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(Spitsbergen, Arctic Norway) Middle Jurassic Kapp Toscana Group − Triassic Storage: a Case Study of the Upper 2 for Potential

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(Spitsbergen, Arctic Norway) Middle Jurassic Kapp Toscana Group − Triassic Storage: a Case Study of the Upper 2 for Potential Geological Society, London, Special Publications published online September 10, 2012 as doi: 10.1144/SP374.9 Geological Society, London, Special Publications Online First The importance of natural fractures in a tight reservoir for potential CO 2 storage: a case study of the upper Triassic −middle Jurassic Kapp Toscana Group (Spitsbergen, Arctic Norway) K. Ogata, K. Senger, A. Braathen, J. Tveranger and S. Olaussen Geological Society, London, Special Publications v.374, first published September 10, 2012; doi 10.1144/SP374.9 Email alerting click here to receive free e-mail alerts when service new articles cite this article Permission click here to seek permission to re-use all or request part of this article Subscribe click here to subscribe to Geological Society, London, Special Publications or the Lyell Collection How to cite click here for further information about Online First and how to cite articles Notes © The Geological Society of London 2012 Geological Society, London, Special Publications published online September 10, 2012 as doi: 10.1144/SP374.9 The importance of natural fractures in a tight reservoir for potential CO2 storage: a case study of the upper Triassic–middle Jurassic Kapp Toscana Group (Spitsbergen, Arctic Norway) K. OGATA1*, K. SENGER1,2,3, A. BRAATHEN1, J. TVERANGER2 & S. OLAUSSEN1 1University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), PO Box 56, 9171 Longyearbyen, Norway 2Centre for Integrated Petroleum Research (CIPR), Uni Research, Alle´gaten 41, 5020 Bergen, Norway 3Department of Earth Science, University of Bergen, Alle´gaten 41, 5020 Bergen, Norway *Corresponding author (e-mail: [email protected]) Abstract: In the Longyearbyen CO2 laboratory project, it is planned to inject carbon dioxide into a Triassic–Jurassic fractured sandstone–shale succession (Kapp Toscana Group) at a depth of 700– 1000 m below the local settlement. The targeted storage sandstones offer moderate secondary por- osity and low permeability (unconventional reservoir), whereas water injection tests evidence good lateral fluid flow facilitated by extensive fracturing. Therefore, a detailed investigation of fracture sets/discontinuities and their characteristics have been undertaken, concentrating on the upper reservoir interval (670–706 m). Datasets include drill cores and well logs, and observations of out- crops, that mainly show fracturing but also some disaggregation deformation bands in the sand- stones. The fracture distribution has a lithostratigraphical relationship, and can be subdivided into: (A) massive to laminated shaly intervals, offering abundant lower-angle shear fractures; (B) massive to thin-bedded, heterogeneous, mixed silty–shaly intervals, with a predominance of non-systematic, pervasive bed-confined fractures; and (C) massive to laminated, medium- to thick-bedded, fine- to coarse-grained sandstones with a lower frequency of mostly steep fractures. These domains represent pseudo-geomechanical units characterized by specific fracture sets and fracture intensity, with indicated relationships between the bed thickness and fracture intensity, and with domains separated along bedding interfaces. We discuss the impact of these lithostruc- tural domains on the fluid flow pathways in the heterolithic storage unit. In the Longyearbyen CO2 laboratory project (LYB demonstrating the complete carbon value chain CO2 lab) the possible depth interval for an injection (Braathen et al. 2010). of carbon dioxide is a siliciclastic unit located at a In order to investigate the suitability of the depth of 700–1000 m in the subsurface beneath planned sequestration site, the Longyearbyen CO2 the High Arctic community of Longyearbyen, Sval- lab has drilled and cored four wells during the bard (Fig. 1). The project, initiated in 2007 by the period of 2007–2010 (the drill site locations are University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), involves shown in Fig. 2), two of which penetrated the reser- partners from both academia and industry (Braathen voir (Dh2 and Dh4: Fig. 3). The target reservoir has et al. 2010; Baelum et al. 2012). The principal aim no mapped closure and it crops out approximately is to utilize the proximity of suitable reservoir rocks 15 km NE of the planned injection site. However, to store CO2 from the local coal-fuelled power borehole analyses on the Dh4 well recorded more plant. Research focuses on understanding the behav- than 50 bar underpressure at 870 m (Braathen et al. iour of CO2 in the subsurface while at the same time 2010) showing the presence of an efficient trap, contributing to the reduction of local emissions of probably either a stratigraphical or a combined CO2. The coal-powered co-generation 10 MW heat stratigraphical–structural trap, and supporting the and power plant, located only 5 km from the plan- sealing efficiency of the cap rock. Although there is ned injection site, emits approximately 64 000 no clear evidence of large faults or major structural tonnes of CO2 annually, from the combustion of features in the area close to the planned injection about 26 000 tonnes of locally mined coal. The pro- site, the reservoir interval is vertically sandwiched ximity of the energy source (i.e. coal mines), power between two main de´collement zones. These zones plant and injection site, in combination with the relate to the Palaeogene contractional event respon- fact that Longyearbyen is a nearly closed energy sible for the development of the transpressional fold- system, makes it a highly suitable candidate for and-thrust belt that characterizes the western part of From:Spence, G. H., Redfern, J., Aguilera, R., Bevan, T. G., Cosgrove, J. W., Couples,G.D.