McPHERSON, BRIAN, and BARRET COLE, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, New Mexico, USA

ABSTRACT: Sequestration Of CO₂ in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming

Reduction of anthropogenic "greenhouse gases" in the atmosphere is proposed as a means of reducing global warming. One possible means of reduction is to inject and sequester such gases in abandoned petroleum reservoirs. We tested the possibility of sequestering CO₂ in abandoned reservoirs and regional-scale aquifers in sedimentary basins. We used reservoir simulation methods similar to those used to study enhanced oil recovery by CO₂ flooding. Specifically, we evaluated residence time in possible storage reservoirs and aquifers, as well as migration rates to and away from such sites in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming.

We calibrated regional scale rock properties in the Powder River Basin using surface heat flow observations. Numerical modeling results suggest that advection by a regional-scale groundwater flow system in the basin can explain anomalously high surface heat flow not explained by conduction alone.

Our study suggests that regional scale sedimentary basin aquifers are viable candidates for CO₂ sequestration for timescales of ~10³ years.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90915©2000 AAPG Rocky Mountain Section, Albuquerque, New Mexico