Flow Simulation of CO 2 Plume in Arbuckle Group

This paper presents the groundwork for a proposed CO2 sequestration project in Osage County, Oklahoma.It describes the flow simulation of the CO2 plume in the saline Aquifer of the Arbuckle Group, a dolomite formation proposed as a potential large-scale storage reservoir for CO2 in the state of Oklahoma.Geological storage of CO2 is one of the most potent tools in use today for reducing atmospheric CO2 and battling Climate Change.Moreover, with governments around the world putting policies in place to significantly reduce carbon emissions within the next two decades, there is an expectation for more CO2 Sequestration projects across the world.This study uses a geological model of the formation to simulate the injection of over 50 million metric tons of CO2 in a 30-year period.We successfully built a carbon sequestration model with 3 injection wells using geologic parameters and relative permeability information available on the Arbuckle in literature.The formation was divided into ten layers, and injection wells were perforated in Layers 1 through 4 of the structure.These layers were selected based on the depth of existing injection wells in the region, some of which are intended to be remodeled for use should the project kick-off.The layers also had a good permeability distribution, thus making them suitable for large CO2 injection at low pressure.Pressure management is important in CO2 storage because adding large volumes of CO2 to a reservoir without any fluid removal mechanism risks potentially rupturing cap-rock seals or generating flow through faults that would otherwise restrict flow.We also studied the formation for 50 years post-injection to monitor pressure and CO2 plume evolution.After 30 years of injection with three wells operating at an 1870 psi maximum bottom hole pressure constraint, the CO2 plume covered only about 0.5% of the top layer of the North Burbank area of interest, with a significant increase in pressure from the west to the east.Fifty years after shut-in, the size of the CO2 plumes did not significantly change.However, after injection, we saw that more CO2 was trapped in residues than and the volume of hydrologically stored gas started to reduce, having been the dominant trapping mechanism during the 30 years of injection.We also found that the plume is sufficiently distant from the Underground Source of Drinking Water (USDW) located in the area.The simulated maximum average reservoir pressure of 1597 psi is also well below the reservoir fracture pressure range of between 2400 psi -2700 psi.This study provides a reference that would be useful during the potential deployment of CO2 injection in the Arbuckle Group.This study could assist decision-making during field development in this formation as we work to ensure a sustainable future.