Web-Based

CO2 Data

The database provides the tools to analyze the amount of carbon dioxide available from a source, the geological feasibility of using underground reservoirs, the long-term effects on the reservoir, and the cost of
compression and transportation from the CO2 source to the sequestration site.

CONTENTS

CO2 Data–page 1

From the Director–page 2

KGS Photos Online–page 2

New Publications–page 3

Ogallala Aquifer Institute–page 3

A Place To Visit–page 4

Carbon dioxide's possible role in global climate change has challenged scientists to find ways to keep this gas out of the atmosphere. Pumping carbon dioxide (CO2) in deep underground rock formations, a process called CO2 sequestration, may be one way to safely dispose of CO2 over long periods of time.

Five midwestern state geological surveys are combining efforts to develop a digital database of information about CO2. This cooperative project among Kansas, Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, and Indiana is called the Midcontinent Interactive Digital Carbon Atlas and Relational DataBase (MIDCARB). MIDCARB is funded by the Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory.

MIDCARB's main goal is to evaluate the potential for CO2 disposal in these five states. The database will identify large sources of CO2 and potential sequestration sites. Sources of CO2 emissions include power plants, steel mills, refineries, and other fossil-fuel-burning industries. Potential sequestration sites are producing and depleted oil and gas fields, uneconomic or unminable coal seams, and deep saline aquifers.

"Hydrocarbons continue to be the primary source of energy in the United States and the world," said Tim Carr, geologist at the Kansas Geological Survey and head of the project. "As long as we burn fossil fuels, carbon dioxide will be produced. Geologic reservoirs can provide safe and secure long-term sequestration sites."

The database provides the tools to analyze the amount of carbon dioxide available from a source, the geological feasibility of using underground reservoirs, the long-term effects on the reservoir, and the cost of compression and transportation from the CO2 source to the sequestration site. "When geological reservoirs are used to sequester carbon dioxide, we’re recycling carbon back to its original source in natural geologic formations," says Carr.

The consortium is currently working on web-based interactive maps that will be used to distribute information about the five-state region. When the project is completed, it will provide a publicly available online tool to evaluate the impact of CO2 sequestration and serve as a model for projects in other areas. Digital access to pertinent information will be critical in evaluating CO2 mitigation policies, directing research, and understanding the technical, economic, social, and environmental challenges of CO2 sequestration.

In addition to the potential environmental benefits of CO2 sequestration, pumping CO2 into reservoirs can also enhance the recovery of oil from these underground rocks. Carbon dioxide is pumped under high pressure into the reservoir through injection wells, creating a CO2 flood bank. The front of this flood bank mixes with the trapped oil, causing it to become more mobile. As more oil is encountered, an oil bank forms in front of the CO2 and is pushed toward producing wells where it is pumped to the surface.

Before an oil reservoir can become a candidate for CO2 flooding, however, it must be evaluated from a technical perspective and an available CO2 source identified. Researchers on the MIDCARB project are compiling a database of reservoir fluid and rock properties that can be used to evaluate the feasibility of CO2 flooding of oil reservoirs. Data can be queried directly from the database management systems, designed specifically to meet the criteria chosen by the user. Users can build their own maps, and because data are being added all the time, maps are based on the most current information.

For additional information about the MIDCARB project, visit the MIDCARB web site at http://www.midcarb.org.

Online February 10, 2003

Comments to: lbrosius@kgs.ku.edu

Kansas Geological Survey

URL:http://www.kgs.ku.edu/Publications/GeoRecord/2002/vol8.3/Page1.html