DISTRIBUTED FIBER OPTIC ELECTROMAGNETIC SENSING FOR SUBSURFACE MONITORING OF CARBON STORAGE SITES

Problem Statement: A prevailing approach to monitoring carbon storage sites is to adapt sensing technologies currently utilized in the oil & gas industry to optimize drilling and production. Specifically, taking advantage of traditional electromagnetic techniques to track subsurface carbon dioxide plume movements has been elusive due to an inability to achieve the necessary spatial resolution and an incompatibility with metallic casings. As with other applications in healthcare and security, a sensing system that can be left in place permanently, allows for remote time-lapse monitoring, and is capable of the distributed measurements necessary for measurements with high spatial resolution would find immediate application in the commercial and public carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) arenas. Project Objectives: The objective of the proposed Phase I program is to design, construct and demonstrate a fiber optic sensing system capable of distributed electromagnetic and acoustic measurements along one fiber optic cable that can be readily deployed and seamlessly integrated with commercial-scale CCUS operations. This one-of-its-kind monitoring system will leverage a commercially available fiber optic interrogator unit and a unique multi-material optical fiber developed under previous federally-funded programs to deliver performance that cannot currently be achieved with any other technology. Work Plan: In this Phase I effort, a small business will collaborate with two research institutions to design, construct, and demonstrate the performance of a prototype electromagnetic sensing system in a simulated subsurface environment. Numerical modeling and data processing tools will be created to analyze and interpret subsurface phenomena to ensure the system will provide benefit to carbon storage operators. A “systems-approach” will be employed to optimize the sensing fiber and interrogation system to ensure the seamless integration and enable high performance. Upon completion of this 9-month effort, the technology will be well-positioned for on-site deployment and operation in the Phase II program. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits: A fiber optic sensing fiber capable of distributed electromagnetic field measurements with high spatial resolution over long distances will find immediate commercial applications in the subsurface monitoring of carbon storage facilities and address needs for subsurface imaging in the oil & gas industry and critical minerals exploration. The proposed technology is truly unique and will provide benefit to the renewable energy sector, as a whole, for monitoring critical electrical power generation and distribution assets and for monitoring and securing critical infrastructure via real-time event detection and structural health monitoring.