Summary of the impact

Geological storage of CO₂ requires prediction of the fate of stored CO₂ for ~ 10,000 years after injection, a period much longer than can be observed in injection experiments or modelled. The only way to directly observe the behaviour of CO₂ in crustal reservoirs over such time periods is to study accumulations of natural CO₂. This case study developed from research undertaken in the Department of Earth Sciences by Bickle between 2006 and 2011 on one such natural accumulation at Green River, Utah, USA. As a result of this research, Shell Global Solutions International BV, identified Green River as a location where they could evaluate the long-term response of caprocks to CO₂accumulations. In 2011 they commenced a major drilling and research program to recover and study caprock, reservoir rocks and fluids. The data we have generated from this work is being used to evaluate large-scale CCS projects including the proposed Goldeneye project in the UK North Sea.