults showed when only weather change is considered, the margin of error could be acceptable for some applications This an open accessthat article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) Carbon Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the thefor scientific committee of the the Applied Energy Energy Symposium and Forum, Forum, (the errorand in peer-review annual demand was lower than 20% all weather scenarios considered). However, after introducing renovation Selection under responsibility of scientific committee of Applied Symposium and Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage, CCUS 2018. Capture, Utilization Storage, CCUS scenarios, the errorand value increased up 2018. to 59.5% (depending on the weather and renovation scenarios combination considered). The value of slope coefficient increased on average within the range of 3.8% up to 8% per decade, that corresponds to the Keywords: Type your keywords here, separated by semicolons ; decrease in the number of heating hours of 22-139h during the heating season (depending on the combination of weather and renovation scenarios considered). On the other hand, function intercept increased for 7.8-12.7% per decade (depending on the coupled scenarios). The values suggested could be used to modify the function parameters for the scenarios considered, and 1.improve Introduction the accuracy of heat demand estimations.
West Published Hub (SWbyHub) in Ltd. Western Australia [1] remains among a small global portfolio of active © The 2017 South The Authors. Elsevier of injectingSymposium CO2 is mature from oil and industry investigations intoresponsibility geologicalofstorage of CO Peer-review under the Scientific Committee of The 15th International on District Heating 2. The technology Cooling. in enhanced oil production, but each CO2 storage site is geologically unique and must be investigated for experience its suitability and long-term security. The SW Hub is a greenfield investigation south of Perth with little pre-existing Keywords: Heat demand; Forecast; Climate change
1876-6102 Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the Applied Energy Symposium and Forum, Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage, CCUS 2018. 1876-6102 © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. 1876-6102 © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Peer-review under responsibility of the Scientific Committee of The 15th International Symposium on District Heating and Cooling. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the Applied Energy Symposium and Forum, Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage, CCUS 2018. 10.1016/j.egypro.2018.11.025
152 2
Karsten Michael et al. / Energy Procedia 154 (2018) 151–156 Michael et al./ Energy Procedia 00 (2018) 000–000
subsurface data available to perform the required geological characterisation, and thus acquiring geoscience data for the site has been a concentrated effort during the past several years. The Western Australian Department of Mines and Petroleum (WADMP) drilled Harvey-1 in 2012, conducted a major 3D seismic survey in 2014, and completed a stratigraphic well program with three wells (Harvey-2, -3 and -4,) in 2015 (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Location of the SW Hub project and 3D representation of existing well location within the proposed greater storage complex (modified from Ricard et al. [2]).
Research into the SW Hub project has focussed on acquiring and interpreting appropriate data to progressively refine the storage concept, and better understand and reduce uncertainties associated with the geological character of the storage site. Processing the 2014 3D seismic data has provided more clarity around subsurface structures and fault locations and orientations [3]. Core and log data from the three shallow wells is being examined to understand the stratigraphic correlation and regional continuity of the possible baffle units within the Yalgorup. Core-based work on pore-scale processes is progressing knowledge about the impacts of CO2 injected into Wonnerup sandstones for long-term storage. Together the seismic and well data are being integrated toward more detailed static and dynamic models for simulations of trapping potential and long-term behaviour of injected CO2. Monitoring methods are being examined to monitor any injected CO2 plume. The initial consideration for the SW Hub was to inject CO2 into Triassic sandstones in the southern Perth Basin at 2 to 3 km depth near a structural feature known as the Harvey Ridge [4]. In this concept, containment of the CO2 was mainly through residual trapping within these deposits. Research is now focussing on the recognition of potential for a multi-containment system being present in the Triassic Lesueur Formation that includes a lower Wonnerup Member and upper Yalgorup Member. Injection would be into the lower part of the thick sandstones of the Wonnerup Member in which residual trapping can occur. The overlying Yalgorup Member potentially represents a series of strata that may impede upward migration of fluids. It comprises a succession of heterogeneous strata including a series of bands or pods of fine-grained and low permeability palaeosols which build up to a 200 m thickness beneath a sequence of interbedded clay-rich beds. 1.1. Project description The In-Situ Laboratory project entails completing and instrumenting a well in the SW Hub area and injecting a small volume of CO2 for testing purposes into an interval of the Lesueur Formation in Western Australia. The
