Experiences from continuous microseismic monitoring for industrial-scale CO2 storage

2017 
One way to make large-scale geological storage of CO2 a publicly more accepted practice is to develop more convincing methodologies for monitoring verification and accounting (MVA). Passive seismic data has a large potential to enhance this current lack of credibility in MVA. Presented here are three case studies, where passive seismic data were analysed in innovative ways to provide relevant information on the CO2 and its behaviour in the subsurface. We briefly describe the applied analysis methods and the added value in the cases of In Salah (Algeria), Decatur (Illinois, U.S.) and the Longyearbyen CO2Lab (Svalbard). We also describe the differences in deployment of sensors for passive seismic data acquisition, and the resulting difficulties in unified data analysis workflows. Finally, we provide an overview on recent CO2 storage sites and the generally increased acceptance for the importance of passive seismic data acquisition. To avoid further catastrophic global warming, a drastic and immediate reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is necessary. A whole range of international organizations have realized this for a long time, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the International Energy Agency (IEA), and the United Nations Framework Convention Climate Change (UNFCCC). On 4 November, 2016 the Paris Agreement finally entered into force with most of the world’s political leaders showing that they are ready to take immediate action. Among many greenhouse gas reduction strategies, Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is an important technology, because it can generate net negative CO2 emissions, mostly with regards to bio-energy CCS (BECCS). Advancement of renewable energy sources is vital to reducing reliance on fossil fuels. However, regardless of the speed in the advancement in renewable energy sources, CCS can reduce the CO2 footprint from ‘dirty’, greenhouse gas-producing, industrial and agricultural processes, which cannot be replaced by renewable energies.
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