MUSTANG NEWS. A MUltiple Space and Time scale Approach for the quantification of deep saline formations for CO 2 storage

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1 February th Newsletter MUSTANG NEWS A MUltiple Space and Time scale Approach for the quantification of deep saline formations for CO 2 storage ABOUT MUSTANG MUSTANG aims at developing guidelines, methods and tools for the characterization of deep saline aquifers for long term CO 2 storage, based on a solid scientific understanding of the underlying critical processes. Field investigation technologies specifically suited to CO 2 storage will be improved and developed. These are destined to improve the determination of the relevant physical and chemical properties of the site, and enabling short response times in the detection and monitoring of CO 2 plumes in the reservoir and overburden during both the injection and containment phases. An improved understanding of the relevant processes of CO 2 spreading is aimed at by means of theoretical investigations, laboratory experiments, natural analogue studies as well as a dedicated field scale injection test, to take place at the Heletz site (Israel). MUSTANG is funded by the EU FP7 and coordinated by Uppsala University. The consortium is comprised of 19 institutions. A number of organisations are affiliated through the Scientific, Industrial and regulatory Advisory Board (SIRAB). MUSTANG project coordinator Prof. Auli Niemi Department of Earth Sciences Uppsala University P.O. Box 256 SE Uppsala, SWEDEN Auli.Niemi@geo.uu.se MUSTANG HIGHLIGHTS 2013 The second project activity report covering 36 project months was duly submitted in July 2012 and is available at MustangDeliverables.aspx As of January 2013, EU has approved the prolongation of MUSTANG project until summer The total length of the project will thereby become 5 years. The main reason for the need for prolongation was the difficulties encountered at the Heletz site when opening the old wells. The problem was solved by drilling two completely new wells, thereby enabling a more comprehensive injection experiment at the site, nevertheless causing some delay to the time-table of the project. In autumn 2012 extensive laboratory testing of the Helezt cores has commenced and baseline geophysical surveys were carried out in December Extensive hydraulic field characterization of the experimental site will take place during the coming months. In this issue About MUSTANG 1 MUSTANG highlights 1 MAGUELONE experiment 2-3 MUSTANG Thesis 3 Site Characterization 4-5 Other Activities 5 Next events 5 MUSTANG board 6 At Maguelone site a shallow CO 2 injection was successfully carried out in January Earlier phases of the experiment are discussed in detail in this Newsletter. 7 th consortium meeting took place in September 2012 in Haifa, organised by EWRE and the Israel Institute of Technology. A short (1day) 8 th consortium meeting was held in le Grande Motte (Montpellier, France) Jan 23 rd, 2013, organized by CNRS. In connection to this meeting, the consortium visited the Maguelone CO 2 injection experiment. CO 2 injection taking place at Mageloune site January 2013

