Managing Geologic CO2 Storage with Pre-Injection Brine Production in Tandem Reservoirs

We present an approach for managing geologic CO2 storage using wells that serve three sequential purposes (1) characterization and monitoring, (2) brine production, and (3) CO2 injection. Two reservoirs are deployed in tandem: (1) a CO2-storage reservoir and (2) a brine-storage reservoir. This approach provides data that can be analyzed prior to CO2 injection, enabling proactive reservoir management, which reduces cost and risk. We analyze a range of brine-disposition options, including 100% reinjection in a nearby brine-storage reservoir and cases where a portion of the produced brine is used to generate water, with the residual brine reinjected in the nearby reservoir. We also consider the option of time-shifting the parasitic load of brine production and injection, so that those operations can utilize excess energy from electric grids during periods of over-generation. (C) 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier.