Research Experience in Carbon Sequestration

June 2, 2014

Southern Companys CCUS Portfolio
and Commercialization Issues

Richard A. Esposito, Ph.D.
Southern Company
! GHG environmental regulations
! Depreciated fossil-fuel generation
assets with state-of-the-art
environmental controls
! Abundant domestic fossil-fuel
resources with stable pricing
! Challenging regional renewable
portfolio in the Southeast
! World class sequestration geology
with strong demand for CO
2
-EOR
! Become an informed consumer
CCUS Technology Drivers
Commercial
CCUS
Economic Capture
Advanced processes
New chemistry
Economies of scale
Station service
Capital costs
Secure Storage
Site characterization
Monitoring tools
Injection simulation
UIC permitting
Scenario Planning
System analysis
CO
2
use/certification
Regional infrastructure
Public Acceptance
Internal stakeholders
Regulators
NGOs
General public
The Commercialization Puzzle
Research Culture/Beliefs
Maintain a corporate focus on R&D
Network and collaborate externally
to leverage resources
New technologies will address future
environmental challenges - maintain a centralized R&D
organization
Adopt intellectual property positions that do not impede
technology development and deployment
Learn by doing and become an informed consumer; in-
house expertise allows flexibility in future commercial
business models
Large Demo
Commercialization
Pilot Demo
Performance & Cost
Reduction
1-10 MWe Scale
Engineering &
Operation
10-100 MWe Scale
Reliability
100+ MWe Scale
Research
Performance & Cost
Reduction
Bench-top Scale
Technology Development Curve
T
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2010 2016 2014 2012 2018 2020 2030
$$$$ $$$$$ $$$ $,$$$$,$$$
Demonstration: a
showing of the merits of a
product or service to a
prospective consumer
Full-time research at small unit or slip-stream
Gather results for commercial projects
Utility host and vendors are main funders
DOE & EPRI funding necessary
Commercial: suitable,
adequate, or prepared for
[normal] commerce
Small full-scale plant
Proof-of-performance research; guarantees
Host utility funded
DOE & EPRI funding possible
Research:
studious inquiry
or examination
First step in process
Many ideas, many failures
Utilities usually not funding or
involved
Typically university and
national lab work
Development: to
expand by a process of
growth
Move from lab to practical testing
Only successful ideas from smaller scale
Utilities get involved
Host utility + DOE & EPRI funding
CCUS R&D Program
Efforts key to our long-term program success

" Applied Science
Carbon Capture
Utilization Storage
Capture
Transportation
Pilot Scale
Storage
Laboratory Testing
Storage Program
Demonstration Scale
Applied Science
Plant Barry CCS Demonstration
Worlds largest capture facility on a fossil-fueled power plant

Carbon capLure from lanL 8arry
(equlvalenL Lo 23MW of elecLrlclLy).
12 mlle CC
2
plpellne llnklng capLured
CC
2
wlLh Lhe ln[ecuon slLe.
CC
2
permlmng/ln[ecuon lnLo ~9,400 .
deep sallne formauon aL Lhe ClLronelle
Cll lleld.
MonlLorlng of CC
2
sLorage durlng
ln[ecuon and Lhree years posL-ln[ecuon.
25-MW Integrated CCS Demonstration
90% CO
2
capture @ 99.97 purity
Capture operations began in June
2011 with integrated injection
operations in August 2012
300 feet
150 feet
Opportunity to study optimizing
stacked storage reservoirs with
multiple seals and four-way closure
Simulation/storage capacity
Geologic Characterization
to advance site certification for commercial storage
Alabama Power William Crawford
Gorgas Stratigraphic Test Well
Mississippi Power Victor J. Daniel
CO
2
Pilot Injection Study
Alabama Power James M. Barry
CO
2
Injection Demonstration
Department of Energy Carbon Utilization
and Storage Atlas Fourth Edition
"
The National Carbon Capture Center
at the Power Systems Development Facility
Offering a world-class neutral test
facility and a highly specialized staff,
the National Carbon Capture Center
accelerates the commercialization of
advanced technologies and enables
coal-based power plants to achieve
near-zero emissions.
Post-Combustion
Pre-Combustion
Oxy-Combustion
Role of NCCC/PC4
Scale
P
e
r
f
o
r
m
a
n
c
e

Lab Scale Component
Validation
Process
Development
Unit
Commercial Demonstration Large Pilot
Fundamental R&D
Tech transfer to power
plant slipstream unit
e.g. Plant Barry
Full deployment
Kemper Energy Facility
Plant: 582-MW TRIG IGCC
Fuel: Mine-Mouth Lignite, ~4M tons/yr
CO
2
Capture: 65%, ~3.4M tons/yr
Water: Meridian Treated Effluent
By-Products: Sulfuric Acid & Ammonia
Geologic cap rock integrity lab
Risk management through long-term storage integrity
Motivation behind the geology integrity lab:
Demonstrate long term storage integrity
Regulation of injection pressure
Reassure stakeholders that geologic sequestration
is safe and secure
CO
2
impacts on shallow groundwater
Risk management with protection of drinking water resources
Motivation behind the study:
Public concern over CO
2
leakage and protection of
groundwater resources
Need to inform regulators and industry of
environmental risks
Lack of available field data showing possible
impacts
Assess effectiveness of monitoring methods, early
detection, and remedial options
Controlled release in groundwater
PW-1
IW-1
" CO
2
Dissolved
CO
2
Pump-out
(extraction)
Pump-in
Monitor
Carbonated
GW
Groundwater (GW)
Experiment well field layout
" N
BG-1
IW-1
MW-3
MW-4
PW-1
MW-1
MW-2
Pumping Well
Injection
Well
2
0
8

f
t

Background
Well
MW-2
IW-1
MW-3
MW-1
MW-4
Monitoring
Wells
Well bore leakage mitigation
Risk management with storage security in well bores

Motivation behind the leakage mitigation study:
Wellbores are identified as a leakage pathway risk
in many storage systems
Biological control of permeability and sealing leaking
boreholes
Sealing fractures and cap rocks
Reassure stakeholders that geologic sequestration
is safe and secure
Sample collection in the field
Sample collection for
field-scale lab study
Before images of induced fractures
Region of fracture
The core was
hydraulically fractured
under ambient
conditions right before
loading into the vessel.
Distinct flow channels
were formed.
2014 Field Work - Sealing Experiment
WELL INJECTION ZONE. Perforations were
made (6 @ 60) @ ~1118 bgs. The packer was
set to isolate the perforated zone and the
formation was hydraulically fractured.

BAILER DELIVERY SYSTEM. Chemicals and
microbial suspensions were mixed on surface
and pumped into the 30 bailer which was used
to deliver concentrated solutions with bailer
@~1116 bgs. The concentrated bailer contents
were diluted with brine pumped through the 2
7/8 tubing.

INJECTION STRATEGY. A pulsed injection
strategy was used and 24 calcium injections and
6 inoculations were placed over 4 days.

ASSESSMENT OF SUCCESS. On the 5th day
pressure falloff tests were performed and the
formation was re-fractured.

Other supported efforts/projects
Development of CSA US-Canada Bilateral Standards for Geologic
Storage of CO
2

Development of ANSI ISO TC-265 standards for carbon capture
and geologic storage
RECS 2011-2014
CCS Technology and Pipeline Infrastructure Study (LANL) and
Florida Panhandle Pipeline Infrastructure Model (University of
North Florida)
Carbon Sequestration Simulation Center (UAB)
Have a great research
experience and thanks for
coming to Alabama and
visiting Southern Company!