CARBON SEQUESTRATION IN THE SUBSURFACE CAMBRO-ORDOVICIAN STRATA (BEEKMANTOWN GROUP) OF WESTERN NEW YORK STATE

An enormous amount of anthropogenic carbon dioxide is generated from various industrial plants worldwide. The international and intergovernmental panels on climate change endorse carbon capture and storage (CCS) as a mitigation choice to reduce the amount of CO₂ in the atmosphere. Carbon sequestration into deep-subsurface, porous, and permeable formations is environmentally acceptable method of storage. Consequently, permanent storage sites for CO₂ must be precisely selected.

The lower Paleozoic intervals (Beekmantown Group) of two core sections from Niagara and Steuben Counties of western New York were selected for this study to assess their ability as storage sites.

Petrographic analysis of 120 thin sections from Waste Liquid Disposal #1 Well (Niagara County) and Robert Olin #1 Well (Steuben County) reveals that the Beekmantown Group of western New York consists of a basal unit of sandstone (Potsdam Formation) that underlies carbonate-siliclastic intervals (Theresa Formation). Based on textural variations and sedimentary microstructures, the Beekmantown lithologies were divided into different lithofacies of tidally influenced shallow-marine deposits. The rock components of these lithofacies display wide ranges of diagenetic modifications including replacements, mineralization, cementation, and dissolution. The diagenetic processes have created wide range of pore systems throughout the Beekmantown Formations.

Micrometrics Pore Sizer was used to determine the petrophysical parameters of 92 cylindrical core-plugs. Through this technique, mercury was injected into the samples at pressure that ranges from 14 psia to 20,000 psia. This applied pressure has the ability to measure pore-throat sizes in range of 190 - 0.0003 microns. The petrophysical parameters including porosity, permeability, recovery efficiency, and fluid saturation were measured and evaluated.

The petrophysical parameters of the Potsdam Sandstone strongly make this interval a possible site for carbon sequestration. The rock components of the overlying Theresa Formation (sandy dolostone and dolostone) are low in porosity and permeability and may be consider as a good seal unit to prevent CO₂ migration.