Researchers to test behaviour of stored CO2

Drilling, coring and wireline logging operations have commenced on a new carbon capture and storage (CCS) project at CO2CRC’s Otway Research Facility at Nirranda South, Victoria. The Prediction and Verification of Shallow CO₂ Migration project aims to better understand how CO₂ behaves around a geological fault when CO₂ is injected and stored deep underground.

Jointly managed by CO2CRC and Geoscience Australia, the project involves five of Australia’s leading research institutions, as well as several international researchers and industry partners. In the project’s current phase, two shallow observation wells will be installed and evaluation logs analysed to appraise the site and design the CO₂-monitoring program. The next phase will see the injection of between 10 and 40 tonnes of carbon dioxide into the deepest well (approximately 120 m) and surrounding subsurface.

From this test, one of the world’s first, scientists will observe how carbon dioxide migrates when it meets a fault. The resulting scientific knowledge will be applied in the development of more effective and accurate near-surface monitoring techniques for CO₂ storage sites worldwide.

Image courtesy CO2CRC.