Underground energy-related product storage and sequestration: site characterization, risk analysis, and monitoring
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Date
2023-08-30
Publication Type
Book Chapter
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yes
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Abstract
This paper presents a high-level overview of site characterization, risk analysis, and monitoring priorities for underground energy-related product storage or sequestration facilities. The siting of an underground energy-related product storage or sequestration facility depends on several important factors beginning with the area of review. Collection of all existing and available records and data from within the rock volume, including potential vulnerabilities such as prior containment issues, proximity to infrastructure and/or population centers, must be evaluated. Baselining of natural processes before storage or sequestration operations begin provides the basis for assessing the effects of storage or sequestration on the surroundings. These initial investigations include geological, geophysical, and geochemical analyses of the suitability of the geological host rock and environs for storage or sequestration. A risk analysis identifies and evaluates threats and hazards, the potential impact should they develop into unwanted circumstances or events, and the consequences to the facility should any of them occur. This forms the basis for framing effective mitigation measures. combines the identified threats (unactualized hazards) and hazards, their potential magnitudes, and the consequences to the facility should any of them occur. This forms the basis for framing effective mitigation measures. Risk analyses produce deterministic and/or probabilistic predictions whose utility depends on the quality of threat, hazard, and consequence characterization. A comprehensive monitoring program that may include downhole well surveillance, observation wells, geochemical sampling, and well testing ensures that the facility operates as designed and that unforeseen issues, such as product migration or loss of integrity, can be identified and mitigated. In addition to these technical issues, human factors and public perception of a project are a critical part of the site characterization, construction, and operational phases of a project. Despite differences between underground storage and sequestration, sets of characterization, risk analysis, and monitoring approaches that were developed for underground natural gas storage or for carbon dioxide sequestration could be used for underground storage or sequestration of any type of energy-related product. Recommendations from this work include: (1) develop an industry-standard evaluation protocol (workflow) for the evaluation of salt beds, aquifers, depleted reservoirs, underground mines and cased wellbores for potential underground storage or sequestration development beyond those in use today; and (2) develop an industry-wide collaborative process whereby incident and near-miss data related to underground storage or sequestration operations can be reported, documented, and shared for use in refining risk analysis modeling.
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Publication status
published
Book title
Enabling Secure Subsurface Storage in Future Energy Systems
Journal / series
Volume
528 (1)
Pages / Article No.
37 - 59
Publisher
Geological Society
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Edition / version
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Software
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Date created
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Organisational unit
02704 - Geologisches Institut / Geological Institute
Notes
Funding
189882 - Future evolution of meta-stable rock slopes in hydropower systems of China: Implications for long-term safety (SNF)