8.3.3 Characterisation of caprocks
Characterisation of caprocks involves knowledge of the extent, nature and sealing capacity of the caprock. It is perhaps the key purely geological element in assessing and establishing the long-term safety case for the CO2 repository. Determination of the extent of the caprock will rely on a regional spread of boreholes and on the grids of 2D and 3D seismic data. Sample material in the form of core and drill cuttings should be available in sufficient quantity to undertake a detailed suite of analytical tests, which include petrography, SEM, XRD. Due to absence of caprock core material, results from cuttings analysis (e.g. Table 6) are used to assess sealing capacity in a qualitative manner, by comparison with samples from proven oil/gasfield caprocks, or semi-quantitatively such as by the Krushin grain-size method (Krushin, 1997).
At Sleipner the caprock succession is some 700 metres thick and is stratigraphically complex, comprising three main units (Figure 20a). The uppermost unit of Quaternary silts and muds overlies a thick dominantly silty Pliocene succession of prograding clinoforms. The lowermost unit comprises dominantly silty mudstone and seems to be basin-restricted. The ability of the seismic and well data to resolve fine stratigraphical detail around the reservoir/caprock interface has proved essential to predicting potential migration patterns. It is likely that a thin sandy unit (termed the ‘sand-wedge’ by SACS) in the lowermost part of the caprock will provide an important migration conduit; a small dip divergence between this and the top Utsira Sand results in an azimuthal change of some 90o in predicted migration
direction (Figure 22). This has important consequences for migration modelling. At Sleipner, there is sufficient structural closure at the top of the Utsira Sand to trap 20 Mt (megatonne) of CO2 within 12 km of the injection site (Figure 22a).
However, if most of the CO2 migrates beneath the top of the sand-wedge the situation is less well constrained; only 5 Mt of CO2 are sufficient for the migration stream to leave the area of the 3D survey to the east (Figure 22b). This emphasises the need for very precise depth conversion when dealing with flat-lying repository aquifers.
Injection-induced pressure changes could lead to compromise of the caprock seal and possible geomechanical consequences should be assessed prior to injection commencing. At Sleipner, the required injection pressures are considered most unlikely to induce either dilation of incipient fractures (due to increased pore-pressures) or microseismicity (due either to raised pore pressures or a reduction in normal stress due to buoyancy forces exerted by the CO2 plume).
8.3.3 Characterisation of caprocks
Characterisation of caprocks involves knowledge of the extent, nature and sealing capacity of the caprock. It is perhaps the key purely geological element in assessing and establishing the long-term safety case for the CO2 repository. Determination of the extent of the caprock will rely on a regional spread of boreholes and on the grids of 2D and 3D seismic data. Sample material in the form of core and drill cuttings should be available in sufficient quantity to undertake a detailed suite of analytical tests, which include petrography, SEM, XRD. Due to absence of caprock core material, results from cuttings analysis (e.g. Table 6) are used to assess sealing capacity in a qualitative manner, by comparison with samples from proven oil/gasfield caprocks, or semi-quantitatively such as by the Krushin grain-size method (Krushin, 1997).
At Sleipner the caprock succession is some 700 metres thick and is stratigraphically complex, comprising three main units (Figure 20a). The uppermost unit of Quaternary silts and muds overlies a thick dominantly silty Pliocene succession of prograding clinoforms. The lowermost unit comprises dominantly silty mudstone and seems to be basin-restricted. The ability of the seismic and well data to resolve fine stratigraphical detail around the reservoir/caprock interface has proved essential to predicting potential migration patterns. It is likely that a thin sandy unit (termed the ‘sand-wedge’ by SACS) in the lowermost part of the caprock will provide an important migration conduit; a small dip divergence between this and the top Utsira Sand results in an azimuthal change of some 90o in predicted migration
direction (Figure 22). This has important consequences for migration modelling. At Sleipner, there is sufficient structural closure at the top of the Utsira Sand to trap 20 Mt (megatonne) of CO2 within 12 km of the injection site (Figure 22a).
However, if most of the CO2 migrates beneath the top of the sand-wedge the situation is less well constrained; only 5 Mt of CO2 are sufficient for the migration stream to leave the area of the 3D survey to the east (Figure 22b). This emphasises the need for very precise depth conversion when dealing with flat-lying repository aquifers.
Injection-induced pressure changes could lead to compromise of the caprock seal and possible geomechanical consequences should be assessed prior to injection commencing. At Sleipner, the required injection pressures are considered most unlikely to induce either dilation of incipient fractures (due to increased pore-pressures) or microseismicity (due either to raised pore pressures or a reduction in normal stress due to buoyancy forces exerted by the CO2 plume).
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