Monitoring carbon dioxide storage using fit-for-purpose technologies

Carbon dioxide storage sites are selected and designed not to leak. However, the variety of storage scenarios and different trapping mechanisms have a range of associated risks, including potential adverse effects on the environment and other subsurface resources. Monitoring of sites through the deployment of suitable technologies can provide assurance that the site is performing as expected and lend confidence to predictions of future (long-term) behaviour. Monitoring can act as an ‘early warning system’ to trigger appropriate changes in injection strategy and also to monitor any subsequent remediation, should it be required. Analysis of results from a selection of active storage sites shows that storage containment risks can be successfully monitored through the deployment of fit-for-purpose technologies.