Integrating Carbon Capture and Storage with Energy Production from Saline Aquifers: A Strategy to Offset the Energy Cost of CCS

AbstractExtraction of brine containing methane and geothermal energy from saline aquifers has been considered as a method to offset the cost of carbon capture and storage. This study estimates the potential of power generation from methane and heat and compares it with the power required for capture and storage. Nine aquifer models were prepared from average conditions of several wells in the Gulf Coast at depths from 8,000 to 16,000 ft. Reservoir simulation study was performed to estimate the amounts of stored carbon dioxide and produced methane and heat. The study found that the power generation potential from below the depth of 11,000 ft offsets the power required for capture and storage processes