Karsten Michael et al. / Energy Procedia 154 (2018) 151–156 Michael et al./ Energy Procedia 00 (2018) 000–000
153 3
purpose is to aid demonstration of the commercial viability of geologically storing carbon and contribute to broadening the portfolio of globally evaluated geological settings for storage via testing of a different geological depositional environment. Because of geological storage’s highly site-specific nature, a wider range of tested geological analogues will build increased confidence to (a) drive industrial uptake and investment in this method of emissions mitigation and (b) reduce uncertainty in areas lacking in a laterally extensive regional seal. This project will leverage the availability of geological information from wells drilled (Harvey 2, 3 and 4) for storage site characterisation at the SW Hub [5] and a range of monitoring tools and analytical equipment purchased through the National Geosequestration Laboratory (NGL) to develop an in situ laboratory for field testing carbon storage. Additionally, this project will produce a legacy site for domestic and international training, capacity development, and technology testing. Furthermore, this site will sit atop a potential commercial-scale CCS operation and as such, provide monitoring as a major injection program commences, providing long-term monitoring of a commercial operation from pre-injection, further advancing our understanding of geological storage in saline aquifers. 1.2. Well selection process In consultation with WADMP, a list of criteria was used to select the most suitable well for completion and instrumentation, including a) well integrity, b) land access, c) well diameter, d) penetration thickness into the Wonnerup, e) availability of core and log data, f) geophysical monitorability, g) future research opportunities and h) suitability as an observation well for future test and large-scale storage projects. The deeper Harvey 1 well is plugged and abandoned and cannot be accessed for further use. Harvey 2 is cemented below 417m depth, therefore, the intervals of interest are no longer accessible for the purposes of testing the Wonnerup and Yalgorup members. However, it may still be useful for discrete monitoring activities as it intersects the large F10 fault and could have useful longer term use for the South West Hub Project. The only existing wells deemed suitable for the In-Situ Lab Project were Harvey 3 and Harvey 4, the latter ranking higher due to larger well diameter and deeper penetration into the Wonnerup Member. An alternative, but obviously more costly option, would be to drill a new well, which would have the advantages of providing the opportunity to a) install monitoring equipment (i.e. DAS/DTS) outside the casing, and b) optimise the co-location with future injection wells. Prior to selecting the detailed intervals for the multi-level well completion, additional cement bond logging will need to be conducted in order to identify potentially improperly cemented sections that could allow for hydraulic communication between the casing and the formation. 2. Proposed well completion and test configurations The well will be perforated in five intervals, each interval containing a sliding sleeve valve and a discrete pressure and temperature sensor. The two lowermost intervals planned for a CO2 injection study will also contain a U-tube for geochemical sampling. An integrated opto-electric control line will be used for DAS, DTS and heat-pulse measurements, which will run from the lowermost reservoir to the surface. Because of the difficulty of isolating five zones penetrated by control lines, the uppermost four zones will be isolated using water swellable packers. Swell packer testing will be conducted to determine swell times and maximum working differential pressure. Testing will use a packer with representative control lines in cutouts. The lowermost zone in the Wonnerup will be isolated using a hydraulic packer which has feedthroughs for 4x ¼” control lines. In addition to standard water production testing for determining reservoir hydraulic properties, a couple of specific small-scale tests are planned that take advantage of the unique multi-level completion of the well. These are intended to reduce additional uncertainties (extent and sealing potential of the palaeosols in the Yalgorup Mbr, and vertical migration behaviour in the Wonnerup Mbr) previously identified for the SW Hub project. Conceptual potential well configurations for various test intervals based on geological information in Harvey 4 are shown in Figure 2a. The actual location of perforation intervals will require additional interpretation of log data and flow simulations for identification of the most suitable injection/production horizons. Beyond the scope of the current project, the re-completed and instrumented well can be used for future single-well tests, as part of a multi-well test scheme or as observation well for an industrial CO2 storage project.
