Porosity and carbon dioxide storage capacity of the Maryville–Basal sands section (middle Cambrian), Southern Appalachian Basin, Kentucky

Abstract

The middle Cambrian Maryville–Basal sands in the interval of 4600–4720 ft (1402.1–1438.7 m) in the Kentucky Geological Survey 1 Hanson Aggregates well (i.e., muddy sandstones separated by sandy mudstones) were evaluated to determine effective porosity (φe), clay volume (Vc), and supercritical CO2 storage capacity. Average porosity and permeability measured in core plugs were 8.71% porosity and 2.17 md permeability in the Maryville sand and 10.61% porosity and 15.79 md permeability in the Basal sand. The φe and Vc were calculated from the density log using a multiple-matrix shaly sand model to identify four formation lithologies: muddy sandstone, sandy mudstone, dolomitic mudstone, and dolomitic claystone. Average φe and Vc calculated in the Maryville sand were 8.9% and 35.3%, respectively, and an average of 8.7% and 41.2% in the Basal sand, respectively. Calculated φe exhibits a good match with porosity measured in core plugs. Prior to step-rate testing, static reservoir pressure was 2020 psi (13.9 MPa), representing a 0.435 psi/ft (9.8 kPa/m) hydrostatic gradient, which is consistent with other underpressured reservoirs in Kentucky. The interval fractured at 2698 psi (18.0 MPa), yielding a fracture gradient of 0.581 psi/ft (12.7 kPa/m). Pressure falloff analysis suggests a dual-porosity/dual-permeability reservoir consistent with core data. Estimated 50th percentile supercritical CO2 storage volume supercritical CO2 storage volume, using 7% porosity cutoff for determining net reservoir volume, is 0.538 tons/ac (1.33 t/ha). Thin reservoir sands, low porosity and permeability, and low fracture gradient, however, preclude the Maryville–Basal sands as large-volume deep-saline CO2 storage reservoirs in this area.