Reservoir Capacity and Injectivity Characterization for Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Geo-Sequestration in the Niger Delta

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Applied Science (IJRIAS) | Volume V, Issue X, October 2020 | ISSN 2454–6186

 Reservoir Capacity and Injectivity Characterization for Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) Geo-Sequestration in the Niger Delta

Onengiyeofori A. Davies^*1, Chigozie Israel-Cookey¹, Etim D. Uko¹, Mathew A. Alabraba¹
Department of Physics, Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

Abstract -One major environmental challenge faced by the human race today is the issue of global warming, leading to drastic climate change. Rigorous research has linked the emergence of this threat to human activities that have led directly to dangerous levels of accumulation of greenhouse gases (including CO₂) in our atmosphere. Of the various options explored to manage the excess CO₂ in the atmosphere, capturing and storing the anthropogenic CO₂ in underground geologic storage units (like deep saline aquifers, unminable coal seams and depleted oil and gas reservoirs) have presented itself as a more promising option. Within this study, analysis of data (well log and seismic) was done to estimate reservoir capacity and injectivity of reservoirs within the study area with the potential to hold sequestered CO₂. Well log correlation led to identification of two predominantly sandstone reservoirs (RESERVOIR I and RESERVOIR II) with a potential to serve as storage site, with average thicknesses of 20.67m and 61.81m, respectively. After estimating reservoir variables (like porosity, water saturation, permeability, potential mass of CO₂ to be sequestered, lateral continuity, thickness and depth) alongside variables of the sealing unit (lateral continuity, thickness and depth), preliminary results showed that reservoir-seal units identified in the study area have sufficient capacity and injectivity for purposes of CO₂ geo-sequestration.

Key words: Supercritical CO2, Sequestration, Capacity, Injectivity, Porosity, Permeability, Water Saturation

I. INTRODUCTION

One of the most challenging and pressing issue posing a threat to the existence of the human race as we know it today is the issue of climate change, with carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gas emissions identified as major contributing factors. The presence of these gases in the atmosphere have been majorly attributed to the human activity of burning fossil fuels to generate energy [1]. In other words, figuring out how to reduce anthropogenic CO2 from our atmosphere becomes quite vital in dealing with this threat. Since humans are unlikely to use less energy in the future, this concern has led to fundamental research globally, relative to identifying economically and environmentally friendly means of reducing CO2 that is present in our atmosphere [2]. One possible solution, proffered by Geoengineers in the past [3], was to introduce large mirrors in space or to saturate the earth’s atmosphere with sulphur dioxide; both of which are capable of reflecting solar radiation. This of course was considered redundant as it could potentially plunge the Earth

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