Using mercury injection pressure analyses to estimate sealing capacity of the Tuscaloosa marine shale in Mississippi, USA: Implications for carbon dioxide sequestration

International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control
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Abstract

This work used mercury injection capillary pressure (MICP) analyses of the Tuscaloosa Group in Mississippi, including the Tuscaloosa marine shale (TMS), to assess their efficacy and sealing capacity for geologic carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration. Tuscaloosa Group porosity and permeability from MICP were evaluated to calculate CO2 column height retention. TMS and Lower Tuscaloosa shale samples have, respectively, Swanson permeability values less than 0.003 md and 0.00245 md; porosity from 3.86% to 9.86% and 1.34% to 7.96%; median pore throat sizes from 0.00342 to 0.0111 μm and 0.00311 to 0.017 μm; and pore radii from 0.0130 to 0.152 μm and 0.0132 to 0.149 μm. Mercury entry pressures for the TMS and Lower Tuscaloosa range from 4.9 to 57.1 MPa and 5.0 to 56.3 MPa, respectively. Calculated CO2 column heights that the TMS sample set can retain in the reservoir range from 23 to 255 m when the TMS is near 100% water saturation. Potential top seal leakage is more likely to be influenced by the numerous well penetrations through the confining system of the TMS rather than capillary failure. Results of this study demonstrate desirable sealing capacity of the TMS for geologic CO2 sequestration in reservoir sandstones of the Lower Tuscaloosa and could provide an analogue to other potential COsequestration top seals.

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Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Using mercury injection pressure analyses to estimate sealing capacity of the Tuscaloosa marine shale in Mississippi, USA: Implications for carbon dioxide sequestration
Series title International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control
DOI 10.1016/j.ijggc.2018.09.006
Volume 78
Year Published 2018
Language English
Publisher Elsevier
Contributing office(s) Eastern Energy Resources Science Center
Description 13 p.
First page 375
Last page 387
Country United States
State Louisiana, Mississippi
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