2 MUSTANG NEWS (FEBRUARY 2013) PAGE 2 MAGUELONE MUSTANG TEST SITE The Maguelone experimental site is located along the Mediterranean lido of the Gulf of Lions passive margin, 10 km to the South of Montpellier. Limited to the North by a coastal lagoon and to the South by the Mediterranean Sea, this site offers a natural laboratory to study porous coastal reservoirs in a clastic and clay-rich context saturated with mostly saline fluids The objective of the SIMEx experiment (Shallow Injection Monitoring Experiment) is to test, at decameter scale and in an integrated manner, a full suite of coordinated hydrogeophysical monitoring techniques, either from surface or downhole. Limited to the north by a coastal lagoon and to the south by the Mediterranean sea, this site offers a natural laboratory to study saline coastal reservoirs in a clastic and clay-rich context. More information at A SHALLOW INJECTION MONITORING EXPERIMENT AT MAGUELONE, FRANCE (P. A. Pezard, N.Denchik, H. Perroud, J. Lofi, O. Jaafar, A. Levannier, M.Geeraert, J. Paris, R. Leprovost and G. Henry; CNRS and Schlumberger Water Services) Prior to the CO 2 injection, two nitrogen injection experiments were undertaken to measure the site response to gas injection in March and June Nitrogen was selected because of the reducing nature of the in-situ environment present in the shallow subsurface at Maguelone, precluding oxygen injection to avoid massive bacterial developments. The field spread (Figure 2) for nitrogen injection included a gas injection hole (GIH), a time-lapse logging hole TLL, a downhole electrical observatory ImaGeau (DEO), a downhole hydrodynamic observatory based on a multipacker completion from WestBay (SWS) DHO, a downhole seismic observatory DSO, plus surface seismic observatory SSO. The nitrogen injection took place at the GIH at 13-16m depth (fluvial conglomerates and sands). A total volume of ~210m 3 of nitrogen was injected during two days in March During the first day (Injection 1), on March 7, a volume of ~100m 3 of nitrogen was injected during 6 hours. During the second day (Injection 2), on March 8, a volume of ~110m 3 was injected during 5 hours. The second shallow nitrogen injection experiment took place on June 7-8, A total volume of ~182m 3 of nitrogen was injected during two days (Injection 1: ~144m 3 of nitrogen were injected during 6 hours; Injection 2: ~38m 3 were injected during 1 hour). For the two nitrogen injection experiments the gas plume was successfully detected by all used monitoring techniques (pressure, electrical resistivity and seismic monitoring). The nitrogen storage happened close to the surface (~7m) under the Late-Holocene lagoonal sediments (mostly impermeable dark green clays) forming an impermeable seal overlying homogeneous fine-grained Pliocene continental deposits. The increase in resistivity was seen during all the injection period (Figure 3). The pressure values in- Figure 2. Field spread at the Maguelone experimental site for the SIMEx integrated monitoring experiment. Figure 3. Time-lapse monitoring from induction logging in March of 2012: in red spots baseline measurements before nitrogen injection, solid lines - measurements during injection tests, dotted lines measurements between and after injections.

3 PAGE 3 7TH NEWSLETTER crease during the two injections and decrease between and after the injections (Figure 4). The seismic monitoring appears to be extremely sensitive to the underground gas storage, with very clear modifications of the recorded traces as soon as the injection begins. The detailed interpretation of these experiments is underway. The next phase of SIMEx has been recently successfully carried out involving actual CO 2 injection using similar surface and downhole hydrogeophysical monitoring. MUSTANG PhD THESIS PUBLISHED (V. Vilarrasa, CSIC) Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical Impacts of Carbon Dioxide (CO 2 ) Coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical effects related to geologic carbon storage should be understood and quantified in order to demonstrate that CO 2 injection is safe. A PhD thesis addressing these issues was presented at UPC/ CSIC, Barcelona, by Victor Vilarrasa. The Thesis aims to improve the understanding of THMC processes by developing methods to: (1) evaluate the CO 2 plume geometry and fluid pressure evolution; (2) define a field test to characterize the maximum sustainable injection pressure and the hydromechanical properties of the aquifer and the caprock; and (3) propose an energy efficient injection concept that improves the caprock mechanical stability in most geological settings due to thermo-mechanical effects. First, we investigate numerically and analytically the effect of CO 2 density and viscosity variability on the position of the interface between the CO 2 -rich phase and the formation brine. We find that the error in the interface position caused by neglecting CO 2 compressibility can become significant when gravity forces dominate, which is likely to occur at late times and/or far from injection well. Next, we propose a hydromechanical characterization test to estimate the hydromechanical properties of the aquifer and caprock at the field scale. We can estimate the values of the Young s modulus, the Poisson ratio of the aquifer and the caprock by introducing field measurements in the obtained type curves. The results indicate that induced microseismicity is more likely to occur in the aquifer than in the caprock. The onset of microseismicity in the caprock can be used to define the maximum sustainable injection pressure to ensure a safe permanent CO 2 storage. Finally, we analyze the thermodynamic evolution of CO 2 and the thermo-hydro -mechanical response of the formation and the caprock to liquid (cold) CO 2 injection. We find that injecting CO 2 in liquid state is energetically more efficient than in supercritical state. The pressure required at the wellhead for a given CO 2 pressure in the aquifer is much lower for liquid than for gas or supercritical injection. The temperature decrease close to the injection well induces a stress reduction due to thermal contraction of the media. This can lead to shear slip of pre-existing fractures in the aquifer for large temperature contrasts in stiff rocks, which could enhance injectivity. In contrast, the mechanical stability of the caprock is improved in stress regimes where the maximum principal stress is the vertical. Figure 4. Experiment 1 (March 2012). Pressure monitoring from WestBay system at depth of 7.9m, 13.9m and 15.5m. Filled markers measurements during injections, open markers - measurements before, between and after injection tests. Figure 5. Victor Vilarrasa from CSIC/UPC (Spain) at his Thesis Defense (July 2012) The Thesis can be downloaded HERE Figure 6. Thermodynamic evolution of CO 2 and the thermo-hydromechanical response of the formation and the caprock to liquid (cold)

