Date of Award

4-2011

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Geological and Environmental Sciences

Department

Geosciences

First Advisor

Dr. David A. Barnes

Second Advisor

Dr. William B. Harrison III

Third Advisor

Dr. Duane Hampton

Fourth Advisor

Dr. Steven T. LoDuca

Access Setting

Masters Thesis-Open Access

Abstract

The Sylvania Sandstone is an important brine reservoir in Michigan. This study investigates the geological carbon sequestration potential of this reservoir through integrated reservoir characterization using cores, thin sections, core analysis data and modern wireline log data.

Core-to-wireline-log correlation can be used to subdivide the Sylvania Sandstone into conventional reservoir sandstone, and mixed dolostone, low permeability reservoir tripolitic chert and low permeability limestone lithologies. Isolith maps and cross sections indicate that the reservoir sandstone lithology dominates in southeast Michigan and is transitional to a mixture of sandstone, dolostone, tripolitic chert and limestone lithologies toward the northwest that in turn are completely replaced by tripolitic chert and dolostone in northwestern lower Michigan. Net porosity maps demonstrate that reservoir lithologies are distributed along a southeast-northwest trending fairway approximately 60 to 75 miles wide. Vertical stacking of distinct facies in shoaling upwards parasequences and lateral facies transition compartmentalizes reservoirs such that brine withdrawal and reinjection into uphole formations may be required for pressure management during CO2 injection. The Sylvania Sandstone and equivalent strata have a minimum of 1.85 billion tons of CO2 storage capacity at 4% storage efficiency in lower Michigan.

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Geology Commons

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