SBIR-STTR Award

Department of Energy scientists and U.S. policy makers have identified the potential benefit of sequestering large quantities of greenhouse gases (primarily carbon dioxide, CO2) from the Earth’s atmosphere into subsurface carbon reservoirs. However, the storage process must be carefully monitored to ensure that the CO2 is not released back to the atmosphere. Successful, cost-effective monitoring technologies are necessary keys to establishing the viability and safety of long-term geo-sequestration efforts. This project will adapt and apply a powerful three-dimensional location technique to passively monitor the movement of sequestered CO2 in geological formations. Phase I will demonstrate the technique’s capabilities to accurately monitor the micro-seismicity that occurs in shallow underground reservoirs, such as those proposed for carbon sequestration. Phase II will conduct a field test of the technique, using a combination of surface and borehole sensors, at an appropriate monitoring site.

Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee:
The new technique should find application in the monitoring of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) efforts, in underground facility characterization, and in the monitoring of mining micro-seismicity.

The DOE’s carbon sequestration program requires careful monitoring and verification to ensure high-confidence with respect to the accounting of stored carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Passive seismic monitoring of microseismicity occurring at the reservoir scale can help to ensure the permanent sequestration of captured carbon dioxide. This project will adapt a state-of-the-art, three-dimensional location technique to passively monitor the microseismic movement of sequestered carbon dioxide in geological formations. In Phase I, the location algorithm was adapted to the microseimic scale of the carbon dioxide storage environment, and a wavelet-based phase detection algorithm was developed to process the microseismic waveform data. Phase II will involve the further development of the location methodology for use in the reservoir environment and its augmentation with data processing algorithms and field data demonstrations. One field demonstration will involve a microseismic study at a Department of Energy carbon storage pilot site performed in collaboration with researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee:
In addition to the application to carbon sequestration, passive monitoring at the microseismic scale should have many potential commercial uses, including applications in enhanced oil recovery, geothermal field monitoring, and mining operations