Karsten Michael et al. / Energy Procedia 154 (2018) 151–156 Michael et al./ Energy Procedia 00 (2018) 000–000
154 4
Completion of the various intervals will be followed by flowing these units for clearing the perforations of any fines accumulations, which will also give an assessment of the overall permeability, skin and productivity of each interval. This information will be used for better constraining the modelling parameters for the subsequent testing. Shale layers and palaeosols in the Yalgorup are expected to act as seals or baffles. The effectiveness of their sealing capacity will be assessed through vertical interference tests across individual and/or a series of shale layers by injection/production of water using the upper three completions in Figure 2a. A potential test interval would be across the Wonnerup-Yalgorup boundary, with completions in sandstone units in the uppermost Wonnerup and above the first shale layer in the Yalgorup. A water test will determine the absolute vertical permeability and hydraulic continuity of the palaeosols.
1450m
b)
1750m
a)
c)
Figure 2. Small-scale CO2 vertical migration test. a) Schematic well test configuration for the 1450 – 1750 m depth interval using Harvey 4 as an example. Sandy lithology in yellow and shale/paleosols in brown based on gamma log interpretation. b) Simulation results of injecting 100 t of CO2 over 2 days into heterogeneous reservoir, showing extent of CO2 plume in red (left) and distribution of dissolved CO2 (right) after 1 week. c) Volume of free-phase-scCO2 plume and mass of CO2 dissolved in aqueous phase as a function of time.
Karsten Michael et al. / Energy Procedia 154 (2018) 151–156 Michael et al./ Energy Procedia 00 (2018) 000–000
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No thick contiguous low-permeability barriers were identified in the Wonnerup and injected CO2 is assumed to largely migrate vertically upwards under buoyancy, more or less unimpeded. Still, the Wonnerup is of considerable thickness and it is important to measure vertical migration velocity and residual saturation along the migration path. The concept of the vertical migration test is to inject CO2 at the bottom interval and let it migrate vertically upward, dominantly under buoyancy drive (Figure 2a and b). Bottomhole injection pressures should be low to minimise lateral migration of CO2. The vertical migration of CO2 is monitored indirectly through pulsed neutron logging and possibly VSP, as well as directly through sampling from the perforated intervals above. The appropriate distance between perforation intervals and required volume/rate of CO2 injection depends on the injected volume and the time available for the test. A small-scale injection of up to 1000 t CO2 would result in a plume with a radius of less than 50 m and vertical migration constrained well within the Lesueur Formation, approximately 1600 m below the surface. Approximately one month post-injection, 42% of the injected CO2 are predicted to have dissolved in formation water, whereas the majority of the remaining free-phase CO2 is residually trapped. As a result, the plume will be immobile within a few months and slowly dissolving. The reservoir water saturated with CO2 is denser than the surrounding formation water and would be sinking to the bottom of the Wonnerup Member. The main technical risk is the hydraulic isolation of each completion interval, particularly for the vertical interference test. Additional risks are due to the lack of previous hydraulic testing and the inherent uncertainty regarding a) continuity and hydraulic properties of the palaesols, b) degree of compartmentalization, c) producibility/injectivity of the completion intervals and d) impact of heterogeneity on the migration behavior of CO2. Operational constraints include surface storage availability for produced water, costs for CO2 transport and surface storage, as well as time available for testing and monitoring and, to a lesser extent, rig availability. 