GENERAL TECHNICAL SUPPORT DOCUMENT FOR INJECTION AND GEOLOGIC SEQUESTRATION OF CARBON DIOXIDE: SUBPARTS RR AND UU GREENHOUSE GAS REPORTING PROGRAM Office of Air and Radiation U.S. Environmental Protection Agency November 2010 Disclaimer The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations cited in this technical support document (TSD) contain legally-binding requirements. In several chapters this TSD offers illustrative examples for complying with the minimum requirements indicated by the regulations. This is done to provide information that may be helpful for reporters’ implementation efforts. Such recommendations are prefaced by the words “may” or “should” and are to be considered advisory. They are not required elements of the regulations cited in this TSD. Therefore, this document does not substitute for the regulations cited in this TSD, nor is it a regulation itself, so it does not impose legally- binding requirements on EPA or the regulated community. It may not apply to a particular situation based upon the circumstances. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. While EPA has made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the discussion in this document, the obligations of the regulated community are determined by statutes, regulations or other legally binding requirements. In the event of a conflict between the discussion in this document and any statute or regulation, this document would not be controlling. Note that this document only addresses issues covered by 49 CFR part 98, subpart RR and subpart UU, which are being promulgated under EPA’s authorities under the Clean Air Act (CAA). Other statutory and regulatory requirements, such as compliance with Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) and Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program requirements1, are not within the scope of this TSD. Please see section I.D. of the preamble to the final rule for more information on the relationship between subpart UU, subpart RR and the UIC Program. 1 Please refer to EPA’s UIC Web site for more information: http://water.epa.gov/type/groundwater/uic/wells_sequestration.cfm. 2 Table of Contents Disclaimer ...........................................................................................................................2 Table of Contents ...............................................................................................................3 Acronyms and Abbreviations ...........................................................................................6 1. Source Description.....................................................................................................8 1.1 Overview of Source Categories............................................................................ 8 1.1.1 Geologic Sequestration ................................................................................. 8 1.1.2 Enhanced Oil and Gas Recovery .................................................................. 8 1.1.3 Other Industries That Use CO2 ..................................................................... 9 1.2 Delineation of Facility........................................................................................ 10 2. Reporting Threshold Analysis ................................................................................16 3. Monitoring Methods for CO2 Received and CO2 Injected...................................23 3.1 Determining the Amount of CO2 Received Using Data from Sales, Contracts, Invoices, or Manifests Associated with Commercial Transactions.............................. 23 3.2 Determining the Amount of CO2 Received, Injected, or Produced Using Mass Flow Meters or Volumetric Flow Meters ..................................................................... 24 4. Overview of Monitoring Technologies for CO2 Leakage Detection and Quantification...................................................................................................................30 4.1 Monitoring of the Injection Well ....................................................................... 31 4.2 Monitoring of Subsurface CO2 Plume ............................................................... 32 4.3 Vadose Zone Testing.......................................................................................... 36 4.4 Soil Zone and Vegetation Testing...................................................................... 36 4.5 Atmospheric Monitoring.................................................................................... 39 4.6 Leakage Detection and Quantification in the Offshore Environment................ 44 4.7 Detection Range, Accuracy and Precision of Various Monitoring Technologies . ............................................................................................................................ 46 5. Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification Plans ....................................................49 5.1 Delineation of the MMA and AMA................................................................... 50 5.1.1 Maximum Monitoring Area (MMA) .......................................................... 52 5.1.2 Active Monitoring Area (AMA)................................................................. 53 5.2 Assessment of the Risk of Potential Leakage of CO2 to the Surface................. 54 5.2.1 Assessment of the Risk of Potential Leakage of CO2 through Wells......... 55 5.2.2 Assessment of the Risk of Potential Leakage of CO2 through Fractures, Faults, and Bedding Plane Partings .......................................................................... 58 5.2.3 Assessment of the Risk of Potential Leakage of CO2 based on the Competency, Extent, and Dip of the Confining Zone .............................................. 59 5.3 Strategy for Detecting and Quantifying any CO2 Leakage to the Surface......... 60 5.3.1 Detecting Leakage ...................................................................................... 60 5.3.2 Verifying Leakage ...................................................................................... 63 5.3.3 Quantifying Leakage................................................................................... 64 5.4 Strategy for Establishing the Expected Baselines.............................................. 67 5.4.1 Approaches for Establishing an Expected Baseline.................................... 68 5.4.2 Considerations in Establishing Expected Baselines ................................... 70 5.5 Site-Specific Variables for the Mass Balance Equation..................................... 73 5.6 Quality Assurance and Quality Control ............................................................. 76 3 5.7 Missing Data ...................................................................................................... 77 6. MRV Plan Approval Process Overview.................................................................78 6.1 Suggested Outline for the MRV Plan................................................................. 78 6.2 Notification of Receipt of MRV Plan ................................................................ 78 6.3 Completeness Check .......................................................................................... 78 6.4 Technical Review............................................................................................... 79 6.5 Issuance of EPA Decision.................................................................................. 80 6.6 Appeals Period ................................................................................................... 80 6.7 Resubmittal of MRV Plans ................................................................................ 80 7. Annual Monitoring Report and Records Retention .............................................81 7.1 Narrative History of Annual Monitoring Efforts ............................................... 81 7.2 Report of Non-Material Changes to the MRV Plan........................................... 81 7.3 Narrative History of Monitoring Anomalies...................................................... 82 7.4 Description of Surface Leakage ......................................................................... 82 7.5 Records Retention Requirements for MRV Plans.............................................. 83 Appendix A: Glossary .......................................................................................................84 Appendix B: U.S. Oilfields Using CO2 Injection for Enhanced Oil Recovery.................87 Appendix C: Summary of Other End Uses of Captured or Produced CO2 .......................90 Appendix D: Suggested Outlines for MRV Plans, MRV Plan Resubmittals, and Annual Monitoring Reports…........................................................................................................93 Appendix E: Sampling Considerations for Designing a Monitoring Strategy..................96 4 List of Figures Figure 1-1: Facility Example 1 ......................................................................................... 11 Figure 1-2: Facility Example 2 ......................................................................................... 12 Figure 1-3: Facility Example 3 ......................................................................................... 13 Figure 1-4: Facility Example 4 ......................................................................................... 14 Figure 1-5: Facility Example 5 ........................................................................................