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Southeast Carbon Sequestration Partnership (SECARB) Phase III Anthropogenic Test at Citronelle Field, Mobile Co., AL. Post-Injection Period Reservoir Modeling Report

The Southeast Carbon Sequestration Partnership (SECARB) Anthropogenic Test is a U.S. Department of Energy funded fully integrated carbon capture and storage initiative designed to demonstrate deep underground injection and containment of anthropogenic CO 2 sourced from Alabama Power’s Plant Barry. From August 20, 2012 to September 1, 2014, a total of 114,014 metric tonnes of CO 2 were transported via pipeline from Plant Barry and stored in a saline aquifer under a portion of the Citronelle Field operated by Denbury Onshore, LLC near Citronelle, Alabama. A major component of this project was to test and develop techniques to monitor, verify and account (MVA) for the CO 2 stored in the aquifer by the project. A suite of technologies were applied and developed to demonstrate non-endangerment of underground sources of drinking water (USDW’s) and to ensure that CO2 does not migrate out of intended zones within the subsurface. This involved several levels of monitoring: 1) Surface monitoring, 2) shallow groundwater monitoring, 3) deep reservoir monitoring and experimental MVA activities. Numerical models were developed to determine the project’s Area of Review (AoR) and to investigate the simulated advancement of the CO 2 plume through the subsurface aquifer for 30 years after the end of injection. An initial baseline area of review of 1,700 ft. was established. The key results demonstrating non-endangerment of USDW’s are presented.

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Southeast Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (SECARB) Preparation of Discontinuation Plan

In some CO 2 injection demonstration projects, the injection is planned as a stand-along activity, that may require a final extensive phase for planning for demobilization. The first step toward demobilization is making decisions about when the project is completed in terms of achieving milestones. After this, the project may have a task of satisfying regulators and funding partners that the injected CO 2 , elevated pressure, and well construction have a reached a condition which is acceptable for abandonment. In some projects the condition for closure has been conceptualized as “plume stabilization”; other projects have proposed extracting CO 2 . When agreement on the required conditions are reached, the needed actions are completed, whether monitoring the trend toward stabilization and pressure re-equilibration or undertaking more active processes. At the time defined in the demobilization process, wells and other infrastructure are closed and remediated following processes defined by the demobilization process. At some point, closure of the project is accomplished; in some cases, activities needed for various length of time are described as post-closure care.

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Alabama Department of Environmental Management Plugging and Abandonment Report [Well Name/ID: D9-7]

The D 9-7#2 is a UIC Class V injection well (ADEM permit number ALSI9949664), located in Citronelle Oil Field, Citronelle Alabama. The purpose of the well was to inject CO2 into the upper Paluxy formation in an experiment to investigate the potential underground CO2 storage in a deep saline reservoir. A total of 114,104 metric tonnes of CO2 were injected through the D 9-7#2 between August 20, 2012 and September 1, 2014. A minimum three-year post injection site care period began on September 1, 2014. This report summarizes the permanent plugging and abandonment of the D-9-7#2 well. Following the demonstration of CO2 containment and non-endangerment (ref acknowledgement letter from ADEM dated September 27, 2017), Denbury developed a plugging and abandonment (PA) plan for the well. This plan was approved by the Alabama Oil and Gas Board and complies with Denbury’s environmental, health and safety guidelines. The D-9-7#2 well was spud in December 2011 and was drilled to a total depth of 11,790 ft. Prior to the well plugging operations a cement retainer was set in the well casing at 9,336 feet to isolate the injection zone and a 10-feet cement plug was set at 10,790 feet to isolate the oil reservoir, the ‘Donovan’ formation which lies underneath the Paluxy.

