Passive Seismic Monitoring for Carbon Storage Site Characterization

C53-21e-271415Seismic monitoring is a critical component of a Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) system for underground carbon storage. This Phase II proposal is to validate the Phase I design of a turnkey seismic monitoring service by installing and operating such a system for an active carbon injection facility. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a key element in the USA’s carbon emissions reduction strategy. An essential requirement in geologic carbon storage is monitoring, validation and accounting for CO2 during and after injection. The purpose of this proposal is to support the development of a turnkey microseismic monitoring service that would help ensure the safe operation of industrial scale CO2 storage facilities. Specifically, this would enable operators of CCS facilities to make better operational decisions about the state of the storage formation, CO2 injection rates, and reservoir integrity. Ensuring safe operation of any storage facility is critical to the long-term effectiveness of this approach. Reducing or eliminating significant seismic events is also critical to public perception and acceptance. This Phase II proposal covers the purchase, installation, and 18 months of operation of a turnkey, long-term, real-time seismic monitoring service for a CCS facility in the USA. The monitoring system consists of a permanent array of geophones in shallow boreholes, autonomous data collection and telemetry, and automated event detection and location, all connected to the CCS facility operations center at the selected site. The proposed monitoring system should detect and locate events down to Mw ~ -2.0, with location uncertainties on the order of 10s to 100s of feet. A real-time system like this can post an event detection within 10 minutes of occurrence, and automated alerts can be configured for critical events.