MRCSP Phase I Geologic Characterization Report - Midwest ...

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116 CHARACTERIZATION OF GEOLOGIC SEQUESTRATION OPPORTUNITIES IN THE <strong>MRCSP</strong> REGION DEPOSITIONAL ENVIRONMENTS/ PALEOGEOGRAPHY/TECTONISM The Sylvania Sandstone represents the initial transgressive phase of an extensive Devonian-age carbonate sequence—the Detroit River Group—that was deposited over the regionally extensive Kaskaskia unconformity. The rounded and frosted quartz grains, common in many parts of the Sylvania, are characteristic of sand deposited in eolian environments or at least sand reworked from older eolian rocks. However, the presence of marine fossils and interbeds of sandstone within adjacent carbonates suggest a predominantly, if not entirely, shallow marine environment. Hatfield and others (1968) concluded the Sylvania was most likely a beach deposit that formed during a eustatic transgression. SUITABILITY AS A CO 2 INJECTION TARGET OR SEAL UNIT The sandstone-dominated facies of the Sylvania Sandstone, best developed in central and southeastern lower Michigan, have been used for Class 2 waste-disposal wells and is also a major source for brine in industrial-mineral wells for the chemical industry in Midland County (Fisher and others, 1988). Porosity and horizontal permeability measurements from 24 sidewall-core samples from the Sylvania, collected in a well in southeastern lower Michigan, ranged from 1 to 28 percent porosity with an average of 16.6 percent. Permeability measurements ranged from 0 to 388 md with an average of nearly 100 md. These measurements are consistent with porosity and permeability characteristics presented herein. The primary doubts concerning the suitability of the Sylvania for CO 2 injection centers mostly on the unknown variability of the lithofacies and their distribution throughout the Michigan basin. Subsurface analysis of general lithofacies patterns indicates the sandstone-dominated facies in southeastern and central areas of the Michigan basin are replaced by mainly cherty carbonate facies in other regions. The chert-dominated lithofacies is likely to be porous, and also tripolitic, thereby significantly affecting the injectivity potential of the unit. Thus, a more detailed analysis of variations of the internal facies and rock properties of the Sylvania warrant additional investigation in order to further understand the CO 2 sequestration potential of the unit. In the central portion of the Michigan basin, the geologically older and potential sequestration reservoirs of the Mt. Simon and St. Peter Sandstones are very deep (thus expensive to drill). This great depth may not be advantageous for the occurrence of zones of high porosity and permeability for injection of CO 2 within these older units. In contrast, the Sylvania in much of this same central basin area is fairly thick and occurs at a moderate depth that may be more favorable for development of porosity and permeability ample for CO 2 sequestration. The Amherstburg Formation, a complex succession of evaporites and carbonates in the Detroit River Group, everywhere overlies the Sylvania Sandstone. Gardner (1974) suggests the continuity and integrity of Amherstburg Formation is variable; thus, its ability to function as a seal for the Sylvania in the Michigan basin is undetermined. However, overlying the Amherstburg are evaporates of the Lucas Formation, the Dundee Limestone, the Traverse Group (shale and limestone), and the Antrim Shale. This combined package should provide an adequate seal to insure integrity to Sylvania Sandstone injection reservoirs. 13. LOWER/MIDDLE DEVONIAN NEEDMORE SHALE The Needmore Shale is present throughout western Maryland, south-central Pennsylvania, and eastern West Virginia; the upper part of the Needmore is laterally equivalent to the Onondaga Limestone in northern Pennsylvania and New York, and to the Huntersville Chert in western Pennsylvania and West Virginia (Figure 5). The Needmore Shale is underlain by the Early Devonian Oriskany Sandstone and overlain by the Middle Devonian Onondaga Limestone, Huntersville Chert, or Tioga Bentonite, depending upon the location within the Appalachian basin. Conodont biostratigraphy indicates that the Needmore Shale is of Early and earliest Middle Devonian age. Conodonts