Assessment and uncertainty quantification of onshore geological CO2 storage capacity in China. (December 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ranaee, Ehsan; Khattar, Rafi; Inzoli, Fabio; Blunt, Martin J.; Guadagnini, Alberto
• Is Part Of: International journal of greenhouse gas control. Volume 121(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-12
• Subjects: Geological carbon storage -- Storage capacity -- Climate change -- Uncertainty quantification -- Global sensitivity analysis; Greenhouse gases -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Air -- Purification -- Technological innovations -- Periodicals; Gaz à effet de serre -- Périodiques; Gaz à effet de serre -- Réduction -- Périodiques; Air -- Purification -- Technological innovations; Greenhouse gases -- Environmental aspects; Periodicals; 363.73874605
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijggc.2022.103804
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1750-5836

Abstract

Highlights: We estimate total storage capacity in major onshore sedimentary basins in China. We constrain storage capacity using a semi-analytical model of pressure build-up. We develop a framework for probabilistic modeling of geological carbon storage. Global Sensitivity Analysis determines rock attributes as key uncertainty sources. CCS in China potentially plays a key role to mitigate global warming by 2060. Abstract: We provide a probabilistic assessment of CO2 storage capacity in major sedimentary basins in China. Our approach embeds constraints associated with the increase of reservoir pore pressure due to injection of CO2 in the presence of resident brine. Pressure build-up must be limited to avoid fault reactivation, caprock failure, and possible leakage, resulting in more conservative estimates of CO2 storage capacity as compared to volumetric estimates. We rely on a numerical Monte Carlo framework considering uncertainty in the values of reservoir size and major geological formation attributes (i.e., absolute permeability, porosity, and reservoir compressibility). Our work shows that 10 major basins can potentially store, on average, 1350 Gt of CO2 during the next 30 years (lower and upper quartiles being 1100 and 1700 Gt of CO2, respectively). This far exceeds the likely amount (up to 175 Gt of CO2 ) required to be stored by 2050. Our analysis also suggests that 6 basins (located close to the largest emission areas) can store about 93 Gt (on average) of CO2 during the next 30 years. Underground carbon storage in China, coupled with other possible solutions, could meet the aims of the Announced Pledges Scenario (International Energy Agency) to mitigate global warming by 2060. We also perform a global sensitivity analysis to determine how our predictions of storage capacity may be affected by uncertainties in the simulation model input parameters. Moment-based global sensitivity metrics suggest that geological formation attributes are major sources of uncertainty, significantly affecting model outputs and the associated uncertainty.