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

Abstract

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) could significantly contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and reaching international climate goals. In this process, CO2 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 CO2 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.

On the Flow of CO2-Saturated Water in a Cement Fracture

“…Studies have shown that carbon capture and storage (CCS) can significantly help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions [1]. In many geoscience applications, CO 2 is captured and injected into geological formations for permanent storage [2].…”

A Review of Marine In Situ Sensors and Biosensors

“…The sensing mechanisms, performance, advantages and disadvantages of different detection methods and sensors, including point sensors and in situ sensors, are analyzed and compared. Compared to other reviews focusing on only one or several fields, such as seafood [32,33], nutrients [24,34] and carbon storage [35], this work provides a comprehensive description of commercial products and the latest development of the in situ marine sensors for different analytes. Some representative optical, chemical and biological marine sensors are summarized in the tables, and their characteristics are analyzed and compared in detail.…”