CO₂ Sequestration Field Test, West Pearl Queen Field, Permian Basin, New Mexico

Scott P. Cooper¹, Rajesh J. Pawar², Lewis C. Bartel¹, David F. Aldridge¹, Robert D. Benson³, Reid B. Grigg⁴, James L. Krumhansl¹, and Gregory J. Elbring^1
1Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM
²Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM
³Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO
⁴New Mexico Intsitute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, NM

The West Pearl Queen CO₂ sequestration field experiment consisted of injection, soak and venting. From December 20, 2002 to February 11, 2003, 2090 tons of CO₂ were injected into the depleted petroleum reservoir within the Shattuck Sandstone Member of the Queen Formation. The injection rate was 40 tons per day. Anomalies observed included 1) higher than expected injection pressures, 2) resultant lower than expected CO₂ injection rates, 3) apparent localization of the injected CO₂ at the base of the injection well, and 4) significant retention of CO₂.

Outcrop exposures indicate the Shattuck Member sandstones were deposited in eolian and eolian-influenced shallow lagoons. Although tabular bedding of homogeneous sandstones is observed, heterogeneities such as facies changes, local bedding thickenings, intraclast conglomerates, channels, and thrust faults are also present. Subsurface data also indicate the sandstone reservoirs may only superficially correlate between wells. The lack of sandstone continuity and intraformational heterogeneities can explain some of the observed anomalies.

Analysis of the 3-D multi-component seismic data indicates an anomaly interpreted to delineate the presence of CO₂. This study demonstrates the applicability of seismic methods for detecting and mapping a CO₂ plume, even though the amount of injected CO₂ was small.

The lessons learned imply the reservoir is much more complex and heterogeneous than originally interpreted. This has important implications for sequestration projects at sites with limited reservoir dimensions and internal low-permeability barriers. This work also details the potential ways to recognize these heterogeneities through seismic, production, outcrop and subsurface analyses.

AAPG Search and Discover Article #90078©2008 AAPG Annual Convention, San Antonio, Texas