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Leeds Study Indicates that Sequestered CO2 Can React Quickly with Underground Reservoir Rock for Safe Storage
26 November 2007
Storing carbon dioxide deep below the earth’s surface could be a safe, long-term solution due to the reaction of the gas with the host pore waters and rocks on a human time scale, according to researchers at the University of Leeds (UK). The study found that sandstone reacts with injected fluids more quickly than had been predicted—such reactions are essential if the captured CO2 is not to leak back to the surface.
The study, published in the December edition of the journal Geology, looked at data from the Miller oilfield in the North Sea, where BP had been pumping seawater into the oil reservoir to enhance the flow of oil. As oil was extracted, the analysis of the water that was pumped out with showed that minerals had grown and dissolved as the water travelled through the field.
PhD student Stephanie Houston found that water pumped out with the oil was especially rich in silica. This showed that silicates, usually thought of as very slow to react, had dissolved in the newly-injected seawater over less than a year. This is the type of reaction that would be needed to make carbon dioxide stable in the pore waters, rather like the dissolved carbonate found in still mineral water.
The study gives a clear indication that carbon dioxide sequestered deep underground could also react quickly with ordinary rocks to become assimilated into the deep formation water.
If CO2 is injected underground we hope that it will react with the water and minerals there in order to be stabilized. That way it spreads into its local environment rather than remaining as a giant gas bubble which might ultimately seep to the surface. It had been thought that reaction might take place over hundreds or thousands of years, but there’s a clear implication in this study that if we inject carbon dioxide into rocks, these reactions will happen quite quickly making it far less likely to escape
—Bruce Yardley, Professor in the School of Earth and Environment, Univ. of Leeds
The research received support from the Natural Environment Research Council.
Resources
SJ Houston, BWD Yardley, PC Smalley and I Collins; “Rapid fluid-rock interaction in oilfield reservoirs”, Geology 35 (12) December 2007
November 26, 2007 in Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
Comments
Posted by: Jonas | November 26, 2007 at 02:34 PM
CCS is the floundering of an industry which knows that it will be put out of business within 40 years. It is impossible to handle the 1,000 cubic miles of CO2 which would have to be sequestered each year. The only way to make fossil fuels carbon neutral is to not burn them in the first place.
Posted by: richard schumacher | November 27, 2007 at 06:52 AM
My main concern is that unless sequestered Carbon is completely tested, it can kill thousands if leaks appear near populated areas. This happened due to natural causes in Cameroon, Africa twenty years ago.
I would hate to see any rushed efforts by existing energy companies to say this process works. If a leak happens who will make sure they are held responsible? What safety mechanisms can be put in place to detect leaks before they happen? What prevention methods can ensure that leaks can't happen, even if exposed to extremely high level earthquakes?
These serious questions need answers before this can be said to be successful.
Posted by: jrojai | November 27, 2007 at 12:36 PM
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This is very good news for the future of CCS. The era of carbon-negative biofuels is near.