Carbon Dioxide Storage Potential of the Broom Creek Formation in North Dakota

Abstract

Future fossil-fuel-based energy production facilities may include carbon management strategies as part of their overall operational plans. Geologic formations, such as saline systems, oil fields, and coal seams, appear to have significant capacity to store carbon dioxide (CO 2), provided that they have adequate porosity, permeability, temperature and pressure conditions, and competent seals. As part of the conceptual design phase of a proposed near-zero emission coal-fired power plant in southwestern North Dakota, the Broom Creek Formation was identified as a potential sink for large-scale CO 2sequestration. The Pennsylvanian–Permian Broom Creek Formation is a laterally extensive sandstone at the top of the Minnelusa saline aquifer system, which is capped by the Opeche Formation, an anhydritic shale. A wide variety of previously generated data, including well logs, core analysis, water analysis, and other published data, were used to conduct a detailed characterization of an area of the Broom Creek Formation in the immediate vicinity of the proposed power plant location. These data were used to estimate injection rates and predict plume size and migration tendencies. The results of the exercise suggest that a minimum of 50 mmt of CO 2could be stored in an area no larger than 15 mi 2(2.5 km 2) over an injection period of 30 yr. This case study describes an approach that can be applied to conduct reconnaissance-level, site-specific characterizations of geologic formations for the purpose of large-scale CO 2sequestration.