Most of the parametric fluid flow simulation studies are conducted using simplified horizontally layered basins or two dimensional models. These simple structures usually do not represent the structure of preferred structural and stratigraphic trap systems for geologic CO2 sequestration. This paper presents a thorough parametric modeling study of generic anticline structures and investigates the influence of layer thickness, wavelength and amplitudes at different depths and under different boundary conditions on the maximum CO2 storage amount. We present a new approach for generating more realistic three dimensional generic models using finite element analysis preprocessors and converting them into finite difference grids for fluid flow simulations under different geometrical and physical conditions. The results of this study show that CO2 sequestration simulations should not be conducted under simplified conditions and that the combination of geometrical parameters and fluid flow boundary conditions have a significant influence on the amount of CO2 that can be injected in anticline trap systems.
Annual CO2 emissions in the United States of approximately 2 billion metric tons from coal-fired power plants represent a major contributor to global warming [1]. Geologic CO2 sequestration in deep saline aquifers, depleted oil and gas fields and unmineable coal seams has been identified as a possibility to mitigate high emissions of CO2 into the atmosphere and the resulting greenhouse effects [1], provided that a thorough understanding of the storage site is conducted. Abundance and capacity of saline aquifers have made them very promising geologic storage sites that unlike depleted oil and gas fields, do not have the risks of casing failure due to old cement jobs and may not require a complete well work over [2 A key aspect of safe CO2 sequestration is a critical assessment of the risk of aquifer pressurization and potential CO2 leakage by numerical analyses.
