Atlas AR-CO2. An Argentinian atlas for underground CO2 storage potential

C.G. GRASETTI ; PIQUÉ TERESA MARIA; M. NOYA; GABRIELA VILA

Congreso; 16th Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies Conference 2022 (GHGT-16); 2022

GHGT

The recent interest of Argentina in hydrogen production as a clean energy vector using natural gas has brought up the question of how to manage the high CO2 associated emissions; and if there is in the main sedimentary basins of the country the possibility to store CO2 underground. Following the successful initiatives of many other countries, we decided to produce an Atlas of the potential for CO2 underground storage in Argentina. In this work, we present the first results of this assessment for three basins: Neuquén, Golfo San Jorge, and Claromecó, which are well connected to the expected hydrogen generation sites. Neuquén and Golfo San Jorge Basins are the most important hydrocarbon producers in the country. They have the advantage of being extensively studied and developed. In these basins, we considered several stratigraphic units in the location of oil and gas fields as candidate sites for CO2 storage. Claromecó Basin is not productive and not as well characterized. Here we analyzed the coal beds present in two geological formations as potential storage sites. The effective capacity for CO2 storage of the different candidate sites was calculated using the volumetric method introduced by the USDOE. These values together with a chosen complementary set of criteria allowed us to rank the candidates through multi-criteria decision analysis. We expect that our results provide a starting point for new and more detailed assessments of the potential for underground CO2 storage in Argentina.