AGM and Distinguished Lecture: CO2 Geological Storage from 8 Years of Dynamic Injection at the Aquis

CO2 Geological Storage from 8 Years of Dynamic
Injection at the Aquistore CO2 Storage Site

Rick Chalaturnyk
University of Alberta and GeoVer Inc.
Abstract:
Do not underestimate the complexity of CO2 injection behaviour for full scale projects
The Aquistore CO2 Storage Project is an integral component of SaskPower’s Boundary Dam
CO2 Capture Project located in southeastern Saskatchewan, Canada. Operational synergies
between the capture facility (supply) and CO2-EOR (demand) also require excess CO2 to be
transported via pipeline to the Aquistore site where it is injected into a hyper-saline fluid filled
sandstone formation at approximately 3300 m depth. The reservoir temperature is approximately
120 °C, and average reservoir pressure is 35 MPa. Preliminary laboratory measurements on
core plugs gave average values of porosity and permeability, 6% and 5 mD respectively. The
Aquistore site includes one injection well and one observation well approximately 150m offset
from the injection well. Both wells are completed with various measurement and monitoring
equipment, including distributed temperature sensing lines (DTS), distributed acoustic sensing
line (DAS) and tubing/casing-conveyed pressure gauges at different levels to measure pressure
and temperature changes downhole during to CO2 injection.
This presentation focuses on dynamic responses that have been recorded since the completion
of the CO2 injection well and the start of CO2 injection began on April 16, 2015 and discusses
issues ranging from well integrity to reservoir simulation to seismic monitoring. This
unprecedented opportunity to collect monitoring data on the dynamics of phase changes (i.e.
supercritical to liquid to gas phase shifts) from the wellhead to the geological formation
associated with CO2 injection. Real time monitoring data of these phase changes in the injection
stream under fully integrated operational conditions provides unparalleled information for
understanding geological storage under these conditions and optimizing completion systems
Biography:
Rick Chalaturnyk is a Professor of Geotechnical Engineering at the University of Alberta and
holds an NSERC/Energi Simulation Industrial Research Chair in Reservoir Geomechanics. His
Reservoir Geomechanics Research Group focusses primarily on subsurface processes related
to energy processes. He has established four unique GeoInnovation Environments, which
includes 3D printing of rocks, high temperature/pressure reservoir geomechanical testing
capability and a geotechnical beam centrifuge. Rick has over 20 years’ experience in CCUS
projects, is currently working with PTRC and SaskPower in the Aquistore Project, is pursuing
the integration of CO2 storage and geothermal opportunities and is involved with several other
international CCS initiatives.

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