Abstract
Abstract
CO2 is the primary greenhouse gas generated by human activity. In response to this, the geoengineering method Carbon Capture and Storage, CCS, is being investigated as a mitigation method to reduce the release of CO2 to the atmosphere. However, leakage from a CCS site is still a concern as leaking CO2 would migrate upward and end up in aquifers used for drinking water supply and/or return to the surface. Here the CO2-gas could constitute a threat to the environment and be a potential hazard to human health. The potential leakage pathways will most likely occur through abandoned/poorly sealed wells or higher permeable faults zones. Despite the low probability of leakage, there is still a public demand for exploring all the processes occurring as a result of leakage from a storage site.
The focus of this PhD study has mainly been on investigating the migration of CO2 in shallow heterogeneous aquifers caused by a potential leakage from a CO2 storage site. To help enlighten the dominant processes and mechanisms controlling CO2 migration in the shallow subsurface, a combination of laboratory and field experiments were conducted. The results from these experiments were compared to modelling results obtained using a multiphase numerical code.
CO2 is the primary greenhouse gas generated by human activity. In response to this, the geoengineering method Carbon Capture and Storage, CCS, is being investigated as a mitigation method to reduce the release of CO2 to the atmosphere. However, leakage from a CCS site is still a concern as leaking CO2 would migrate upward and end up in aquifers used for drinking water supply and/or return to the surface. Here the CO2-gas could constitute a threat to the environment and be a potential hazard to human health. The potential leakage pathways will most likely occur through abandoned/poorly sealed wells or higher permeable faults zones. Despite the low probability of leakage, there is still a public demand for exploring all the processes occurring as a result of leakage from a storage site.
The focus of this PhD study has mainly been on investigating the migration of CO2 in shallow heterogeneous aquifers caused by a potential leakage from a CO2 storage site. To help enlighten the dominant processes and mechanisms controlling CO2 migration in the shallow subsurface, a combination of laboratory and field experiments were conducted. The results from these experiments were compared to modelling results obtained using a multiphase numerical code.
| Original language | English |
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| Publisher | Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen |
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| Number of pages | 134 |
| Publication status | Published - Aug 2014 |
