Potential for permanent CO<inf>2</inf> sequestration in depleted volcanic reservoirs in the offshore Campos Basin, Brazil: Fid-Bau Portal

Potential for permanent CO2 sequestration in depleted volcanic reservoirs in the offshore Campos Basin, Brazil

Silva Ramos, Germano Mário / Barbosa, José Antonio / de Araújo, Araly Fabiana Lima / Correia Filho, Osvaldo José / Barreto, Carla Joana Santos / Cruz Oliveira, Jefferson Tavares / de Medeiros, Roberta Samico

Abstract

Highlights • An alternative for sequestration of the CO2 separated from the pre-salt oil and gas production in Brazil is presented. • The potential for CO2 sequestration based on mineral carbonation in basaltic rocks of Campos Basin is discussed. • The Brazilian depleted volcanic reservoirs are adequate for the CO2 mineralization method. • The potential for injection capacity in the volcanic reservoirs is good to excellent. • Location and geological aspects make the basaltic reservoirs a significant opportunity to reduce CO2 emissions from the oil industry in Brazil.

Abstract The pre-salt oil and gas production in Brazil faces a significant challenge due to the high CO2 content in these reservoirs. Approximately 600,000 t of CO2 are reinjected monthly in the reservoirs, but the increased production of CO2 will demand alternatives for sequestration. Experiments and pilot projects have demonstrated the viability of CO2 sequestration through the mineralization method in basaltic rocks. Here, we present a study aimed at demonstrating the feasibility of using the volcanic rocks of the Cabiúnas Formation, located at the base of the pre-salt section in shallow waters of the Campos Basin, for CCS projects. We used legacy data to determine the regional characteristics and porosity distribution of the volcanic sequence to assess the feasibility of geological sequestration in this region. Our estimates demonstrated that the Cabiúnas flood basalts have a good to excellent storage capacity. The modeling of a 31km² hypothetical reservoir with a thickness of 300 m in the upper part of the sequence above the Badejo Field revealed a storage estimate of 16–47 Mt. The technical aspects discussed in this study provide valuable insights that can help with the development of future CCS projects in the volcanic rocks of this petroleum province.