3. Summary & conclusions The In-Situ Lab Project will involve completing and instrumenting an existing well, performing hydraulic well tests and then injecting an experimental volume of CO2 into an interval of the Lesueur Formation in Western Australia. As this geological formation has large uncertainties regarding the contiguity and effectiveness of an overlying seal, it is hoped that findings from this research will provide data on the concept of containment through migration assisted trapping. These test results will be used to reduce uncertainty on the vertical migration in the injection zone and on the potential to retain CO2 in heterogeneous geological intervals. The Project is the first stage of an enduring research facility at the location of SW Hub CCS Flagship Project. The five proposed monitoring completions will be appropriately placed to allow for a wide range of future testing and monitoring opportunities in support of uncertainty reduction at the SW Hub site and of supporting other, more generally applicable aspects of subsurface storage operations Acknowledgements The In-Situ Lab project is co-funded by the Australian Government through the Commonwealth Carbon Capture and Storage Research Development and Demonstration Fund CCS49360. The authors wish to acknowledge the incorporation in this report of results from projects funded by Australian National Low Emissions Coal Research and Development (ANLEC R&D). ANLEC R&D is supported by Australian Coal Association Low Emissions Technology Limited and the Australian Government through the Clean Energy Initiative. Also acknowledged are contributions by the Western Australian Department of Mines and Petroleum (including the Geological Survey of Western Australia). The authors would like to thank Roxar, part of Emerson Process Management for providing access to the RMS, TEMPEST-MORE and TEMPEST-Enable software for the development of the subsurface numerical models and well test simulations.
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Karsten Michael et al. / Energy Procedia 154 (2018) 151–156 Michael et al./ Energy Procedia 00 (2018) 000–000
References [1] Sharma S, Van Gent D, Burke M, Stelfox L. The Flagship South West Hub Project: approach towards developing a green-field industrial scale CCS project in Western Australia. Energy Procedia. 2014; 63:6096-105. [2] Ricard L, Michael K, Whittaker S, Harris B, Hortle A, Stalker L, et al. Well-based monitoring schemes for the South West Hub Project, Western Australia. Energy Procedia. 2017; 114:5791-8. [3] Sharma S, Van Gent D, Burke M, Stelfox L. The Australian South West Hub Project: developing a storage project in unconventional geology. Energy Procedia. 2017; 114:4524-36. [4] Varma S, Underschultz J, Dance T, Langford R, Esterle J, Dodds K, et al. Regional study on potential CO2 geosequestration in the Collie Basin and the Southern Perth Basin of Western Australia. Marine and Petroleum Geology. 2009; 26(7):1255-73. [5] Stelfox L (compiler). DMP Harvey 2,3 and 4 well completion and preliminary observation report, southern Perth Basin: Government of Western Australia, Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety. 2017; 178 p.
