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The AAPG/Datapages Combined Publications Database

Environmental Geosciences (DEG)

Abstract

DOI:10.1306/eg.05191010005

Carbon dioxide storage potential for the Queenston Formation near the AES Cayuga coal-fired power plant in Tompkins County, New York

Kathryn L. Tamulonis,1 Teresa E. Jordan,2 Brian Slater3

1Schlumberger Carbon Services, Houston, Texas; [email protected]; [email protected]
2Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
3Office of Oil and Gas, New York State Museum, Albany, New York

AUTHORS

Kathryn Tamulonis completed her B.S. degree in geology at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in 2002 and her Ph.D. at Cornell University in 2010. She is currently working for Schlumberger Carbon Services as a reservoir geologist.

Teresa Jordan completed her B.S. degree in 1974 at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and her Ph.D. in 1979 at Stanford University, both in geology. She is currently a professor in Cornell University's Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences and was named the J. Preston Levis Professor of Engineering in 2008.

Brian Slater is a petroleum geologist for the New York State Geological Survey. He completed his B.S. degree in geology at the State University of New York in Cortland in 2002 and his M.S. degree in geology at the State University of New York in Albany in 2006.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This work was supported by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), the AES Corporation, the Cornell University College of Engineering, the New York State Museum, and the Anschutz Exploration Company. We thank John Martin, Christopher Wentlent, Robert Jacobi, Rick Frappa, Dan Bean, Margot Timbell, Scott Hajicek, Elaine Bateman, Matthew Becker, Marta Castagna, Langhorne (Taury) Smith Jr., Richard Nyahay, Alexa Stolorow, Louis Derry, Jason Phipps Morgan, and Gregory Kirkpatrick for collaboration and ongoing discussions.

ABSTRACT

We evaluated the pore volume available for a specific potential geologic carbon dioxide (CO2) storage site in the Upper Ordovician Queenston Formation near the AES Corporation Cayuga coal-fired power plant in Tompkins County, New York. Core data collected 25 mi (40 km) from the plant reveal that the Queenston Formation is a relatively homogeneous fine- to medium-grained sandstone with hematite cement. Seismic and core data indicate that the formation was deposited in a fluvial system with mobile channels and has thickness maxima that trend north-northwest.

Porosity is a major factor affecting geologic CO2 storage potential, and it is important to understand discrepancies among porosity measured from core plug, neutron porosity, density-derived porosity, and thin-section point count values. Relative to core plug–derived porosity values, the neutron porosity log is more reliable than the electron density porosity values. Thin sections reveal that hematite cement is the primary factor affecting porosity variability.

Seismic, core, and well-log data suggest that in a 25-mi2 (65-km2) area surrounding this power plant, the Queenston Formation can sequester 18 million metric tons (plusmn11 million metric tons) of CO2 emission from the Cayuga power plant (sim8 yr of CO2 output, with a range of 3–12 yr), although many uncertainties must be better constrained to obtain a more accurate estimate. Because the Queenston Formation near the Cayuga power plant is relatively homogeneous, most of the formation at this location offers the potential for CO2 storage in its pore space.

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