The Wabamun Area Sequestration Project (WASP): A multidisciplinary study of gigaton scale CO2 storage in a deep saline carbonate aquifer

AbstractThe Wabamun Area Sequestration Project (WASP) is a major integrated, multidisciplinary study investigating the potential for large-scale CO2 sequestration (>20 Mt/yr) in a deep saline aquifer in the Wabamun Lake area, southwest of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Four large coal-fired power plants in the region produce on the order of 30 Mt CO2/yr, with the goal being to inject 1 Gt of these emissions over 50 years. The WASP project establishes the viability of the Devonian Nisku Formation carbonate for large-scale injection. Storage capacity is thought to be between 0.2 and 0.3 Gt using conventional drilling and reservoir pressure management methods, while the injection potential may be increased to >0.4 Gt using more advanced strategies. Geostatistical manipulation of existing well log data, core-derived rock properties, and available seismic data allowed construction of static geologic models that were used for simulation of CO2 injection into the target formation. Important considerations include interactions of dissolved H2S in the aquifer brine with injected CO2; the geomechanics of the target formation and caprock seal; and the likely need for pressure management schemes to optimize injectivity without compromising seal integrity or large-scale aquifer behaviour. Future work should include more complete and up-to-date sampling of the caprock seal and entire injection formation interval; better aquifer brine samples for geochemical analysis; and in-situ test programs for assessing the geothermal effects on fracturing and the leakage rates through abandoned well bore cements and casings