ScienceDirect Availableonline onlineatatwww.sciencedirect.com www.sciencedirect.com Available Energy Procedia 00 (2018) 000–000
ScienceDirect ScienceDirect
www.elsevier.com/locate/procedia
Energy (2018) 000–000 151–156 EnergyProcedia Procedia154 00 (2017) www.elsevier.com/locate/procedia
Applied Energy Symposium and Forum, Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage, CCUS 2018, 27–29 June 2018, Perth, Australia
Multi-Level COInternational Testingonand Monitoring at the South 2 Injection The 15th Symposium District Heating and Cooling West Hub In-Situ Laboratory a a a a Assessing feasibility usingRicard the heat Karsten Michael ,the Arsham Avijegon of , Ludovic , Tessdemand-outdoor Dance , Claudio Delle b b a c a Pianea, Barry Freifeld , Markfor Woitt , Linda Stalker , Jo Myers , Marina Peruvkhina , temperature function a long-term district heat demand forecast a a a b Laurent Langhi , Allison Hortle , Don Geeves , and Stefan Finsterle I. Andrića,b,c*, A. Pinaa, P. Ferrãoa, J. Fournierb., B. Lacarrièrec, O. Le Correc CSIRO Energy, 26 Dick Perry Avenue, Kensington, WA 6151, Australia a
a
b Class VI Solutions Inc., Oakland, CA, USA IN+ Center for Innovation, Technology and Policy Research - Instituto Superior Técnico, Av. Rovisco Pais 1, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal c CSIRO Wealth from Oceans, Australia b Veolia Recherche & Innovation, 291 Avenue Dreyfous Daniel, 78520 Limay, France c Département Systèmes Énergétiques et Environnement - IMT Atlantique, 4 rue Alfred Kastler, 44300 Nantes, France
Abstract Abstract The In-Situ Laboratory Project entails completing, instrumenting and pump testing five intervals in an existing well and injecting purposes addressed into the Lesueur the South projectsolutions in Western aDistrict small volume CO2 for testing heatingofnetworks are commonly in the Formation literature asat one of theWest mostHub effective for Australia. decreasingThe the project commenced in the middle of October 2016 and is scheduled to run until the end of April 2019, with hydraulic testing greenhouse gas emissions from the building sector. These systems require high investments which are returned through the and heat CO towardsclimate the endconditions of 2018. The to aid demonstration of thedemand commercial geologically 2 injection sales. Due toplanned the changed and purpose buildingis renovation policies, heat in theviability future of could decrease, storing carbon and contribute to broadening the portfolio of globally evaluated geological settings for storage via testing of a prolonging the investment return period. more than 1000 injection which CO migration is largely residual saturation dissolution The main scope m of thick this paper is to reservoir assess theinfeasibility of2 using the heat demandgoverned – outdoorbytemperature function and for heat demand trapping. The project will develop the first part of an enduring research facility at the South West Hub to enable further research forecast. The district of Alvalade, located in Lisbon (Portugal), was used as a case study. The district is consisted of 665 ofbuildings a geological has moreperiod uncertainty than many otherweather current scenarios projects; i.e. in the case ofhigh) the South Westdistrict Hub that environment vary in both that construction and typology. Three (low, medium, and three there is uncertainty around the extent of a regional seal. renovation scenarios were developed (shallow, intermediate, deep). To estimate the error, obtained heat demand values were
compared results from a dynamic heatLtd. demand model, previously developed and validated by the authors. © 2018 The©with Authors. Published Copyright 2018 Elsevier Ltd. by AllElsevier rights reserved. Theisresults showed when only weather change is considered, the margin of error could be acceptable for some applications This an open accessthat article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) Carbon Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the thefor scientific committee of the the Applied Energy Energy Symposium and Forum, Forum, (the errorand in peer-review annual demand was lower than 20% all weather scenarios considered). However, after introducing renovation Selection under responsibility of scientific committee of Applied Symposium and Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage, CCUS 2018. Capture, Utilization Storage, CCUS scenarios, the errorand value increased up 2018. to 59.5% (depending on the weather and renovation scenarios combination considered). The value of slope coefficient increased on average within the range of 3.8% up to 8% per decade, that corresponds to the Keywords: Type your keywords here, separated by semicolons ; decrease in the number of heating hours of 22-139h during the heating season (depending on the combination of weather and renovation scenarios considered). On the other hand, function intercept increased for 7.8-12.7% per decade (depending on the coupled scenarios). The values suggested could be used to modify the function parameters for the scenarios considered, and 1.improve Introduction the accuracy of heat demand estimations.