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Alabama Department of Environmental Management Temporary Abandonment Report [Well Names/ID: D4-13]

Two temporarily abandoned Citronelle Oil Field wells (D 4-13 and D 4-14) located up-dip from the D 9- 7#2 injection well (approximately 3,500 feet away) and outside of the area of review (Figure 1) were designated to be used for the monitoring activities associated with the SECARB Anthropogenic Test. Both wells were recompleted prior to the project, which included perforating the D 4-14 within the injection zone and the D 4-13 above the proposed confining unit. The D-4-13 well provides above-zone pressure monitoring in a perforated interval from 9,186 feet to 9,188 feet, with the gauge landing nipple at 9,111 feet. In-zone pressure monitoring occurs in the D-4- 14, perforated from 9,420 feet to 9,422 feet. The gauge landing nipple was set at 9,375 ft. Following the completion of the project These wells were converted back to their original condition for oilfield operations.

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Southeast Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (SECARB) Revised Monitoring Plan

This report summarizes the revisions made after attainment of project metrics of monitoring 1.5 million metric tons stored which occurred at 1 ½ years and after the end of the period of accelerated injection rate (February 2011) to reach project metrics. Denbury continues downdip injection because of its impact on production, but has modified the rate of injection to meet its EOR objectives. Therefore this project will not have a post-injection “closure” period. Injected CO 2 is being recycled and the flow field is substantively controlled by production. However, a period of observation of this long duration storage has value to the program in terms of showing no impact on near-surface environments and monitoring any changes in the reservoir over the long term. In addition, observations made during the first two years of injection have raised a number of significant questions that can be addressed during the next stages of research. Lastly, budget readjustment is needed, as some tasks have gone over budget and some have been completed under budget, leaving some opportunities to address remaining issues. This report provides an overview of the revisions and supplements proposed to the modeling and monitoring plan to complete the project.

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Southeast Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (SECARB) Collect Repeat 3-D Survey

The baseline 3-D survey of Cranfield was collected by Denbury Onshore LLC. in 2007 and data provided to the SECARB Early team at the BEG as a major cost share contribution for Phase II. The baseline 3-D survey covered the entire Cranfield Field as well into the surrounding brine-saturated water leg. This data remains extremely valuable in characterization for Phase III, and has been analyzed extensively. Bureau researchers Hongliu Zeng and Tip Meckel have analyzed the baseline 3-D to develop reservoir models. For example, Zeng enhanced seismic data to extract textures suggestive of high sinuosity aggradational point bar from the lower Tuscaloosa interval. Meckel assessed the logs and seismically imaged structure to better define the oil-water contact to assure that the DAS experiment was set in the water leg, and mapped the graben-edge fault that separates the Phase II and the Phase III areas. Additional characterization work continues by a number of students under funding from SECARB (Kordi dissertation) as well as additional efforts under BES funding though the CFSES project.

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Southeast Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (SECARB): Completed History Match: Subsurface Plume Development, Early Test

In this paper, we compare 4D seismic interpretations of CO 2 plume evolution with fluid flow numerical simulation results for the SECARB Early test at Cranfield, Mississippi. Historic pressure trends, oil and gas production rates and current CO 2 -EOR production data from the field were history matched and tuned model used for predictive simulations. For CO 2 -EOR operations the tuned model results showing CO 2 plume distribution and CO 2 first arrival (break-through) times in production wells were compared to the available field data. Reasonable matches were observed with breakthrough times. However 4D seismic interpretations of saturated region distributions and simulation results mismatch in some significant ways, likely showing limitations in 4D seismic interpretations for Cranfield. The tuned model then used to predict reservoir response and storage capacity in different field development scenarios. We compared hypothetical scenarios where the operator decided to transition into CO 2 injection without oil production (CO 2 -EORT) when oil production is not economical versus a scenario of continuing with CO 2 -EOR. Our results show that CO 2 -EOR can store more CO 2 and operations will last longer whereas if switched to CO 2 -EORT field has to be abandoned earlier because of out-of-area movement of the CO 2 plume. However, the amount of CO2 stored per year during the operational period is larger for CO 2 -EORT.

