Geological input to Carbon storage, from outcrop to simulator

The GeC project has performed advanced research and post-graduate education through one Postdoc and two PhD positions, with a focus on CO₂ behaviour in the subsurface. These positions are integrated into the expert groups working on the Longyearbyen CO₂ lab project; an industry-funded consortium with close links to CCS centres. Ongoing research utilizes datasets made available by the Longyearbyen CO₂ lab, and supplementary data from other sources. Key research topics that has been addressed: (1) impact of sedimentary architecture on fluid flow in the chosen aquifer, (2) impact of fractures on reservoir properties and sealing; (3) impact of faults on CO₂ flow, and (4) integrated reservoir modelling for forecasting reservoir behaviour, quantifying uncertainties and evaluating risk. The study has shown how fractures are variably distributed based in sedimentary facies and bed thickness. Integration of fracture and water injection data into reservoir models have been used to predict flow behaviour by simulator study in the unconventional reservoir explored. The geo-modelling and simulator benchmarking highlights key challenges in CO₂ storage for such reservoirs, including beyond state-of-the-art methodology.

Educational outputs include the PhD defence of Kim Senger in December 2013 and the finalizing of postdoc Kei Ogata’s fellowship. We can report a very high productivity with 29 peer-review papers published and an outstanding number of conference contributions.