CARBON SEQUESTRATION: RESERVOIR CHARACTERIZATION AND POTENTIAL OF EARLY PENNSYLVANIAN BREATHITT GROUP, CENTRAL APPALACHIAN BASIN

Ryan GrimmVirginia Tech Dept. of Geosciences

Committee members:Ken Eriksson, ChairFred ReadBill HenikaSteve Greb - University of Kentucky

Early Pennsylvanian Breathitt Group - Raven and Kennedy coal zone roadcut, Grundy Virginia. USACOE Flood Protection Project. Vertical height ~100m

Carbon Capture and Geological Storage Opportunities in the Pocahontas Basin

Objective – Investigate properties of geologic media for long term CO2 storage from a future point source in southwestern Virginia – think FUTUREGEN

Paleozoic Reservoirs and Seals of the Pocahontas Basin

Stu

dy In

tervalS

tud

y Interval

ECBM – ENHANCED COAL BED METHANE RECOVERY AND PRODUCTION USING CO2 FLOODS

SECARB estimates 398 million tons of technically feasible ECBM - CO2 storage capacity in the Pocahontas Basin

Potential enhanced recovery of >2.5 TCF of CBM gas production

Highlights need for increased understanding of surrounding lithologies

Regional shale seals

&

Additional storage capacities / hazards of porous sandstones

Central Appalachian Basin and Pocahontas sub-basin are defined by bounding structures

Regional Assessment of Pocahontas sub-basin

Adapted from USGS FS2004-3092 and Chesnut, 1994; Greb and Chesnut, 1996; Korus, 2002; Greb et al., 2004; Greb and Martino, 2005

GEOLOGIC SETTING OF POCAHONTAS BASIN ASSESSMENT REGION

Extent of Pennsylvanian Strata

South Dickenson Strike Line 1-4

DATASET

GAMMA RAY SCINTILLOMETRY - FIELD MEASUREMENTS OF LITHOLOGIC RADIOACTIVITY AT GRUNDY

Determine Reservoir Parameters –

Test porosities and permeabilities of shales and sandstones

STARVED RIPPLES

SANDY RHTHYMITES

ORGANIC PARTINGS

SB

SB

FS

Neonereites Scalarituba

Trace Fossil Analysis

HENSLEY SHALE – KEY REGIONAL DATUM AND SEAL

Raw Data - South Dickenson Strike Line 1

Quartz Arenites - SDS 1

Lithic Arenites – SDS1

Minor Flooding Surfaces – SDS1

Minor Lithic Sands - SDS 1

- +

Sequence Interpretation Basics

Sequences – SDS 1

Conclusions• Sequence architecture of the Pocahontas basin

exhibits broad, regional flooding surfaces and discontinuities in the subsurface

• Integration of core and outcrop measurements with geophysical well log data aids sequence model verification

• Sequence model identifies regional CO2 storage and sealing lithologies for targeted sequestration opportunities

• Continued work will focus on the interplay of eustatic and tectonic controls on basin infilling

THANKS!

Katie O’Donnell

Bill Rouse

Erik Haug

Ben Roth

David Greenwald

Brad Kelley

Nino Ripepi

Ilija Miskovic