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Southeast Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (SECARB): Analyze Data Collected, Revise Surface Monitoring Plan to Maximize Benefit and Continue Data Collection

Objectives of the shallow groundwater study at the Cranfield site since 2008, as a part of the SECARB Phase III early test, were to 1) assess potential impacts of CO 2 leakage on groundwater quality; and 2) test and develop monitoring technologies for CO 2 leakage detection. The study did not intend to seek CO2 leakage signals via monitoring groundwater chemistry in the Cranfield shallow aquifer. Instead, quarterly or semi-annually groundwater sampling from the shallow aquifer was used to characterize spatial and temporal variations in geochemical parameters because CO 2 injection into the deep reservoir started in 2008.

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Business Models for Coal Plant Decommissioning

Aging coal-fired power plants are retiring across the United States. Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory studied coal-fired power plant decommissioning business models to support program development for the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) to engage with communities affected by power plant retirement processes. Evaluating and reducing the impact on coal-dependent communities from phasing out coal production is a crucial piece of nationwide economic development and community-directed engagement in the clean energy future. This report describes the steps in the typical coal-fired power plant decommissioning process, including analysis of the following key factors: Drivers including policy and regulations, competition with other fuels, and corporate responsibility goals; Types of coal plant decommissioning including plant retirement without full decommissioning, repurposing with fuel switch, redeveloping to utilize existing transmission, and decommissioning and repurposing with other commercial activities; and, Costs of coal plant decommissioning, including variations across regulated and deregulated markets and the funding resources to support decommissioning activities. The details described in this report relied heavily on the availability of local news reports and communications regarding plant retirements, as the researchers identified a lack of formal literature surrounding business models for coal plant decommissioning and a need for a more robust source material collection. In addition, a lack of oversight entities responsible for decommissioning processes may have led to this shortfall of information. Future research regarding coal plant decommissioning can include quantitative studies on power plant retirement drivers, procedures, and costs, qualitative assessments on affects decommissioning has on surrounding communities, investors, and other stakeholders, and identifying best practices to engage community stakeholders in the decommissioning process.

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Coal-dependent Communities in Transition: Identifying Best Practices to Ensure Equitable Outcomes

The U.S. coal industry is experiencing a sharp increase in the numbers of retired and/or decommissioned coal-fired power plants across the U.S. In the years between 2010-2019, around 102 gigawatts (GW) of coal-fired generating capacity has been announced to be decommissioned, representing more than 546 coal-fired power plant units, and an additional 17 GW is planned to be decommissioned by 2025. This change in the energy production landscape presents an impact on the social, environmental, and economic prospects of coal-dependent communities. This report examined the role of communities in the coal power plant decommissioning process and provided community-identified best practices to ensure an equitable process. The experiences of four coal-dependent communities—Wise County, VA, Muskegon, MI, Anderson County, TN, and Becker, MN—are presented as case studies to understand the impacts of the decommissioning process, and associated best practices, from the communities’ perspective. The report results highlight the need to recognize that the decommissioning decision-making process must be community-based to be equitable. Each community’s input is key to the transition away from coal power because there is no one-size-fits-all development plan. In other words, each community’s trajectory through the decommissioning process—from the retirement decision-making stage to the final site redevelopment phase—is unique because each community has distinct needs and wants from the energy transition. What is best for one community may not be suited for another. Ultimately, the framework for site development and community revitalization post-decommissioning cannot be universal because each community’s profile—from a social, cultural, and economic perspective—is different. Community impacts of power plant decommissioning are not limited to job and revenue losses. Communities are likely to be impacted culturally, socially, environmentally, and have long-term health-based impacts that should be acknowledged and addressed in post-retirement plans. Commonly identified decommissioning best practices include: Early and continued engagement throughout, with a number of mediums for communication and feedback (e.g., in-person sessions, virtual meetings, written comment opportunities); Early planning of post-decommissioning projects to replace lost jobs, revenue, and economic activity; Recognition (and mitigation, if possible) of social impacts on the community due to plant closure; Transparency throughout the process, with trusted information being provided about the decommissioning process and timeline; potential impacts on the workforce, economy, and environment; and the feasibility of alternative site uses; Identification of funding sources, technical experts, and/or strategic partnerships to support decommissioning and the affected communities upfront; and, Acknowledgment of communities as stakeholders who have a role in the conversation and right to determine their futures. Three key areas for assisting coal-dependent communities affected by the energy transition: Technical assistance: assessment of site feasibility for alternative uses or to repower with new technologies; Cross-partnership engagement and collaboration: facilitate knowledge-sharing of “lessons learned” about the decommissioning process between communities and provide guidance for decision-making processes; and, Financial assistance: access to grant and/or loan programs to assist with redevelopment survey, bolster community economic security through job creation, and cover environmental clean-up costs. Technical assistance, cross-partnership engagement, and financial aid can be mobilized to help communities throughout various stages of the decommissioning process, including the retirement decision, the site reclamation phase, and eventual revitalization of the site and surrounding community.

