A natural analogue for CO₂ mineral sequestration in Miocene basalt in the Kuanhsi-Chutung area, Northwestern Taiwan

In general, CO₂ sequestration by carbonation is estimated by laboratory experimentation and geochemical simulation. In this study, however, estimation is based on a natural analogue study of the Miocene basalt in the Kuanhsi-Chutung area, Northwestern Taiwan. This region has great potential in terms of geological and geochemical environments for CO₂ sequestration. Outcropping Miocene basalt in the study area shows extensive serpentinization and carbonation. The carbon stable isotopes of carbonates lie on the depleted side of the Lohmann meteoric calcite line, which demonstrates that the carbonates most probably precipitate directly from meteoric fluid, and water-rock interaction is less involved in the carbonation process. Oxygen stable isotope examinations also show much depleted ratios, representative of product formation under low temperatures (∼50-90°C). This translates to a depth of 1-2km, which is a practical depth for a CO₂ sequestration reservoir. According to petrographic observation and electron microprobe analysis, the diopside grains in the basalt are resistant to serpentinization and carbonation; therefore, the fluid causing alteration is likely enriched with calcium and there must be additional sources of calcium for carbon mineralization. These derived geochemical properties of the fluid support the late Miocene sandstone and enclosed basalts as having high potential for being a CO₂ sequestration reservoir. Moreover, the existing geochemical environments allow for mineralogical assemblages of ultramafic xenoliths, indicating that forsterite, orthopyroxene and feldspar minerals are readily replaced by carbonates. Based on the mineral transformation in xenoliths, the capacity of CO₂ mineral sequestration of the Miocene basalt is semi-quantitatively estimated at 94.15kg CO₂ chemically trapped per 1m³ basalt. With this value, total CO₂ sequestration capacity can be evaluated by a geophysical survey of the amount of viable Miocene basalt at the potential sites. Such a survey is required in the near future.