from the overlying Tioga Ash Bed suggest that the top of the Needmore is within the Polygnathus costatus costatus Zone of Middle Devonian age. (Harris and others, 1994) ORIGIN OF NAMES, TYPE SECTION, SIGNIFICANT EARLIER STUDIES ON THIS INTERVAL The Needmore Shale is named for exposures in southern Fulton County, Pennsylvania (Willard and Cleaves, 1939). The name was extended into Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia by Woodward (1943). This unit was later assigned as a member of the Romney Shale (Lesure, 1957) and the Onondaga Formation, but currently is formational in status. NATURE OF LOWER AND UPPER CONTACTS The contact between the Needmore Shale and the underlying Oriskany Sandstone is sharp and unconformable, representing either a transgressive surface or a transgressive surface/unconformity converged (G.R. Baum, personal communication, 2005). The Needmore Shale grades laterally into the Huntersville Chert and, upsection, into dark gray, argillaceous limestones of the Onondaga Limestone. In the absence of the Huntersville Chert and the Onondaga Limestone facies, there is a 10- to 15-foot interval of coarse, brown shale mixed with considerable volcanic ash termed the Tioga Bentonite at the top of the Needmore Shale. LITHOLOGY The Needmore Shale is a dense, fissile, dark olive-gray to black, calcareous shale with dark gray interbeds of thin-bedded and nodular, fossiliferous, argillaceous limestone. Dark gray volcanic tuffs and ash beds occur at the top of the formation (Glaser, 2004). Over most of western Maryland, the upper half of the unit is thickly laminated shale containing nodules and thin beds of limestone. Similar shale without limestone makes up the lower portion of the Needmore Shale, grading at the base to dark fissile non-calcareous shale. In outcrop, the coarser shale and mudrock disintegrate rapidly to pale-olive or tan chips or irregular clasts, whereas the black shale weathers to thin grayish-white plates and papery flakes much like the Marcellus Shale (Glaser, 2004). DISCUSSION OF DEPTH AND THICKNESS RANGES Based on well log picks and published reports for Maryland, the thickness of the Needmore Shale ranges from 3 to 190 feet (Edwards, 1970; Nutter and others, 1980). The unit thickens from northwest to the southeast (Figure A13-1). Depth to the top of the Needmore varies from a minimum of about 1,000 feet below
25 APPENDIX A: LOWER/MIDDLE DEVONIAN NEEDMORE SHALE 117 EXPLANATION 25 ft contours Thickness in feet 15 25 25 Pennsylvania 25 Maryland West Virginia 50 75 100 25 150 125 125 10 5 0 10 20 Miles ³ 10 5 0 10 20 30 Kilometers Figure A13-1.—Map showing the thickness of the Needmore shale.
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Characterization of Geologic Seques
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ABOUT THE MRCSP The Midwest Regiona
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CONTENTS About the MRCSP ..........
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CONTENTS Figure A14-2.—Structure
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1 CHARACTERIZATION OF GEOLOGIC SEQU
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BACKGROUND INFORMATION 3 (a minimum
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INTRODUCTION TO THE MRCSP REGION’
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GEOLOGIC MAPPING PROCEDURES, DATA S
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OIL, GAS, AND GAS STORAGE FIELDS 27
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CO 2-SEQUESTRATION STORAGE CAPACITY
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CONCLUSIONS AND REGIONAL ASSESSMENT
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REFERENCES CITED 47 National Confer
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49 APPENDIX A Geologic Summaries of
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APPENDIX A: PRECAMBRIAN UNCONFORMIT
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APPENDIX A: CAMBRIAN BASAL SANDSTON
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APPENDIX A: BASAL SANDSTONES TO TOP
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Page 73 and 74: APPENDIX A: UPPER CAMBRIAN ROSE RUN
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Page 159 and 160: APPENDIX A: REFERENCES CITED 151 Th
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