Constructing a Geological Model to Estimate the Capacity of Commercial Scale Injection, Utilization and Storage of CO₂ in the Jacksonburg-Stringtown Field, West Virginia, USA

Abstract

Geological capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in depleted oil and gas reservoirs is one method to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while enhancing oil recovery (EOR) and extending the life of the field. Therefore CCUS coupled with EOR is considered to be an economic approach to demonstration of commercial-scale injection and storage of anthropogenic CO₂. Several critical issues should be taken into account prior to injecting large volumes of CO₂, such as storage capacity, project duration and long-term containment. The storage capacity of CO₂ is estimated by methods used by the petroleum industry in the characterization of hydrocarbon accumulations. The Jacksonburg-Stringtown field, located in northwestern West Virginia, has produced over 22 million barrels of oil (MMBO) since 1895. The sandstone of the Late Devonian Gordon Stray is the primary reservoir. Well log analysis is used to define four reservoir subunits within a marine-dominated estuarine depositional system: barrier sand, central bay shale, tidal channels and fluvial channel subunits. A 3D geologic model was constructed with variable-quality data from 175 wells to estimate the storage capacity and optimize simulation strategies to evaluate commercially-viable geological storage and EOR. Artificial neural network (ANN) of petrophysical log data (Vsh, slope of GR, ILD, slope of ILD and DPHI) were utilized as inputs and target outputs to train neural network to characterize reservoir units. The ANN is a powerful tool to develop maps of critical reservoir parameters and focused simulation. The best regions for CCUS-EOR are located in southern regions of the field. Estimated theoretical CO₂ storage is approximately 24 million metric tons.

AAPG Datapages/Search and Discovery Article #90216 ©2015 AAPG Annual Convention and Exhibition, Denver, CO., May 31 - June 3, 2015