Risk of Overfilling the Budziszewice-Zaosie Structure in the Course of CO2 Injection

The PGE Bełchatów Power Plant is classified as the biggest carbon emitter in the EU. To reduce CO2 emissions the company plans to introduce the carbon capture and storage technology.Within the framework of the Polish National Program “Assessment of formations and structures for safe CO2 geological storage, including monitoring plans”, semi-detailed analysis of the Budziszewice–Zaosie anticline was carried out. This anticline is considered optional for CO2 storage for Bełchatów Power Plant. The most perspective reservoir is located in Lower Jurassic Drzewice Fm. Based on static 3D model, constructed by a team from the Polish Geological Institute and the Department of Fossil Fuels the authors made simulation of CO2 injection using Eclipse 2009. The cutoff contour was established at 700 m below sea level; injection below it could bring about penetration of gas up to the land surface toward the Holy Cross Mountains (SE Lower Jurassic outcrops) or through dislocations of the Justynów structure to NW or Jeżów to the E. At the present state of recognition of the configuration and size of the structure, a safe, physically possible quantity of injected CO2 amounts to approximately 30 Mt. Presented results can be assumed as the most pessimistic scenario for the structure.