Using Chemical Tracers to Fast-Track CCS Permitting and Meet to Class VI MRV Requirements

Abstract

As every potential CCS project operator discovers in the early evaluation of a disposal and storage project, the rigors of Class VI permitting and the ability to demonstrate to governance full compliance with MRV requirements can be unwieldy, and in some cases, seemly impossible. Potential operators quickly learn that compliance is extremely challenging and may be cost prohibitive to meet regulations under Class VI guidelines and rules.

This presentation will focus on blending widely used and well-accepted reservoir technologies that can be applied at a lower cost, in a timelier fashion with higher definition for meeting Class VI MRV compliance requirements. The advantage of using integrated technologies is a shortened cycle-time for monitoring, reporting and, consequently, early detection and fail-safe validation. An early response enhances the opportunity for viable emergency response pathways.

Assuring MRV compliance is an essential process and ensures that Q45 Carbon Credits are being granted and applied appropriately. Class VI requirements dictate that a CCS operator monitor, report, and validate a project’s progress with periodic updates on the success and, perhaps even more importantly, failures. As such, timely project tracking is mission critical. Critically, early detection of a CO2 leak or earlier than expected migration of the sequestered CO2 plume is essential to managing a project and avoiding a potential catastrophic event. Early detection and responsive mitigation may head off a total project failure and ultimate termination at any time in the life of a sequestration project.

Unified technologies for meeting MRV requirements and ensuring the success of any CCS project to be presented include:

•Subsurface: 4D seismic and tensor arrays for processing, simulation and storage modeling; fiber deployed DTS/DAS, advanced logging (triple-combo and pulse neutron logs), and chemical tracers for quantitative plume arrival data collected at monitoring wells,

•Near-surface: soil samples using sorbent materials, domestic water wells, aquifers, high-resolution tensors, etc. and looking for evidence of chemical tracers in samples for leak confirmation, and

•Surface: air monitoring sentry systems with carbon dioxide sensors that are currently used for meeting methane emissions compliance requirements in most US jurisdictions, LIDAR, continuous injection of chemical tracers for atmospheric testing sentries

Bio

KC Oren has over 40 years of experience in the oil and gas industry with Bachelor's degrees in Chemistry (’77) and
Mathematics (’79) from Michigan State University, and MBA studies from Mays Business School at Texas A&M (College
Station).

KC’s career has spanned drilling, geological, petrophysical and geophysical domains by providing services and applications to the oil and gas industry. Oren has worked for Halliburton (3X), Schlumberger (Smith Bits), Baker (Teleco), GeoGraphix, Horizontal Solutions International and, today, GeoStar Energy Partners.

Recently, KC has blended his early career and D&C background with the geosciences by providing interdisciplinary support to the industry. His industry-sponsored tours have featured his storytelling of the virtues of “Drilling the Perfect Horizontal Well” while assisting operating companies that are looking for new and edgy, emerging technologies for use in their own E&P projects.

KC’s most recent foray is in helping the oil and gas industry leverage existing technologies and expertise now for Carbon
Capture and Sequestration, primarily for Class VI permitting, CCS monitoring (MRV) standards and meeting the rigors of
environmental compliance for qualifying 45Q carbon tax credit projects. This will be the focus for his presentation.