Basalt Reactivity in the Presence of H2O-Saturated Supercritical CO2 Containing Gaseous Sulfur Compounds
Abstract
Future impacts of climate change may be minimized by capture of emissions, primarily CO2 from fossil-fueled electric generating stations and subsequent sequestration in deep geologic formations. Injection of dry liquid CO2 into porous geologic reservoirs for long term storage is expected to eventually form a buoyant water-saturated bubble of supercritical fluid. Depending on purification processes and underground injection control regulations, the injected CO2 also could contain trace compounds associated with flue gas streams (SO2, N2, and O2). Once injected, the scCO2 will absorb water (1500 to 3000 ppmw) until becoming immobilized by reservoir trapping mechanisms. Reactivity of the water-bearing scCO2 with silicate minerals is relatively unknown and could have impacts on long term reservoir seal integrity and trapping by mineralization. To examine the reactivity of H2O-saturated scCO2, basalt experiments were conducted at pressures and temperatures relevant to geologic sequestration. Reaction products differed considerably depending on the gas mixtures used and type of basalt. In the presence of H2O-saturated CO2, the Newark Basin basalt reacted to produce secondary mineralization with needle-like morphologies and chemistries similar to aragonite. Exposing the same basalt to a CO2-H2S mixture (H2O saturated) produced two types of reaction products: carbonates in the form of small discrete nodules or needles and metallic-like circular areas similar in chemistry to pyrite and marcarsite. Tests conducted in the presence of CO2-SO2 produced the most extensive surface reaction products observed during the experiments. Some basalts were completely coated in white precipitate identified as a mixture of gypsum, sulfate bearing minerals (rozenite and melanterite), and a magnesium sulfate compound (MgSO4 ●5H2O). Hawaiian flow top basalts contained extensive reaction products including magnesium sulfate (MgSO4●6H2O), which formed on the large olivine crystals present in this basalt, and iron sulfite hydrate (FeSO3●2H2O). Reactivities, morphology, and alteration product phases formed in aqueous fluid dominated systems differed markedly from these non-aqueous fluid dominant experiments.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2009
- Bibcode:
- 2009AGUFM.U41A0014S
- Keywords:
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- 1012 GEOCHEMISTRY / Reactions and phase equilibria