Evaluation of the Newburg Sandstone of the Appalachian Basin as a CO2 Geologic Storage Resource

The West Virginia Division of Energy is currently evaluating several deep saline formations in the Appalachian Basin of West Virginia that may be potential carbon dioxide (CO 2) sequestration targets. The Silurian Newburg Sandstone play, developed in the 1960s and 1970s, primarily involved natural-gas production from reservoir rock with well-developed porosity and permeability. High initial pressures encountered in early wells in the Newburg indicated that the overlying Silurian Salina Formation provides a competent seal. Because of the large number of CO 2 point sources in the region and the favorable reservoir properties of the formation (including an estimated 300 bcf of natural-gas production), the Newburg Sandstone was evaluated for the potential geologic storage of CO 2. Within the Newburg play, there are several primary fields separated geographically and geologically by saltwater contacts and dry holes. Previous studies have determined the storage potential within these individual fields. This study shows that the Newburg is more suitable for small-scale injection tests instead of large-scale regional storage operations.