Geological storage of CO2

The geological storage of CO₂ could be used to tackle climate change. There are a number of technical and regulatory challenges involved. In particular, it must be shown that storage presents no risks to the local environment.

Today, three storage solutions are under consideration to ensure the long-term sequestration of CO₂: former oil and gas reservoirs, deep saline aquifers and unmined coal seams.

IFP is working on all of these options, its objective being to develop industrial software that can be used to model and monitor storage facilities and optimize the injection and storage process.

Coores – modeling hydrodynamic behavior of CO₂

IFP is carrying out experimental studies in the laboratory designed to gain a better understanding of interactions between CO₂, the fluids encountered and rocks. These studies provide information for the modeling tools used to evaluate and simulate the fate of CO₂ underground, over several hundreds, or even thousands, of years.

For example, using its significant experience in the field of basin and reservoir modeling, IFP developed the Coores simulator, which models the hydrodynamic behavior of CO₂ in porous media, taking into account all the geochemical and geomechanical interactions. This simulator is used on an industrial scale to carry out site assessments, as a complement to a variety of analyses: seismic and geochemical studies, core sampling, well logging, etc. The model constructed in this way makes it possible to estimate injectivity, CO₂ migration underground as well as the impact of geochemical and geomechanical changes on the integrity of overburdens and wells. The objective is to assess the safety of storage in the mid and long terms.

On the strength of this experience and as part of the Bahia project, IFP is working with Petrobras to study CO₂ storage conditions in the Reconcavo basin in Brazil. It is also involved in the storage project being coordinated by Total in the Lacq region.

Storage sites monitoring

Follow-up of CO₂ injection and site monitoring are crucial to ensure storage safety. In this field, IFP is developing monitoring techniques based on seismic acquisition with, in particular the Seismovie^TM continuous monitoring system developed with CGGVeritas and GDF-Suez.

In addition, IFP is continuing to work on the development of mµsics^TM software, designed to locate passive microseismic events.

Geogreen – engineering from transport to the geological storage of CO₂

The transport and storage of CO₂ is an emerging industrial sector. This was the rationale for IFP, Géostock and BRGM to set up in 2007 Geogreen, a company offering the industry players concerned a very broad range of services covering the entire chain, from transport to the geological storage of CO₂, from upstream expertise to engineering and project development. In the longer term, the company will offer services for the operation, monitoring and maintenance of injection sites, along with follow-up services related to the closure of storage sites.