There is an urgent need to better characterize containment risks in both natural and engineered systems. Loss of containment impacts the environment whether this is on the surface or in the subsurface, and it may lead to delays in resource production or loss of efficacy of fluid disposal. The issues surrounding containment are applicable to many industries, subsurface issues and industrial interventions (steam chambers for example) as well as regulators. Effective monitoring technologies and integrated monitoring systems are thus becoming critically important to many sectors in the petroleum industry.
Currently under development, CaMI’s Field Research Station (FRS#1) will be a unique opportunity to develop, refine and calibrate monitoring systems and technologies.
The FRS program will be designed around small tonnages (up to 1000 tonnes per year) of CO2 (possibly with small amounts of impurities such as CH4 or other tracers) to be injected into the subsurface at depths of approximately 300 m and 700 m. The injection targets are water filled sandstones within Upper Cretaceous clastic reservoir formations, with overlying shales or mixed sand/shale sequences forming the cap rocks.
Site activities will focus on research and technology development as well as training inmonitoring technologies. Geophysical, geochemical, geomechanical and geodetic monitoring of the subsurface gas plume (both CO2 and methane) will be complemented by near-surface hydrogeological studies to better understand shallow groundwater systems, near-surface subsurface fluid flow, and to establish the fate of both CO2 and CH4 in an aquifer below ~225 m depth, which is the local base of groundwater protection.
Partners sought
Researchers from industry, from academia, and from the CMC Network of researchers across Canada and internationally will be able to take part in research at the site with various access protocols. CMC is inviting partners to join in this collaborative development exercise with partnership offered via sponsorship; contract R&D arrangements and by other collaboration mechanisms. Applications at the site include:
- Secure carbon storage (CCS)
- Steam chamber containment and effectiveness
- Tertiary/Enhanced petroleum recovery
- Characterization of hydraulic or natural fractures
- Groundwater protection
- New or legacy well construction/abandonment issues and fugitive emissions
- Acid gas or other fluid disposal
- Induce seismicity risk analysis and mitigation
For more details about CaMI and the FRS#1 click here.
To speak to someone about CaMI or the FRS#1 contact CaMI Director Dr. Don Lawton at 403 210-6671 or by email at don.lawton@cmcghg.com