Research · Earth Sciences

Deep Terrestrial Carbon Sequestration

Objectives

  • Develop procedures to monitor and verify the longterm storage of sequestered carbon dioxide in deep subsurface formations as part of the DOE Frio test.
  • Demonstrate conservative perfluorocarbon tracers (PFTs) for tracing and monitoring the injected CO2 plume as the plume migrates from the injection well towards the monitoring well.
  • Develop and describe the methods used to inject, collect, and analyze perfluorocarbon tracers (PFTs) during the Frio Pilot CO2 injection and to report the results.

PFT Used in Monitoring Carbon Sequestration in the Subsurface

  • The tracers enabled quantification of CO2 plume breakthrough.
  • The tracers add value to model validity testing
  • PFTs make good tracers because they
    • are non-depositing
    • non-scavenge
    • are non-reactive
    • have a low atmospheric background
    • have limited industrial use
    • have a sensitive detection limit
  • Four PFTs used
    • Perfluoro-methylcyclopentane (PMCP)
    • Perfluoro-methylcyclohexane (PMCH
      • )
    • Perfluoro-dimethylcyclohexane (PDCH)
    • Perfluoro-trimethylcyclohexane (PTCH)

 Structure of perfluoro-trimethylcyclohexane (PTCH), a perfluorocarbon tracer (PFT) injected with the carbon dioxide that was used to trace the plume movement in the subsurface
(Click to enlarge)

Nighttime picture of the field injection site showing the ORNL tent near the injection well and next to one of the large carbon dioxide tanks. A brief carbon dioxide fog sometimes drifted across the site after the pressurized lines used to fill the carbon dioxide storage tanks were disconnected.
(Click to enlarge)

Summary: The use of multiple PFT suites provided:

  • Consistent Breakthrough data
  • Identification of multiple breakthroughs
  • Breakthrough data for simple radial flow model and added value to flow path analyses
  • The methods worked well for collecting ~200 samples and is readily scalable upward (1000+)

David Riestenberg, an ORISE post-MS researcher collects subsamples from the high pressure manifold system of the monitoring well using high pressure cylinders and tubing.
(Click to enlarge)

Related Links

For more information, contact:
Tommy Phelps (phelpstj@ornl.gov, 865-574-7290)
Tony Palumbo (palumboav@ornl.gov, 865-576-8002)

Revised: 8/11/05

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