--> Seismic Reflection Data Interpretation to Support Project ECO2S, Kemper County, MS

AAPG ACE 2018

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Seismic Reflection Data Interpretation to Support Project ECO2S, Kemper County, MS

Abstract

The Geological Survey of Alabama (GSA) has undertaken interpretation of reflection seismic data to support the project “Establishing an Early CO2 Storage Complex in Kemper County, Mississippi: Project ECO2S.” Project ECO2S was one of three Phase II (Storage Complex Feasibility) projects awarded recently under the U.S. Department of Energy’s Carbon Storage Assurance Facility Enterprise (CarbonSAFE) initiative, which seeks to help mitigate carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of fossil fuels.

High quality seismic reflection surveys were collected by Western Geophysical Company and Amoco Production company in the early to mid-1980s to facilitate deep hydrocarbon exploration. Although some interpretations of these data were published (e.g., Hale-Erlich and Coleman, 1993), these were highly generalized. A more detailed analysis is required to evaluate the distribution and integrity of the potential CO2 sinks in Kemper County, MS.

Key seismic lines in the vicinity of the Kemper energy facility were identified and acquired for interpretation. Building upon the pre-feasibility work completed by the project team, we have identified and mapped horizons of interest, including the previously identified geologically favorable intervals: two Lower Cretaceous saline formations (Paluxy Formation and the Washita-Fredericksburg interval) and one Upper Cretaceous interval (Lower Tuscaloosa Massive Sand). There are laterally extensive shales within these formations that act as seals, and the overlying thick Tuscaloosa Marine Shale acts as a major regional confining unit.

The seismic study further confirms that the three saline formations (the Paluxy, the Washita-Fredericksburg, and the Tuscaloosa Massive Sand) are regionally extensive but internally heterogeneous and maintain considerable thickness within the study area. Additionally, the study confirms the presence and continuity of multiple sealing layers, including the regional seals of the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale and the chalk of the Selma Group.