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CLIMIT-Forskning, utvikling og demo av CO2-håndtering

CO2 containment and monitoring techniques

Alternative title: Teknikker for indentifisering av sikker CO2 lagring

Awarded: NOK 9.6 mill.

COTEC (2019-2023 – extended due to Covid-19) is an interdisciplinary project that utilizes a natural field laboratory in Utah, USA, to investigate the migration and storage of CO2 in an area with well-known geology. This research is highly relevant for the quality assurance of CO2 storage initiatives in the North Sea. COTEC brings together Norwegian universities (UiO, UNIS), research institutes (NGI, NORSAR), and four U.S.-based universities, fostering a broad and interdisciplinary expertise that contributes to the project's comprehensive understanding. In addition to research, COTEC includes an educational program with a PhD student, a Postdoc position, and MSc students. Seismic data has aided us in identifying zones with high fluid permeability and increased carbon emissions. In these zones, fractures in the Earth's crust act as conduits for fluids, often driven by heightened pressure. This discovery has significant implications for CCS projects focused on deep carbon dioxide storage. Our study suggests that a thorough understanding of soil and rock properties, especially the presence of fluid-filled fractures, is pivotal for the success of CCS projects. These fractures can either facilitate or obstruct fluid movement, thereby influencing the efficiency of carbon storage systems. Therefore, when it comes to underground CO2 storage, it's not solely about the type of rock and fluid; it also involves the pathways these fluids follow and the pressure propelling them.

The project has contributed to enhanced, ground-truthed understanding of a fault-zone complexity when re-risking an area for potential carbon storage. Several methods on seismic data aquisition tailored to be complementary have identified low-velocity zones that correspond to areas with high permeability and elevated CO2 soil emissions. These regions are associated with the shallow damage zone, characterized by velocities resembling soil properties. Here, fluid-filled fractures open under increased pressure, reducing stress on the fault system and facilitating the upward migration of CO2. Knowledge transfer through seminar and conference participation has made key frindings available to centrally placed partners in Norwegian research and industry, while peer-reviewed journal publications are all open access.

Assessment of integrity of subsurface sequestration sites holding CO2 has been highlighted by the Smeaheia and Johansen prospect CO2 storage projects. We target a better understanding of seepage processes, where geological-geomechanical elements control flow across sealing rock units. Natural seeps are the easy accessible onshore counterparts to seismic chimneys; we will explore a natural CO2 leakage site (Utah, USA) to investigate the geological footprint and geophysical signatures of an active CO2 seal bypass systems in a new, truly novel approach, expanding on several past and ongoing projects. Observed flow and seep patterns, diagenetic status and rock strength assessments, summarized in 3D geo- and simulation models, will be used to investigate the geophysical signatures of CO2 flow along faults, by undertaking: (i) High-resolution outcrop studies, (ii) geomechanical analyses of fault materials acquired by drilling, (iii) 2D seismic investigation across the fault, (iv) monitoring of micro-seismic activity, (v) a synthetic seismic study. This integrated geological-geomechanical-geophysical-modelling bridges into de-risking of commercial storage projects, with significant learning potential of high relevance for application in North Sea storage projects.

Publications from Cristin

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CLIMIT-Forskning, utvikling og demo av CO2-håndtering

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