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Fuels Characterization for National Research Council Canada 2-m Pool Fire Test Series

This report provides a detailed analysis of the physical and chemical properties of three liquid hydrocarbon fuels: heptane, Bakken crude, and a diluted bitumen, that were subsequently tested in a series of 2-m pool fire experiments at Sandia National Laboratories for the National Research Council Canada. Properties such as relative density, vapor pressure (VPCR x ), composition, and heat of combustion were evaluated. The heptane analysis, with relative density = 0.69 (at 15°C), confirmed that the material tested was consistent with high-purity (>99%) n-heptane. The Bakken crude, with a relative density = 0.81 (at 15°C), exhibited a vapor pressure by VPCR 0.2 (37.8°C) in the range 120-157 kPa. The dilbit, with a relative density = 0.92 (at 15°C) exhibited a vapor pressure by VPCR 0.2 (37.8°C) in the range 85-98 kPa. Solids remaining in the test pans after the pool fires were also collected and weighed. No detectable solids were left after the heptane burns. In contrast, the crude oils left some brittle, black solid residue. On average, dilbit pool fires left about 40 more residue by mass than Bakken pool fires for equivalent mass of fuel feed.

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SECARB Report on Post-Injection Surface and Near-Surface Monitoring

The Southeast Carbon Sequestration Partnership Phase III Anthropogenic Test at Citronelle Field is one of the United States’ largest demonstrations of CO 2 capture, transportation, injection, storage and monitoring using CO 2 derived from a coal-fired electric generating unit. This report summarizes the post-injection phase groundwater and soil flux monitoring results from September 1, 2014 through July 21, 2016.

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SECARB Report on Post-Injection In-Situ Monitoring

The Southeast Carbon Sequestration Partnership Phase III Anthropogenic Test at Citronelle Field is the United States’ largest prototype of commercial CO 2 capture from a coal-fired power station and transportation, injection, storage and monitoring. This report focuses on the results of the post-injection monitoring period for the Anthropogenic Test. Monitoring methods include both direct and indirect measurements. The Class V Experimental Permit requires extensive monitoring of injected CO 2 at the surface and at deep and shallow depths. The safety, integrity and information objectives of the CO 2 monitoring plan are in place to: (1) create and sustain wellbore integrity; (2) assure safe CO 2 injection operations; (3) verify the location and migration of the injected CO 2 plume; and (4) monitor for any CO 2 leakage. A robust suite of monitoring approaches is utilized for the in-situ monitoring and include, pressure monitoring, various seismic surveys, pulsed neutron logging, reservoir fluid sampling and injection surveys. Data and observations collected using these monitoring methods will be used in the numerical model to inform the post-injection site care monitoring plan. This report describes actions pertaining to in situ monitoring at the Anthropogenic Test Site that were undertaken during the period of September 2014 to May 2016. These monitoring techniques include the acquisition of pressure data, seismic data, pulsed neutron capture logs, reservoir fluid sampling, and tracer gas monitoring. CO 2 injection operations began on August 20, 2012 and terminated on September 1, 2014.

