EP-4735735-A2 - MULTI-ISOTOPE QUANTIFICATION OF DISSOLUTION AND MINERALIZATION DURING GEOCHEMICAL CO2 REMOVAL AND STORAGE

Abstract

A system and method for quantification of carbon mineralization in basalt during carbon sequestration that includes: obtaining initial conditions at geological site which comprises establishing initial ratio conditions for at least two isotope systems; determining subsequent conditions after initiation of injection of a carbon dioxide source at the geological site; and determining mineralization characterization from performing multi-isotope fractionation analysis using subsequent conditions and initial conditions.

Inventors

• NELSON, Claire Juliet

Assignees

• Cella Mineral Storage Inc.

Dates

Publication Date

20260506

Application Date

20240630

Claims (1)

1. CELL-M01-PCT CLAIMS We Claim: 1. A method for quantification of carbon mineralization in basalt during carbon sequestration comprising: obtaining initial conditions at geological site which comprises establishing initial ratio conditions for at least two isotope systems; determining subsequent conditions after initiation of injection of a carbon dioxide source at the geological site; and determining mineralization characterization from performing multi-isotope fractionation analysis using subsequent conditions and initial conditions. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising preparing a carbon dioxide source with elevated 13/12C ratio, which thereby at least partially establishes an initial ratio condition of 13/12C isotope ratio. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing initial ratio conditions for at least two isotopes comprises measuring the initial ratio conditions for the at least two isotope systems 4. The method of claim 1, wherein carbonate precipitation is a shared mechanism for isotopic behavior of both of the at least two isotopes during the mineralization process. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least two isotope systems comprises a first isotope system that pertains to a metal element group consisting of calcium, strontium, and magnesium and a second isotope system that pertains to carbon. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least two isotope systems comprises a calcium-44 to calcium-40 isotope ratio and a carbon-13 to carbon-12 isotope ratio, or calcium-44 to calcium-42 isotope ratio and a carbon-13 to carbon-12 isotope ratio. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least two isotope systems comprises a strontium-88 to strontium-86 isotope ratio and a carbon-13 to carbon-12 isotope ratio. CELL-M01-PCT 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least two isotope systems comprises a strontium-87 to strontium-86 isotope ratio and a carbon-13 to carbon-12 isotope ratio. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least two isotope systems comprises magnesium-26 to magnesium-24 isotope ratio and a carbon-13 to carbon-12 isotope ratio. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining initial conditions at geological site comprises determining the subsurface environmental conditions at the point of injection including at least temperature, and determining value for a temperature dependent fractionation factor, wherein the temperature dependent fractionation factor. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least two isotope systems comprises relates to a divalent metal cation (M2+) isotope ratio and a carbon-13 to carbon-12 isotope ratio; and wherein determining mineralization characterization from performing multi-isotope fractionation analysis using subsequent conditions and initial conditions comprises generating and plotting a quantification line by calculating theoretical δM2+ and δ13C values with varying values of f between 0 and 1 in two equations, δM2+ m onitoring solution, theoretical = δM2+ i nitial + 1000(alpha - 1)lnf and δ13C monitoring solution, theoretical = δ13C initial + 1000(alpha - 1)lnf, and then determining percentage of injected carbon dioxide mineralized into calcite as 100 x (1- f) by comparing measured isotope values in both isotope systems to the quantification line. 12. The method of claim 1, wherein determining subsequent conditions after initiation of injection of a carbon dioxide source at the geological site further comprises: analyzing water chemistry for: isotopes, concentrations of dissolved inorganic carbon content, divalent and monovalent ions and anions including but not limited to Ca, Sr, Na, Cl, and HCO3. 13. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying injection of the carbon dioxide source based on the mineralization characterization. 