Geochemistry

The geochemistry laboratory features a host of brand new, state-of-the-art equipment dedicated to addressing fundamental science questions related to CCS.

It will enable researchers to conduct research on site characterisation and monitoring, in particular establishing baseline data sets for ongoing evaluation. Equipment in this facility can be used for preparing samples, identifying and quantifying elements and compounds, analysing tracers, measuring stable isotopes and calibrating mobile field equipment.

The facility is an all-inclusive and specialised collection of geochemistry equipment co-located at the Australian Resources Research Centre building that makes processing samples more efficient and comprehensive for our clients.

Items in the geochemistry laboratory include both organic, inorganic and isotopic analytical equipment, instruments that can analyse liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons, water, rock and soil samples. Some of this equipment could be deployed on site for monitoring purposes. See below a list of the equipment and capabilities.

Location

Australian Resources Research Centre, Kensington, Perth

Contact

Linda Stalker
Linda.Stalker@csiro.au

CCS applications

The geochemical equipment is predominantly used during the site selection and characterisation stages of the research process but also for monitoring and verification as it is used to obtain baseline data as well as ongoing observations.

At a potential CO₂ storage site new samples are taken to assess their hydrocarbon potential to determine potential resources in the region and provide baseline data. Ground water and deep formation fluids can be characterised for dissolved mineral species and rock samples can be treated to evaluate their potential reactivity on contact with CO₂.

Some of the analytical methods can be used to characterise and evaluate core-flood effluents to be compared with observations in the field for modelling potential reservoir scenarios.

The equipment can also be used to calibrate sensors that are designed to measure CO_2, or substances mobilised by CO₂, by way of field measurements. Tracer concentrations can be measured by the geochemical equipment as part of the partitioning data acquisition at varying depths, temperature and formation water compositions. It can also be used for breakthrough and recovery tests using the slim-tube experimental set-ups.

Other applications

Petroleum geochemistry
Environmental monitoring
Unconventional hydrocarbons
Characterisation of hydrocarbon compounds in fuels and processing

Example Equipment

Thermo Fischer Scientific MAT253 Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer with dual inlet connected to Gasbench II and Flash HT 2000 EA

Dual inlet

High precision δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O isotopic measurements of gas samples

GasBench (head-space sampling: water, carbonates)

Carbonate δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O isotope analyses
Dissolved Inorganic Carbon (DIC) δ¹³C isotopic analysis
Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) δ¹³C isotopic analysis
Water δ¹⁸O isotopic analysis via CO2 equilibration

Flash HT 2000 (carbon reduction/pyrolysis)

δ ³⁴S,¹⁵N and ¹³C isotopes in solid and liquid samples
Oxygen and hydrogen analysis of organic matter
δD and δ¹⁸O Isotope ratio analysis of H₂O
δ¹⁸O, isotopes of sulphates and phosphates
δ¹⁸O and δ¹⁵N isotopes from nitrates
δD isotopes of phyllosilicates and amphiboles

Thermo Fischer Scientific MAT253 Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer connected to TRACE GC ultra and GC-Isolink

Compound specific isotope measurements of liquid and gas samples
Differentiation between environmental, reservoir CO₂ and injected CO2 in CCS projects based on δ¹³C
δ¹³C and δ15N of individual organic pollutants correlate with their level of degradation in soil profiles
δ¹³C and δ²H values of light hydrocarbons and CO₂ can uncover the history of natural gas accumulations
δ¹³C of and δ²H values of oils /hydrocarbons /biomarkers/ organic pollutants

3 Picarro G2201-I Cavity Ringdown Spectrometers

δ¹³C and abundance (0-5000ppm)measurement of CO₂ and CH₄
Can be used to detect carbon dioxide and methane vents including the associated carbon isotopic signature.
Automate Autosampler and Picarro Liason system for measuring δ¹³C in Carbonates

Agilent 7700 ICP-MS and Agilent 720 Radial ICP-OES

Element/metal analysis in liquid samples or solid digestions in the range from ppt-ppm

Agilent 7700 ICP-MS connected to Photon Machines Analyte-Excite 193nm laser

in-situ U-Pb geochronology of zircon and monazite
Trace element characterization of minerals and fused rock powders
Trace element characterization of fish otoliths & statoliths
2-D trace element mapping of samples
High resolution 2-D trace element mapping (M-50)
On-line data reduction using and Iolite

Elementar Rapid C/S Cube

Elemental analysis of C/S in liquid and solid samples

Elementar VARO TOC cube

Total Carbon (TC), Total Inorganic Carbon (TIC) and Total Organic Carbon (TOC) in liquid samples

Thermo Fischer Scientific Flash HT 2000

Elemental Abundance C/N/S/O/H in solid and liquid samples

Thermo/ Dionex ICS-4000 Ion Chromatograph

Anions in mg/L

Pfeifer Omnistar MS

Mass spectrometry of gasses 1-300 amu

2 Thermo Scientific/Global Analyser Solution Refinery Gas Analysers:

1 connected to Thermo Scientific Triplus 300 head space autosampler.
The other unit has a septum for syringe injections
Fast determination of Hydrocarbon and permanent gasses gas composition of gas and head pace samples
Dectection using FID and TCD detectors after splitting and separation of the gas mixtures

Thermo Scientific Trace 1310 –ISQ GC-MS

Electron Impact EI Ionisation Source
Triplus RSH auto sampler for liquid, head space and SPME injections
Teledyne-Tekmar purge and trap autosampler for volatile organic component analysis in liquid and soil samples

Agilent 5975C GC-MS system