Potential for CO2 plume geothermal and CO2 storage in an onshore Red Sea Rift basin, Al-Wajj, Saudi Arabia: 3D reservoir modeling and simulations摘要
Using supercritical
CO
2
instead of water for geothermal energy extraction offers advantages while enabling
CO
2
sequestration. The integration of
CO
2
capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) in geothermal reservoirs aligns with circular carbon economy models and supports the goals of sustainable energy development. The geothermal potential of deep saline aquifers, like in the young and high-heat-flux Red Sea rift basins of western Saudi Arabia, holds promise for geothermal heat extraction and
CO
2
storage. However, quantitatively assessing the geothermal and carbon storage potential requires a comprehensive characterization of physical parameters specific to the target aquifer units.
This study presents a detailed 3D reservoir modeling of a sedimentary basin example (Al-Wajj basin) in Western Saudi Arabia developed using advanced geostatistical techniques and a state-of-the-art
CO
2
fluid flow simulator. We constrain physical parameters and provide estimates of the target aquifers’ recoverable geothermal energy and
CO
2
storage capacity. We develop a 3D trend model that arranges the spatial changes in the high permeable sandstone volume distribution and we obtain the weighted average of sandstone percentage in the model area. We build the geostatistical model using multiple-point statistics simulations with a training image that represents spatial dependence of facies changes of submarine channels in a syn-rift clastic system along the target basin with respect to slope distance. For a 10% heat recovery threshold, our simulation results indicate above 41% permeable sandstone volume is necessary.
Our reservoir simulation results further indicate the potential to produce 790 TWh of geothermal energy in a 40-year injection–production scenario and to store 76.5 Giga-tonnes of
CO
2
in the Burqan and Umluj units of the Al-Wajj basin. Our simulation includes a modified fluid model of
CO
2
solubility in brine, that is capable of explicitly representing the heat exchange and flow characteristics of both dissolved
CO
2
and supercritical
CO
2
within the reservoir, unveiling a close connection between the heat recovery process and the movement of the cold, dissolved
CO
2
within the formation brine. Our study thus contributes to understanding geostatistical reservoir modeling, for geothermal reservoirs, particularly for syn-rift submarine clastic systems. It also provides valuable insights into the heat recovery mechanisms in
CO
2
plume geothermal (CPG) systems. Overall, this study offers a stepping stone toward the sustainable harnessing of geothermal energy recovery and
CO
2
storage to reduce carbon emissions in the energy sector.
|
@ 2023 版权所有 中国地质图书馆 (中国地质调查局地学文献中心)
京ICP备 05064591号 京公网安备11010802017129号
建议浏览器: 火狐、谷歌、微软 Edge、不支持 IE