West Published Hub (SWbyHub) in Ltd. Western Australia [1] remains among a small global portfolio of active © The 2017 South The Authors. Elsevier of injectingSymposium CO2 is mature from oil and industry investigations intoresponsibility geologicalofstorage of CO Peer-review under the Scientific Committee of The 15th International on District Heating 2. The technology Cooling. in enhanced oil production, but each CO2 storage site is geologically unique and must be investigated for experience its suitability and long-term security. The SW Hub is a greenfield investigation south of Perth with little pre-existing Keywords: Heat demand; Forecast; Climate change
1876-6102 Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the Applied Energy Symposium and Forum, Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage, CCUS 2018. 1876-6102 © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. 1876-6102 © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Peer-review under responsibility of the Scientific Committee of The 15th International Symposium on District Heating and Cooling. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the Applied Energy Symposium and Forum, Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage, CCUS 2018. 10.1016/j.egypro.2018.11.025
152 2
Karsten Michael et al. / Energy Procedia 154 (2018) 151–156 Michael et al./ Energy Procedia 00 (2018) 000–000
subsurface data available to perform the required geological characterisation, and thus acquiring geoscience data for the site has been a concentrated effort during the past several years. The Western Australian Department of Mines and Petroleum (WADMP) drilled Harvey-1 in 2012, conducted a major 3D seismic survey in 2014, and completed a stratigraphic well program with three wells (Harvey-2, -3 and -4,) in 2015 (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Location of the SW Hub project and 3D representation of existing well location within the proposed greater storage complex (modified from Ricard et al. [2]).
Research into the SW Hub project has focussed on acquiring and interpreting appropriate data to progressively refine the storage concept, and better understand and reduce uncertainties associated with the geological character of the storage site. Processing the 2014 3D seismic data has provided more clarity around subsurface structures and fault locations and orientations [3]. Core and log data from the three shallow wells is being examined to understand the stratigraphic correlation and regional continuity of the possible baffle units within the Yalgorup. Core-based work on pore-scale processes is progressing knowledge about the impacts of CO2 injected into Wonnerup sandstones for long-term storage. Together the seismic and well data are being integrated toward more detailed static and dynamic models for simulations of trapping potential and long-term behaviour of injected CO2. Monitoring methods are being examined to monitor any injected CO2 plume. The initial consideration for the SW Hub was to inject CO2 into Triassic sandstones in the southern Perth Basin at 2 to 3 km depth near a structural feature known as the Harvey Ridge [4]. In this concept, containment of the CO2 was mainly through residual trapping within these deposits. Research is now focussing on the recognition of potential for a multi-containment system being present in the Triassic Lesueur Formation that includes a lower Wonnerup Member and upper Yalgorup Member. Injection would be into the lower part of the thick sandstones of the Wonnerup Member in which residual trapping can occur. The overlying Yalgorup Member potentially represents a series of strata that may impede upward migration of fluids. It comprises a succession of heterogeneous strata including a series of bands or pods of fine-grained and low permeability palaeosols which build up to a 200 m thickness beneath a sequence of interbedded clay-rich beds. 1.1. Project description The In-Situ Laboratory project entails completing and instrumenting a well in the SW Hub area and injecting a small volume of CO2 for testing purposes into an interval of the Lesueur Formation in Western Australia. The
Karsten Michael et al. / Energy Procedia 154 (2018) 151–156 Michael et al./ Energy Procedia 00 (2018) 000–000
153 3
purpose is to aid demonstration of the commercial viability of geologically storing carbon and contribute to broadening the portfolio of globally evaluated geological settings for storage via testing of a different geological depositional environment. Because of geological storage’s highly site-specific nature, a wider range of tested geological analogues will build increased confidence to (a) drive industrial uptake and investment in this method of emissions mitigation and (b) reduce uncertainty in areas lacking in a laterally extensive regional seal. This project will leverage the availability of geological information from wells drilled (Harvey 2, 3 and 4) for storage site characterisation at the SW Hub [5] and a range of monitoring tools and analytical equipment purchased through the National Geosequestration Laboratory (NGL) to develop an in situ laboratory for field testing carbon storage. Additionally, this project will produce a legacy site for domestic and international training, capacity development, and technology testing. Furthermore, this site will sit atop a potential commercial-scale CCS operation and as such, provide monitoring as a major injection program commences, providing long-term monitoring of a commercial operation from pre-injection, further advancing our understanding of geological storage in saline aquifers. 