Mudstone Baffles and Barriers in Lower Cretaceous Strata at a Proposed CO2 Storage Hub in Kemper County, Mississippi, United States
The Cretaceous and Tertiary deposits in Mississippi, Alabama, and the adjacent continental shelf constitute a widespread succession of sandstone, mudstone, and carbonate that has proven to be an important target for geologic CO2 storage in the onshore Gulf of Mexico basin. Integrated analysis of str...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-06-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Energy Research |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenrg.2022.904850/full |
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| author | Conn Wethington Jack Pashin Jamar Wethington Richard Esposito David Riestenberg |
| author_facet | Conn Wethington Jack Pashin Jamar Wethington Richard Esposito David Riestenberg |
| author_sort | Conn Wethington |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Cretaceous and Tertiary deposits in Mississippi, Alabama, and the adjacent continental shelf constitute a widespread succession of sandstone, mudstone, and carbonate that has proven to be an important target for geologic CO2 storage in the onshore Gulf of Mexico basin. Integrated analysis of stratigraphy, sedimentology, and reservoir properties based on cores and geophysical well logs indicates that the Paluxy Formation and Washita- Fredericksburg interval present gigatonne-class storage opportunities. The distribution, geometry, and composition of the area is a direct reflection of the original depositional environments, and understanding these factors is essential for understanding the geologic storage potential of the Paluxy Formation and Washita-Fredericksburg interval at the Kemper County energy facility in Mississippi. Geologic characterization of the Mississippi Embayment at the energy facility focused primarily on characterizing the confinement potential of the storage complex. Integration of core analyses and geophysical well logs has yielded a high-resolution stratigraphic analysis of storage reservoirs, baffles, barriers, and seals. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and quantitative X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to characterize microfabric, pore types, and mineralogy within mudstone of the east-central Mississippi Embayment at the Kemper County energy facility. Mudstone beds in the Paluxy Formation and Washita-Fredericksburg interval have variable thickness and continuity. High water saturation in the Cretaceous mudstone units influences swelling smectite clay and mudrock permeability based on pulse decay analysis is 1–96 nD. These low permeability values indicate that the mudstone units are effective baffles, barriers, and confining intervals that make significant migration of injected CO2 out of the storage complex unlikely. The numerous baffles and barriers within the target reservoir intervals, moreover, favor the retention of multiple CO2 in plumes within the abundant stacked sandstone bodies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T19:22:58Z |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-598X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T19:22:58Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Frontiers in Energy Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-f826e571677048bb8231070ce870db2e2022-12-22T02:33:28ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Energy Research2296-598X2022-06-011010.3389/fenrg.2022.904850904850Mudstone Baffles and Barriers in Lower Cretaceous Strata at a Proposed CO2 Storage Hub in Kemper County, Mississippi, United StatesConn Wethington0Jack Pashin1Jamar Wethington2Richard Esposito3David Riestenberg4Boone Pickens School of Geology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, United StatesBoone Pickens School of Geology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, United StatesBoone Pickens School of Geology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, United StatesSouthern Company Services, Birmingham, AL, United StatesAdvanced Resources International, Arlington, VA, United StatesThe Cretaceous and Tertiary deposits in Mississippi, Alabama, and the adjacent continental shelf constitute a widespread succession of sandstone, mudstone, and carbonate that has proven to be an important target for geologic CO2 storage in the onshore Gulf of Mexico basin. Integrated analysis of stratigraphy, sedimentology, and reservoir properties based on cores and geophysical well logs indicates that the Paluxy Formation and Washita- Fredericksburg interval present gigatonne-class storage opportunities. The distribution, geometry, and composition of the area is a direct reflection of the original depositional environments, and understanding these factors is essential for understanding the geologic storage potential of the Paluxy Formation and Washita-Fredericksburg interval at the Kemper County energy facility in Mississippi. Geologic characterization of the Mississippi Embayment at the energy facility focused primarily on characterizing the confinement potential of the storage complex. Integration of core analyses and geophysical well logs has yielded a high-resolution stratigraphic analysis of storage reservoirs, baffles, barriers, and seals. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and quantitative X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to characterize microfabric, pore types, and mineralogy within mudstone of the east-central Mississippi Embayment at the Kemper County energy facility. Mudstone beds in the Paluxy Formation and Washita-Fredericksburg interval have variable thickness and continuity. High water saturation in the Cretaceous mudstone units influences swelling smectite clay and mudrock permeability based on pulse decay analysis is 1–96 nD. These low permeability values indicate that the mudstone units are effective baffles, barriers, and confining intervals that make significant migration of injected CO2 out of the storage complex unlikely. The numerous baffles and barriers within the target reservoir intervals, moreover, favor the retention of multiple CO2 in plumes within the abundant stacked sandstone bodies.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenrg.2022.904850/fullsequestrationCCSkemper countyplant ratcliffegulf coastpaluxy |
| spellingShingle | Conn Wethington Jack Pashin Jamar Wethington Richard Esposito David Riestenberg Mudstone Baffles and Barriers in Lower Cretaceous Strata at a Proposed CO2 Storage Hub in Kemper County, Mississippi, United States Frontiers in Energy Research sequestration CCS kemper county plant ratcliffe gulf coast paluxy |
| title | Mudstone Baffles and Barriers in Lower Cretaceous Strata at a Proposed CO2 Storage Hub in Kemper County, Mississippi, United States |
| title_full | Mudstone Baffles and Barriers in Lower Cretaceous Strata at a Proposed CO2 Storage Hub in Kemper County, Mississippi, United States |
| title_fullStr | Mudstone Baffles and Barriers in Lower Cretaceous Strata at a Proposed CO2 Storage Hub in Kemper County, Mississippi, United States |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mudstone Baffles and Barriers in Lower Cretaceous Strata at a Proposed CO2 Storage Hub in Kemper County, Mississippi, United States |
| title_short | Mudstone Baffles and Barriers in Lower Cretaceous Strata at a Proposed CO2 Storage Hub in Kemper County, Mississippi, United States |
| title_sort | mudstone baffles and barriers in lower cretaceous strata at a proposed co2 storage hub in kemper county mississippi united states |
| topic | sequestration CCS kemper county plant ratcliffe gulf coast paluxy |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenrg.2022.904850/full |
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