CO2 sequestration: storage capacity estimates from subsurface fluid dynamics

In carbon capture and storage (CCS), CO2 is captured from the flue gas of power plants, compressed into a supercritical fluid, and then injected underground into reservoirs like deep saline aquifers for long-term storage. While CCS has been identified as the critical enabling technology for the continued use of fossil fuels in a carbon-constrained world, the deployment of CCS has been hindered by uncertainty in geologic storage capacities and sustainable injection rates. Here, we clarify the potential of CCS to mitigate carbon emissions by developing a storage capacity estimates that, unlike current large-scale estimates, are derived from the fluid mechanics of CO2 injection and trapping, and incorporate injection-rate constraints.

We show that storage supply is a dynamic quantity that grows with the duration of CCS. We apply our models to geologic basins in the United States and show that if CO2 production from power generation continues to rise at recent rates, then CCS can be used to stabilize CO2 emissions at current levels for at least 100 years.