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SECARB Post Injection Assessment Report

The Southern States Energy Board (SSEB) managed the overall Southeast Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (SECARB) Phase III project and The Bureau of Economic Geology (BEG), at the University of Texas at Austin, managed all activities associated with the Early Test field site near Cranfield, Mississippi (the Early Test or Cranfield Project). The SECARB project at Cranfield was focused downdip of the oil rim and on demonstrating the stacked nature of the storage potential at this location: enhanced oil recovery (EOR) up-dip and saline downdip. Because the injection for EOR continued after the SECARB project ended, no actual post-injection period occurred. However, information collected during the SECARB-monitored injection period, including pressure and CO2 plume position, was utilized in an EOR carbon lifecycle assessment. The carbon lifecycle assessment provided insight on tracking injection fronts and production efficiencies across the field. To complete the post injection assessment, taking into account the continuing EOR period after closeout of SECARB field activities, this report provides data and analysis done under another DOE-funded project. The follow up project focused on the carbon lifecycle of EOR and included an assessment of EOR at as-operated and under possible future scenarios. This work was published by Hossieni et al. (2018) and Hosseininoosheri (2019).

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SECARB Review of Interim Results

Assessment of data collected by the Early Test is led by BEG with collaboration from LBNL and LLNL. This process is iterative, with the following steps: 1. Data collection (reported in task 9.1.4.a); 2. Data archive (S. Clift, BEG); 3. Data quality control, correction and annotation; 4. Data processing (typically many steps); 5. Preliminary interpretation; 6. Input of preliminary data into models; 7. Joint inversion of multi-physics data sets. It is important to subject results to as they proceed through these steps. Interim reviews have been conducted by sponsors and partners (Table 1). These reports provided timely status update in the results of various analysis Each set of results will have its own report and publication(s) presenting the key details when analysis is sufficiently mature.

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Southeast Carbon Sequestration Partnership (SECARB) Phase III Anthropogenic Test at Citronelle Field, Mobile Co., AL: Project Assessment Report

The Southeast Carbon Sequestration Partnership Phase III Anthropogenic Test at Citronelle Field is the United States’ largest CO 2 capture and transportation, injection, storage and monitoring project using CO 2 derived from a coal-fired power station. The project represents a U.S. Department of Energy research and development initiative designed to demonstrate deep underground injection and containment of 100,000 tonnes or more of anthropogenic-source CO 2 . This report provides an assessment of the CO 2 injection at the Citronelle Anthropogenic Test site for the period August 23, 2012 to August 31, 2013. The purpose of the project assessment is to re-evaluate the AoR for the injection well. The AoR is defined as the region surrounding the geological sequestration project that may be impacted by the injection activity. The AoR is further defined as the farthest reach of the tangible CO 2 plume and/or the region of ‘significant’ reservoir pressure increase. An updated geologic model of the injection zones and storage reservoir sandstones incorporates geologic data obtained from the injection well and characterization wells drilled at the Phase III Anthropogenic Test site. The numerical modeling of the injection was conducted using the updated geologic model, plus the monitoring results obtained to August 31, 2013. The simulation demonstrates effective containment of CO 2 by the reservoir architecture of the upper Paluxy Formation, consisting of multiple, stacked, highly porous and permeable sandstones, separated by low permeability flow barriers. The CO 2 containment demonstrated in this report requires an AoR with a radius of 440 ft from the injection well. This revision reduces the radius of the AoR from the preinjection determination of 1,700 ft. With the revised AoR, the only well within the AoR is the injection well itself, the D 9-7 #2. The nearest well to the injector is the D 9-8 #2. The surface location is 870 ft away from the D 9-7 #2, placing the D 9-8 #2 outside the revised AoR.

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