Oladipupo Babarinde

This report presents the static and dynamic reservoir modeling conducted for the CarbonSAFE Phase III Illinois Storage Corridor project to assess the feasibility of commercial-scale CO2 storage in the Mt. Simon Sandstone at the One Earth Energy (OEE) site in McLean County, Illinois. Three-dimensional geocellular models of the Mt. Simon storage complex were developed in Petrel® by integrating petrophysical log data, core analyses, and seismic surveys from the OEE #1 stratigraphic test well and two nearby wells, with multiple model versions created as new data became available. Dynamic reservoir simulations, performed using Landmark's Nexus software, progressed through three phases (preliminary, sensitivity, and UIC Class VI permit studies) evaluating injection scenarios across varying rates, well orientations, permeability models, and multi-well configurations. Results demonstrate that commercial-scale storage is feasible: three injection wells spaced approximately one mile apart can store a total of 90 million tonnes of CO2 over 20 years, producing a combined plume with an equivalent radius of 3.2 miles and a maximum pressure-front-defined Area of Review of 178 mi² at the end of injection that diminishes to 34 mi² after 50 years of post-injection monitoring. Sensitivity analyses indicate that a 20% change in porosity or permeability yields approximately a 7% change in AoR radius, and that perforating the high-permeability arkosic zone minimizes the pressure front compared to injection in the upper Mt. Simon Sandstone.

A compressed air energy storage (CAES) facility provides value by supporting the reliability of the energy grid through its ability to repeatedly store and dispatch energy on demand. Two main advantages of CAES are its ability to provide grid-scale energy storage and its utilization of compressed air, which yields a low environmental burden, being neither toxic nor flammable. The focus of this review paper is to deliver a general overview of current CAES technology (diabatic, adiabatic and isothermal CAES), storage requirements, site selection and design constraints. We discuss underground storage options suitable for CAES, including submerged bladders, underground mines, salt caverns, porous aquifers, depleted reservoirs, cased wellbores and surface pressure vessels. A geomechanical perspective is provided regarding the pressure limits for these options. The impacts of cyclic injection and withdrawal of compressed air, and the importance of caprock assessments with porous rock CAES, are also discussed. In addition, we provide an overview of the large-scale CAES facilities that are currently active or under development and a cost comparison of the diabatic, adiabatic and isothermal CAES options. Lastly, we outline major challenges and future opportunities for CAES and the top priorities for research, industry and stakeholders.

Storage of energy-related products in the geological subsurface provides reserve capacity, resilience, and security to the energy supply chain. Sequestration of energy-related products ensures long-term isolation from the environment and, for CO ₂ , a reduction in atmospheric emissions. Both porous-rock media and engineered caverns can provide the large storage volumes needed for energy security and supply-chain resilience today and in the future. Methods for site characterization and modelling, monitoring, and inventory verification have been developed and deployed to identify and mitigate geological threats and hazards such as induced seismicity and loss of containment. Broader considerations such as life-cycle analysis, environment, social and governance (ESG) impact and effective engagement with stakeholders can reduce project uncertainty and cost while promoting sustainability during the ongoing energy transition toward net-zero or low-carbon economies.

Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) is widely recognized as an important component of technological approaches to directly address carbon dioxide (CO ₂ ) emissions. The geological sequestration aspect of CCS requires careful site selection and assessment of processes when planning a CCS project, including coupled fluid flow–thermal–geochemical–geomechanical phenomena. In this paper, we present a high-level overview of carbon capture utilization and sequestration (CCUS): the geological sequestration aspect, global projects/facilities, regulatory framework and financial incentives for CCUS. We review the current research areas in geomechanics (including pore pressure–stress coupling, fault reactivation and caprock integrity) associated with geological CO ₂ sequestration and discuss the role of rock physics in monitoring, verification and accounting activities. Finally, we suggest research needs that are critical to facilitating the deployment of CCS and improving geomechanical assessments of CO ₂ sequestration sites.

To understand fluid induced seismicity, we have designed a large-scale laboratory experiment consisting of a one-cubic-meter sandstone with an artificial fault cut and fluid-injection boreholes. The sandstone block is assembled in a true triaxial loading frame and equipped with 38 piezoelectric sensors to locate and characterise acoustic emission events. The differential stress on the artificial fault is increased in stages to bring it towards a critically stressed state. After each stage of differential stress increase, fluids are injected at low pressures through boreholes to test the potential of fault re-activation. In addition, a high-pressure injection was conducted that created a hydraulic fracture from the injection borehole towards the artificial fault. The newly generated fluid pathway resulted in an activation of the complete block through a stick–slip movement. We compare acoustic emission measurements from the laboratory experiment with seismicity observations from the field-scale CO₂ injection at Decatur, Illinois, U.S., and conclude that the existence of fluid pathways plays a decisive role for the potential of induced seismicity.

The Wabash CarbonSAFE project drilled the Wabash #1 stratigraphic test well (ID# 168045) at the Wabash Valley Resources (WVR) IGCC facility in Vigo County, Indiana, to characterize and evaluate the basal Cambrian Mt. Simon Sandstone for commercial-scale CO2 storage near the site. This report presents an extensive geologic characterization of the Mt. Simon storage complex and relevant data collected from the Wabash #1 well, such as lithologic data collected from cuttings and core, geophysical logging, geomechanical analysis of core samples, and well testing and fluid sampling within the Mt. Simon Sandstone. The Mt. Simon storage complex comprises two major sections: the Mt. Simon Sandstone as the potential reservoir and the overlying Eau Claire Formation as its primary seal. Within the report, an extensive depositional, sedimentological, and geochronologic characterization of the Mt. Simon is included with supportive chapters on the regional geology and the geophysical, petrophysical, and petrologic data collected during the project. An overview of 2D seismic reflection data collected from and around the test well is presented. Also presented are chapters on the characterization of the sealing Eau Claire Formation, including a chapter on the capacity of the primary and secondary seals to the Mt. Simon as well asmore » a chapter on geomechanical testing results of the Eau Claire Formation and Mt. Simon Sandstone. Some of the information discussed in this report was used in the development of static and dynamic geologic models of the Mt. Simon Sandstone storage complex. The static and dynamic modeling of CO2 injection in the Mt. Simon Sandstone are discussed in a separate report (Dessenberger et al., 2022) under the Wabash CarbonSAFE project. « less