&Daniel, J.-M. (eds) 2012. Advances in the Study of Fractured Reservoirs. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 374, http://dx.doi.org/10.1144/SP374.9 # The Geological Society of London 2012. Publishing disclaimer: www.geolsoc.org.uk/pub_ethics Geological Society, London, Special Publications published online September 10, 2012 as doi: 10.1144/SP374.9 K. OGATA ET AL. BFZ North Pole CANADA Sevemaya Zemlya RUSSIA LFZ Arctic Ocean B Franz Josef Land RUSSIA Greenland DENMARK A Greenland Novaya Sea Zemlya RUSSIA Svalbard ISFJORDEN LYB CO 2 NORWAY Lab BFZ LFZ Barents Sea Arctic Circle NORWAY RUSSIA ICELAND SWEDEN a BELLSUND b N 50 km Hornsund Fault Zone HORNSUND LFZ Western hinterland BFZ Basement-involved SØRKAPP N fold-thrust complex Thin-skinned fold-thrust belt 150 km Eastern foreland province c Basement-involved Western hinterland fold-thrust complex Central Zone Eastern foreland province Hornsund Fault Zone West BFZ East LYB CO 2 LFZ Lab Cp Cp Tr Ca A Cp JC JC JC B Tr T 0 Cp 0 Cp Ca Cp Ca Ca D D D 50 km d Fig. 1. Location and tectonic setting of the Svalbard archipelago and position of the Longyearbyen CO2 lab site (LYB CO2 Lab). The planned injection target, the Kapp Toscana Group, is sandwiched between the upper and middle de´collement zones associated with the West Spitsbergen fold-thrust belt, a direct result of the Palaeogene transpressional tectonics. (a) The location of the Svalbard archipelago in the context of the North Atlantic. The archipelago lies within the High Arctic, approximately half way between northern Norway and the North Pole. (b) Main structural lineaments on Svalbard, aligned predominantly NNW–SSE. (c) Tectonic overview map of Spitsbergen, illustrating the West Spitsbergen fold-and-thrust belt (modified from Bergh et al. 1997). (d) Schematic cross-section across Spitsbergen, emphasizing the LYB CO2 lab targeted reservoir/storage unit. The cross-section’s location is marked in (c). Figure modified after Bergh et al. (1997). BFZ, Billefjorden Fault Zone; LFZ, Lomfjorden Fault Zone; D, Devonian; Ca, Carboniferous; Cp, Permian; Tr, Triassic; JC, Jurassic–Cretaceous. Geological Society, London, Special Publications published online September 10, 2012 as doi: 10.1144/SP374.9 NATURAL FRACTURES AND CO2 STORAGE Svalbard (see Fig. 1c, d) (Bergh et al. 1997; Braathen drifting northwards during the deposition of the et al. 1999). Based on vitrinite data (Throndsen Mesozoic succession. The opening of the North 1982), the reservoir is thought to have experienced Atlantic led to dextral movement along the De maximum burial of approximately 4.5 km in depth Geer Zone (i.e. the Hornsund Fault Zone) between during the Eocene, prior to an estimated uplift of Svalbard and East Greenland during the Palaeogene about 3.5 km in the Oligocene–latest Neogene. (Eldholm et al. 1987; Braathen et al. 1995; Leever However, a number of workers using additional et al. 2011). This caused oblique compression and methods consider this to be an overestimation (see the development of the West Spitsbergen fold-and- the work of Blythe & Kleinspehn 1998 for an exten- thrust belt (WSFB), and the consequent Terti- sive review). Rapid unroofing during Quaternary ary CSB, a foreland to wedge-top basin comprising times is attributed to the widespread glaciations in an infill of mixed continental and marine clastics the area (Ingo´lfsson 2011). The deep burial led to (Steel et al. 1985; Braathen et al. 1997; Helland- mechanical compaction with dense grain packing as Hansen 2010). The development of the WSFB dur- well as extensive quartz cementation (Braathen et al. ing the Palaeocene–Eocene generated a series of 2010). Matrix permeability in Dh4, as measured eastwards-extending thrust sheets soled by de´col- from drill core plugs, is typically less than 2 mD lement zones along evaporite and shale intervals (where1 mD ¼ 10215 m2),withporosityvaluesvary- (Bergh et al. 1997). This folding and thrusting can ing from 8 to 18% (Farokhpoor et al. 2010, 2011). be linked to a significant fracturing. However, Late Despite these low measured permeabilities, three Cretaceous magmatic dyke–sill intrusion (Mina- water injection tests confirmed the good injection kov et al. 2012) and Quaternary unroofing and potential of the target reservoir. A 5 day injection decompaction probably also added fractures to the test conducted in August 2010 suggested an aver- succession. age flow capacity of 45 mD . m in the lowermost part of the reservoir (870–970 m: Braathen et al.
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