14. A method for managing carbon sequestration through carbon mineralization in basalt rock formations of a geological site accessed through a well comprising CELL-M01-PCT obtaining initial conditions at geological site which comprises: establishing initial ratio conditions for at least two isotope systems and determining subsurface environmental conditions at a point of injection including at least temperature; injecting a carbon dioxide source into the well; determining subsequent conditions after injecting the carbon dioxide source comprising collecting a sample from the well and determining the post-injection ratio conditions for the at least two isotope systems; and determining mineralization characterization from performing multi-isotope fractionation analysis using subsequent conditions and initial conditions. 15. The method of claim 14, further comprising preparing the carbon dioxide source with an elevated 13/12C ratio, which thereby at least partially establishes an initial ratio condition of a 13/12C isotope ratio. 16. The method of claim 14, wherein establishing initial ratio conditions for at least two isotopes comprises measuring the initial ratio conditions for the at least two isotopes 17. The method of claim 14, wherein carbonate precipitation is a shared mechanism for isotopic behavior of both of the at least two isotopes during the mineralization process. 18. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least two isotope systems comprises a first isotope system that pertains to a metal element group consisting of calcium, strontium, and magnesium and a second isotope system that pertains to carbon. 19. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least two isotope systems comprises a calcium-44 to calcium-40 isotope ratio and a carbon-13 to carbon-12 isotope ratio. 20. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least two isotope systems comprises a strontium-87 to strontium-86 isotope ratio and a carbon-13 to carbon-12 isotope ratio. 21. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least two isotope systems comprises a strontium-88 to strontium-86 isotope ratio and a carbon-13 to carbon-12 isotope ratio. CELL-M01-PCT 22. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least two isotope systems comprises magnesium-26 to magnesium-24 isotope ratio and a carbon-13 to carbon-12 isotope ratio. 23. The method of claim 14, wherein obtaining initial conditions at geological site comprises determining the subsurface environmental conditions at the point of injection including at least temperature, and determining value for a temperature dependent fractionation factor, wherein the temperature dependent fractionation factor. 24.The method of claim 23, wherein the at least two isotope systems comprises relates to a divalent metal cation (M2+) isotope ratio and a carbon-13 to carbon-12 isotope ratio; and wherein determining mineralization characterization from performing multi-isotope fractionation analysis using subsequent conditions and initial conditions comprises generating and plotting a quantification line by calculating theoretical δM2+ and δ13C values with varying values of f between 0 and 1 in two equations, δM2+ m onitoring solution, theoretical = δM2+ i nitial + 1000(alpha - 1)lnf and δ13C monitoring solution, theoretical = δ13C initial + 1000(alpha - 1)lnf, and then determining percentage of injected carbon dioxide mineralized into calcite as 100 x (1- f) by comparing measured isotope values in both isotope systems to the quantification line. 25. The method of claim 14, wherein determining subsequent conditions after initiation of injection of a carbon dioxide source at the geological site further comprises: analyzing water chemistry for: isotopes, concentrations of dissolved inorganic carbon content, divalent and monovalent ions and anions including but not limited to Ca, Sr, Na, Cl, and HCO3. 26. The method of claim 14, further comprising modifying injection of the carbon dioxide source based on the mineralization characterization. 27. A system comprising of: a carbon dioxide source with elevated 13/12C isotope ratio, well access to a subsurface basalt rock formation of the geological site; well sample system; CELL-M01-PCT one or more computer-readable mediums storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more computer processors, cause a computing platform to perform operations comprising: obtaining initial conditions at geological site which comprises establishing initial ratio conditions for at least two isotope systems, determining subsequent conditions after initiation of injection of a carbon dioxide source at the geological site, and determining mineralization characterization from performing multi-isotope fractionation analysis using subsequent conditions and initial conditions.