4 MUSTANG NEWS (FEBRUARY 2013) PAGE 4 SITE CHARACTERIZATION Examples of 3D visualization of the different sites are shown in following figures THE M USTANG TEST SITES (M. Erlström,SGU) The overall objective of the test sites characterization (WP2) is to gather available data from the different test sites included in the project, i.e. South Scania (Sweden), Horstberg (Germany), Valcele (Romania), Heletz (Israel) and Hontomín (Spain). The gathered data should be relevant to the evaluation of each site concerning storage of CO 2. The five sites display a wide diversity in location, geology, reservoir properties and depths. Fractured caprocks, two 38mm diameter core samples (UEDIN) During the first project period, main focus was to put under construction a framework and to screen the type and amount of data available for each site. Emphasis was thereafter put on construction of templates that would assist in the gathering of necessary data regarding assessment of deep saline formations and their suitability for storage of CO 2. A large effort has been put on the construction of 3D models, describing the structural model and, as for the Valcele site, also 3D parametrical modeling of porosity and permeability. Examples of 3D models from the different sites are shown in Figures The site characterization work of the different sites has resulted in a broad knowledge regarding the complexity of compiling existing data from previous investigations into a framework of information needed regarding characterization of CO 2 storage sites. The experience achieved from the different geological settings and characterization work of these sites is essential in assessing their usefulness as storage sites for CO 2. Figure 7. Valcele site (Romania) Main achievements Figure 8. Hontomin site (Spain) Construction of a framework, guidelines and templates regarding the geological characterization of potential sites for CO 2 storage. Essential parameters needed for the numerical modeling have been identified and available data compiled. Structural geological models on all sites have been constructed and experience from this work can be transferred to other CO 2 site characterization projects. Experience from performing geological characterization with respect to CO 2 storage in a wide range of geological settings and amount available data. Wide range of gathered data which complement the overall knowledge about potential CO 2 storage aquifers. Identification of data gaps reveal a general lack and need of information on the cap rock intervals. Explanation and validation of geological information to the modeling experiments, i.e. intercommunication between geologists and engineers.

5 PAGE 5 7TH NEWSLETTER Figure 9. Horstberg site (Germany) Figure 11. Heletz site (Israel) Figure 10. South Scania site (Sweden) OTHER ACTIVITIES: Coring party' at Heletz (Sept 2012) The core samples from the Heletz injection and monitoring wells were sampled and distributed to a number of laboratories that will test and characterize these rocks thoroughly, for different hydraulic, chemical and mechanical properties relevant for CO 2 storage. MUSTANG re- searchers had a group coring event in September and samples were taken and sent to be tested to various universities and research laboratories in including CNRS, Universiy of Edinburgh, University of Göttingen, Stanford University, Luleå Technical University and Uppsala University. Figure 12. Mustang partners at Heletz (September 2012) ANNOUNCEMENT OF NEXT EVENTS Number of CO 2 sessions at EGU, Vienna April7-12 th, th Trondheim CCS Conference (TCCS-7), June 4-6 th, 2013 in Trondheim, Norway. In connection with the TCCS-7 five EU FP7 projects (MUSTANG, Panacea, CO2Care, UlitmateCO 2 and CarbFix) are organizing a discussion on Monday June 3 rd, 2013 on Long-Term Fate of CO 2. Participation highly recommended! 9 th project meeting in Haifa, 31 st September-1 st October, 2013.

6 PAGE 6 7 th NEWSLETTER MUSTANG is sponsored by DG Research of the European Commission under the Seventh Framework Programme Contract no The sole responsibility for the content of this newsletter lies with the authors. Newsletter submitting organization: AMPHOS 21 Pg Garcia i Faria Barcelona, SPAIN beatriz.medina@amphos21.com Figure 13. Monitoring of CO 2 injection at Maguelone site, January PROJECT CONSORTIUM PROJECT ADVISORY GROUP SCIENTIFIC ADVISORS INDUSTRY AND END-USERS REGULATORS