Marine Monitoring for Offshore Geological Carbon Storage—A Review of Strategies, Technologies and Trends

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) could significantly contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and reaching international climate goals. In this process, CO<sub>2</sub> is captured and injected into geological formations for permanent storage. The injected plume and its migration w...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ann E. A. Blomberg, Ivar-Kristian Waarum, Christian Totland, Espen Eek
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-09-01
Series:Geosciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/11/9/383
Description
Summary:Carbon capture and storage (CCS) could significantly contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and reaching international climate goals. In this process, CO<sub>2</sub> is captured and injected into geological formations for permanent storage. The injected plume and its migration within the reservoir is carefully monitored, using geophysical methods. While it is considered unlikely that the injected CO<sub>2</sub> should escape the reservoir and reach the marine environment, marine monitoring is required to verify that there are no indications of leakage, and to detect and quantify leakage if it should occur. Marine monitoring is challenging because of the considerable area to be covered, the limited spatial and temporal extent of a potential leakage event, and the considerable natural variability in the marine environment. In this review, we summarize marine monitoring strategies developed to ensure adequate monitoring of the marine environment without introducing prohibitive costs. We also provide an overview of the many different technologies applicable to different aspects of marine monitoring of geologically stored carbon. Finally, we identify remaining knowledge gaps and indicate expected directions for future research.
ISSN:2076-3263