1.2. Well selection process In consultation with WADMP, a list of criteria was used to select the most suitable well for completion and instrumentation, including a) well integrity, b) land access, c) well diameter, d) penetration thickness into the Wonnerup, e) availability of core and log data, f) geophysical monitorability, g) future research opportunities and h) suitability as an observation well for future test and large-scale storage projects. The deeper Harvey 1 well is plugged and abandoned and cannot be accessed for further use. Harvey 2 is cemented below 417m depth, therefore, the intervals of interest are no longer accessible for the purposes of testing the Wonnerup and Yalgorup members. However, it may still be useful for discrete monitoring activities as it intersects the large F10 fault and could have useful longer term use for the South West Hub Project. The only existing wells deemed suitable for the In-Situ Lab Project were Harvey 3 and Harvey 4, the latter ranking higher due to larger well diameter and deeper penetration into the Wonnerup Member. An alternative, but obviously more costly option, would be to drill a new well, which would have the advantages of providing the opportunity to a) install monitoring equipment (i.e. DAS/DTS) outside the casing, and b) optimise the co-location with future injection wells. Prior to selecting the detailed intervals for the multi-level well completion, additional cement bond logging will need to be conducted in order to identify potentially improperly cemented sections that could allow for hydraulic communication between the casing and the formation. 2. Proposed well completion and test configurations The well will be perforated in five intervals, each interval containing a sliding sleeve valve and a discrete pressure and temperature sensor. The two lowermost intervals planned for a CO2 injection study will also contain a U-tube for geochemical sampling. An integrated opto-electric control line will be used for DAS, DTS and heat-pulse measurements, which will run from the lowermost reservoir to the surface. Because of the difficulty of isolating five zones penetrated by control lines, the uppermost four zones will be isolated using water swellable packers. Swell packer testing will be conducted to determine swell times and maximum working differential pressure. Testing will use a packer with representative control lines in cutouts. The lowermost zone in the Wonnerup will be isolated using a hydraulic packer which has feedthroughs for 4x ¼” control lines. In addition to standard water production testing for determining reservoir hydraulic properties, a couple of specific small-scale tests are planned that take advantage of the unique multi-level completion of the well. These are intended to reduce additional uncertainties (extent and sealing potential of the palaeosols in the Yalgorup Mbr, and vertical migration behaviour in the Wonnerup Mbr) previously identified for the SW Hub project. Conceptual potential well configurations for various test intervals based on geological information in Harvey 4 are shown in Figure 2a. The actual location of perforation intervals will require additional interpretation of log data and flow simulations for identification of the most suitable injection/production horizons. Beyond the scope of the current project, the re-completed and instrumented well can be used for future single-well tests, as part of a multi-well test scheme or as observation well for an industrial CO2 storage project.
Karsten Michael et al. / Energy Procedia 154 (2018) 151–156 Michael et al./ Energy Procedia 00 (2018) 000–000
154 4
Completion of the various intervals will be followed by flowing these units for clearing the perforations of any fines accumulations, which will also give an assessment of the overall permeability, skin and productivity of each interval. This information will be used for better constraining the modelling parameters for the subsequent testing. Shale layers and palaeosols in the Yalgorup are expected to act as seals or baffles. The effectiveness of their sealing capacity will be assessed through vertical interference tests across individual and/or a series of shale layers by injection/production of water using the upper three completions in Figure 2a. A potential test interval would be across the Wonnerup-Yalgorup boundary, with completions in sandstone units in the uppermost Wonnerup and above the first shale layer in the Yalgorup. A water test will determine the absolute vertical permeability and hydraulic continuity of the palaeosols.