Description

CELL-M01-PCT MULTI-ISOTOPE QUANTIFICATION OF DISSOLUTION AND MINERALIZATION DURING GEOCHEMICAL CO2 REMOVAL AND STORAGE CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [001] This Application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/511,540, filed on 30-JUN-2023, which is incorporated in its entirety by this reference. TECHNICAL FIELD [002] This invention relates generally to the field of carbon capture and more specifically to a new and useful system and method for multi-isotope quantification of mineral dissolution and formation (“mineralization”). BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [003] The weathering of mafic rocks is currently being exploited in a variety of carbon capture and sequestration technologies. Basalt, for example, is a mafic rock, meaning low amounts of silica and lots of divalent metal cations (M2+) such as Ca2+, Mg2+ and Fe2+. The weathering (or dissolution) of silicate minerals within such rocks sequesters CO2 by transforming it to a dissolved form, e.g., bicarbonate HCO3-, facilitating solubility trapping of carbon dioxide. This serves as the basis for enhanced rock weathering technologies, which simply accelerate the geochemical reactions between minerals and anthropogenic CO2 to facilitate trapping of CO2 in the aqueous phase. Additionally, the release of calcium and magnesium during the weathering process allows for carbon mineralization, or mineral trapping of CO2 in the form of CaCO3 or MgCO3. This serves as the basis for carbon storage in subsurface mafic reservoirs. This method involves in-situ injections of carbon into mafic rock formations, such as basalt or peridotite, where carbon is sequestered in an aqueous phase through dissolution, and subsequently in mineral form through carbonate mineral formation. CELL-M01-PCT [004] Carbon storage in subsurface mafic reservoirs offers secure, long-term CO2 storage due to the potential for mineralization. Carbon is most thermodynamically stable in its solid mineral form; thus, mineralization may offer various advantages compared to traditional carbon storage in saline formations, including increased security and permanence. Despite the potential to leverage silicate mineral dissolution and subsequent mineralization reactions to remove and store carbon as a climate change mitigation strategy, the field still faces challenges in the ability to effectively monitor and verify weathering and/or mineralization. [005] For example, current methods of monitoring geologic carbon storage are mainly geophysical approaches adopted from oil and gas industry techniques. While geophysical surveys are a robust and cost-effective means of monitoring a pure-phase CO2 plume in the subsurface, typical wireline logging cannot discern the proportions of solubility and mineral trapping of CO2 induced by geochemical reactions. Currently, there is a lack of suitable ways of quantifying and/or monitoring enhanced weathering and carbon mineralization. [006] Some limited verification techniques for in-situ mineralization that are available may involve comparisons between mass-balance calculations of expected dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentrations in monitoring fluids (if no carbonate precipitation were to occur) and actual measurements. This depends on inferring the difference between “expected without mineralization” and measured values to estimate the mass of carbon lost from fluids into carbonate minerals. Such a technique depends on inference and can be error prone due to other reactions. For example, it is possible that geothermal processes prevalent in basaltic regions liberate magmatic CO2 and influence local groundwaters via subsurface silicate weathering, thereby influencing DIC concentrations beyond what is included in the aforementioned mass balance calculations. For example, in US Patent No.11,644,454, titled “VERIFICATION METHODS AND AGRONOMIC ENHANCEMENTS FOR CARBON REMOVAL BASED ON ENHANCED ROCK WEATHERING”, describes an approach that has similar limitations and challenges in its approach in that it lacks an ability to CELL-M01-PCT constrain an acid source (e.g., carbonic versus other acid sources). Furthermore, such an approach could not be applied to mineralization verification and is limited to basalt dissolution. Accordingly, existing techniques may not be fully reliable monitoring solutions. [007] Thus, there is a need in the carbon capture field to create a new and useful system and method for multi-isotope geological monitoring mineralization characterization. This invention provides such a new and useful system and method. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS [008] FIGURE 1 is a flowchart representation of a first method variation. [009] FIGURE 2 is a flowchart representation of a second method variation. [0010] FIGURE 3 is a flowchart representation of a method variation including preparing of carbon dioxide source injected in geological sites. [0011] FIGURE 4 is a flowchart representation of another method variation. [0012]FIGURE 5