| Title | Injection of C02 into an Unconfined Aquifer Located Beneath the Colorado Plateau, Central Utah |
|---|---|
| Authors | S .P. White, R. G. Allis, J. Moore, T. Chidsey, C. Morgan, W. Gwynn & M. Adams |
| Year | 2003 |
| Conference | New Zealand Geothermal Workshop |
| Keywords | |
| Abstract | Some geothermal fields, for example Ohaaki and Ngawha in New Zealand, contain significant amounts of C02. In a post Kyoto protocol world it may be financially advantageous to capture and dispose of the C02 in a permanent manner rather than releasing it to the atmosphere. C02 sequestration in geological formations is an active area of investigation at present and techniques developed in non-geothermal situations may be applicable in geothermal situations. While this paper is not concerned with disposal of C02 in a geothermal setting the methods are applicable in such a case. We have developed a regional scale, two-dimensional numerical model of a non-dome-shaped such structure on the Colorado Plateau that includes the major physical and chemical processes induced by injection of C02. Ignoring water-rock reactions, C02 returns to the surface after about 250 years and about 40% remains sequestered after 1000 years. However, coupling water-rock reactions to transport calculations shows significantly more C02 is sequestered, with dawsonite and calcite being the most important sequestration minerals. |