1450m
b)
1750m
a)
c)
Figure 2. Small-scale CO2 vertical migration test. a) Schematic well test configuration for the 1450 – 1750 m depth interval using Harvey 4 as an example. Sandy lithology in yellow and shale/paleosols in brown based on gamma log interpretation. b) Simulation results of injecting 100 t of CO2 over 2 days into heterogeneous reservoir, showing extent of CO2 plume in red (left) and distribution of dissolved CO2 (right) after 1 week. c) Volume of free-phase-scCO2 plume and mass of CO2 dissolved in aqueous phase as a function of time.
Karsten Michael et al. / Energy Procedia 154 (2018) 151–156 Michael et al./ Energy Procedia 00 (2018) 000–000
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No thick contiguous low-permeability barriers were identified in the Wonnerup and injected CO2 is assumed to largely migrate vertically upwards under buoyancy, more or less unimpeded. Still, the Wonnerup is of considerable thickness and it is important to measure vertical migration velocity and residual saturation along the migration path. The concept of the vertical migration test is to inject CO2 at the bottom interval and let it migrate vertically upward, dominantly under buoyancy drive (Figure 2a and b). Bottomhole injection pressures should be low to minimise lateral migration of CO2. The vertical migration of CO2 is monitored indirectly through pulsed neutron logging and possibly VSP, as well as directly through sampling from the perforated intervals above. The appropriate distance between perforation intervals and required volume/rate of CO2 injection depends on the injected volume and the time available for the test. A small-scale injection of up to 1000 t CO2 would result in a plume with a radius of less than 50 m and vertical migration constrained well within the Lesueur Formation, approximately 1600 m below the surface. Approximately one month post-injection, 42% of the injected CO2 are predicted to have dissolved in formation water, whereas the majority of the remaining free-phase CO2 is residually trapped. As a result, the plume will be immobile within a few months and slowly dissolving. The reservoir water saturated with CO2 is denser than the surrounding formation water and would be sinking to the bottom of the Wonnerup Member. The main technical risk is the hydraulic isolation of each completion interval, particularly for the vertical interference test. Additional risks are due to the lack of previous hydraulic testing and the inherent uncertainty regarding a) continuity and hydraulic properties of the palaesols, b) degree of compartmentalization, c) producibility/injectivity of the completion intervals and d) impact of heterogeneity on the migration behavior of CO2. Operational constraints include surface storage availability for produced water, costs for CO2 transport and surface storage, as well as time available for testing and monitoring and, to a lesser extent, rig availability. 3. Summary & conclusions The In-Situ Lab Project will involve completing and instrumenting an existing well, performing hydraulic well tests and then injecting an experimental volume of CO2 into an interval of the Lesueur Formation in Western Australia. As this geological formation has large uncertainties regarding the contiguity and effectiveness of an overlying seal, it is hoped that findings from this research will provide data on the concept of containment through migration assisted trapping. These test results will be used to reduce uncertainty on the vertical migration in the injection zone and on the potential to retain CO2 in heterogeneous geological intervals. The Project is the first stage of an enduring research facility at the location of SW Hub CCS Flagship Project. The five proposed monitoring completions will be appropriately placed to allow for a wide range of future testing and monitoring opportunities in support of uncertainty reduction at the SW Hub site and of supporting other, more generally applicable aspects of subsurface storage operations Acknowledgements The In-Situ Lab project is co-funded by the Australian Government through the Commonwealth Carbon Capture and Storage Research Development and Demonstration Fund CCS49360. The authors wish to acknowledge the incorporation in this report of results from projects funded by Australian National Low Emissions Coal Research and Development (ANLEC R&D). ANLEC R&D is supported by Australian Coal Association Low Emissions Technology Limited and the Australian Government through the Clean Energy Initiative. Also acknowledged are contributions by the Western Australian Department of Mines and Petroleum (including the Geological Survey of Western Australia). The authors would like to thank Roxar, part of Emerson Process Management for providing access to the RMS, TEMPEST-MORE and TEMPEST-Enable software for the development of the subsurface numerical models and well test simulations.
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