Geological Storage of CO2: Mathematical Modeling and Risk Assessment (MatMoRA-II)

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In the proposed project, we will address important research questions regarding capacity estimates and long-term safety and risk factors related to geological storage of CO2. Simulation technology plays an important role in pushing these knowledge fronti ers, and therefore our goal is to advance the state-of-the-art in numerical simulation of subsurface storage. These efforts need to follow several parallel paths: (1) fast and reliable numerical methods for fundamental flow physics; (2) trustworthy frame works for software implementation; and (3) computationally efficient generalizations to account for couplings inherent in complex case-dependent physics such as thermal and geomechanical models. Our proposal consists of several research tasks that togeth er will generate efficient reduced models to handle more complex and realistic physics and coupled phenomena, a task that will be coordinated with concerted efforts to develop efficient software implementations. Using these new models, we intend to study the thermal and mechanical effects of CO2 injection, dissolution and flow in low-permeability structures, and the effect of caprock topography and integrity on CO2 migration. The key benefit of this project is the development of cutting-edge modeling tool s that can be used for extensive risk assessment studies that will improve our understanding of potential CO2 storage sites in Norway.