Assessment of storage capacity for CO 2 in saline aquifers near hydrocarbon fields, northern Songliao Basin, China

Carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) is the only technology currently available that can significantly reduce carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions from conventional fossil fuel use. Depleted oil/gas fields, unmineable coal seams, and deep saline aquifers are generally considered to be the main storage options. In this paper, the authors consider opportunities presented by aquifers close to hydrocarbon fields in the northern Songliao Basin (China) for storage. Data obtained during exploration and production often delineates nearby structures filled with saline water which have not been charged with hydrocarbons but could offer an opportunity for CO 2 storage. Based on published data and production data from hydrocarbon fields in the northern Songliao Basin, the potential for geological storage of CO 2 in these hydrocarbon field saline aquifers (HFSA) has been assessed and in the northern Songliao Basin, the central and western regions offer great potential for CO 2 storage in HFSA. Out of the 42 identified oil/gas fields, aquifers near 24 of the fields offer promising storage potential with an estimated potential storage capacity of 9.8 × 10-super-9 tonnes (t) CO 2 , which is more than 100 times the current annual emissions of large point sources in the Songliao Basin.