Monitoring of geological carbon dioxide storage

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Carbon dioxide (CO2) from carbon capture and storage and direct air capture operations is often injected into deep geologic formations. These storage sites can be monitored for CO2 leakage. Monitoring can be done at both the surface and subsurface levels. [1] The dominant monitoring technique is seismic imaging, where vibrations are generated that propagate through the subsurface. The geologic structure can be imaged from the refracted/reflected waves. [1]

Contents

Subsurface

Subsurface monitoring can directly and/or indirectly track the reservoir's status. One direct method involves drilling deep enough to collect a sample. This drilling can be expensive due to the rock's physical properties. It also provides data only at a specific location.

One indirect method sends sound or electromagnetic waves into the reservoir which reflects back for interpretation. This approach provides data over a much larger region; although with less precision.

Both direct and indirect monitoring can be done intermittently or continuously. [2]

Seismic

Seismic monitoring is a type of indirect monitoring. [3] [4]

Examples of seismic monitoring of geological sequestration are the Sleipner sequestration project, the Frio CO2 injection test and the CO2CRC Otway Project. [5] Seismic monitoring can confirm the presence of CO2 in a given region and map its lateral distribution, but is not sensitive to the concentration.

Tracer

Organic chemical tracers, using no radioactive or Cadmium components, can be used during the injection phase in a CCS project where CO2 is injected into an existing oil or gas field, either for EOR, pressure support or storage. Tracers and methodologies are compatible with CO2 – and at the same time unique and distinguishable from the CO2 itself or other molecules present in the sub-surface. Using laboratory methodology with an extreme detectability for tracer, regular samples at the producing wells will detect if injected CO2 has migrated from the injection point to the producing well. Therefore, a small tracer amount is sufficient to monitor large scale subsurface flow patterns. For this reason, tracer methodology is well-suited to monitor the state and possible movements of CO2 in CCS projects. Tracers can therefore be an aid in CCS projects by acting as an assurance that CO2 is contained in the desired location sub-surface. In the past, this technology has been used to monitor and study movements in CCS projects in Algeria, [6] the Netherlands [7] and Norway (Snøhvit).

Surface

[8] This provides a measure of the vertical CO2 flux. Eddy covariance towers could potentially detect leaks, after accounting for the natural carbon cycle, such as photosynthesis and plant respiration. An example of eddy covariance techniques is the Shallow Release test. [9] Another similar approach is to use accumulation chambers for spot monitoring. These chambers are sealed to the ground with an inlet and outlet flow stream connected to a gas analyzer. [2] They also measure vertical flux. Monitoring a large site would require a network of chambers.

InSAR

Interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR), is a radar technique used in geodesy and remote sensing.

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References

  1. 1 2 Smit, Berend; Reimer, Jeffrey A.; Oldenburg, Curtis M.; Bourg, Ian C. (2014). Introduction to Carbon Capture and Sequestration. London: Imperial College Press. ISBN   978-1-78326-328-8.
  2. 1 2 Smit, Berend; Reimer, Jeffery A.; Oldenburg, Curtis M.; Bourg, Ian C. Introduction to Carbon Capture and Sequestration (The Berkeley Lectures on Energy - Vol. 1 ed.). Imperial College Press.
  3. ↑ Biondi, Biondo; de Ridder, Sjoerd; Chang, Jason (2013). 5.2 Continuous passive-seismic monitoring of CO2 geologic sequestration projects (PDF). Stanford University Global Climate and Energy Project 2013 Technical Report (Report). Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 June 2015. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  4. ↑ "Review of Offshore Monitoring for CCS Projects". IEAGHG. IEA Greenhouse Gas R&D Programme. Archived from the original on 3 June 2016. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  5. ↑ Pevzner, Roman; Urosevic, Milovan; Popik, Dmitry; Shulakova, Valeriya; Tertyshnikov, Konstantin; Caspari, Eva; Correa, Julia; Dance, Tess; Kepic, Anton; Glubokovskikh, Stanislav; Ziramov, Sasha; Gurevich, Boris; Singh, Rajindar; Raab, Matthias; Watson, Max; Daley, Tom; Robertson, Michelle; Freifeld, Barry (August 2017). "4D surface seismic tracks small supercritical CO2 injection into the subsurface: CO2CRC Otway Project". International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control. 63: 150–157. Bibcode:2017IJGGC..63..150P. doi: 10.1016/j.ijggc.2017.05.008 .
  6. ↑ Mathieson, Allan; Midgely, John; Wright, Iain; Saoula, Nabil; Ringrose, Philip (2011). "In Salah CO2 Storage JIP: CO2 sequestration monitoring and verification technologies applied at Krechba, Algeria". Energy Procedia. 4: 3596–3603. doi: 10.1016/j.egypro.2011.02.289 .
  7. ↑ Vandeweijer, Vincent; van der Meer, Bert; Hofstee, Cor; Mulders, Frans; D'Hoore, Daan; Graven, Hilbrand (2011). "Monitoring the CO2 injection site: K12-B". Energy Procedia. 10th International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies. 4: 5471–5478. doi: 10.1016/j.egypro.2011.02.532 .
  8. ↑ Madsen, Rod; Xu, Liukang; Claassen, Brent; McDermitt, Dayle (February 2009). "Surface Monitoring Method for Carbon Capture and Storage Projects". Energy Procedia. 1 (1): 2161–2168. Bibcode:2009EnPro...1.2161M. doi: 10.1016/j.egypro.2009.01.281 .
  9. ↑ Trautz, Robert C.; Pugh, John D.; Varadharajan, Charuleka; Zheng, Liange; Bianchi, Marco; Nico, Peter S.; Spycher, Nicolas F.; Newell, Dennis L.; Esposito, Richard A.; Wu, Yuxin; Dafflon, Baptiste; Hubbard, Susan S.; Birkholzer, Jens T. (20 September 2012). "Effect of Dissolved CO2 on a Shallow Groundwater System: A Controlled Release Field Experiment". Environmental Science & Technology. 47 (1): 298–305. doi:10.1021/es301280t. PMID   22950750. S2CID   7382685.
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