1D BASIN MODELING: A USEFUL TECHNIQUE FOR GEOLOGIC CARBON STORAGE EVALUATION

Basin modeling techniques are used in this study to enhance sub-surface characterization of on-going and potential future carbon storage sites in the western Anadarko Basin. This work is part of the Southwest Regional Partnership on Carbon Sequestration at Farnsworth Unit, a large scale carbon capture, utilization and storage operation in Ochiltree Co., Texas. The project goal is to evaluate the injection and storage of 1 million metric tons of anthropogenic CO₂ into a mature Morrowan Sandstone oil reservoir through a CO₂-enhanced oil recovery operation. Large scale geologic carbon storage and utilization is a method to reach both emissions reduction and energy production goals across the globe.

Two 1D basin models were constructed from geophysical well log, reflection seismic, and core data. The 1D models are located ~ 35 miles apart and model the geologic evolution from ~ 542 Ma to present day of two mature oil fields in the Northeast Texas Panhandle Morrowan play. Results indicate the Morrowan black shales that encase the sandstone reservoirs are immature source rocks and are not capable of charging the reservoirs locally. Additionally, the time dependent heat flow model was able to predict reservoir temperature accurately and is being used to further understand the diagenetic history of the reservoir and caprock. Moreover, burial history analysis supports cross and up fault transmissibility studies at Farnsworth Unit by modeling reservoir depth at time of faulting and maximum depth of burial, both parameters that can be used to quantify fault transmissibility. These results display the usefulness of 1D basin models for carbon storage site evaluations. 1D basin models can be constructed and simulated relatively quickly and provide analysis of porosity development, temperature evolution, source rock maturity and burial histories, all of which aid understanding of carbon storage capacity, risk of CO₂ plume migration, and development of the petroleum system in which the CO₂ is stored. Funding for this project is provided by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) under Award No. DE-FC26-05NT42591.