• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.49-60
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• 2016

Distribution and behavior of baseline soil CO₂ were investigated in a candidate geologic CO₂ storage site in Pohang, with measuring CO₂ concentrations and carbon isotopes in the vadose zone as well as CO₂ fluxes and concentrations through ground surface. This investigation aimed to assess the baseline CO₂ levels and to build the CO₂ monitoring system before injecting CO₂. The gas in the vadose zone was collected using a peristaltic pump from the depth of 60 cm below ground surface, and stored at gas bags. Then the gas components (CO₂, O₂, N₂, CH₄) and δ¹³C_CO2 were analyzed using GC and CRDS (cavity ringdown spectroscopy) respectively in laboratory. CO₂ fluxes and CO₂ concentrations through ground surface were measured using Li-COR in field. In result, the median of the CO₂ concentrations in the vadose zone was about 3,000 ppm, and the δ¹³C_CO2 were in the wide range between −36.9‰ and −10.6‰. The results imply that the fate of CO₂ in the vadose zone was affected by soil property and vegetations. CO₂ in sandy or loamy soils originated from the respiration of microorganisms and the decomposition of C₃ plants. In gravel areas, the CO₂ concentrations decreased while the δ¹³C_CO2 increased because of the mixing with the atmospheric gas. In addition, the relation between O₂ and CO₂, N₂, and the relation between N₂/O₂ and CO₂ implied that the gases in the vadose zone dissolved in the infiltrating precipitation or the soil moisture. The median CO₂ flux through ground surface was 2.9 g/m²/d which is lower than the reported soil CO₂ fluxes in areas with temperate climates. CO₂ fluxes measured in sandy and loamy soil areas were higher (median 5.2 g/m²/d) than those in gravel areas (2.6 g/m²/d). The relationships between CO₂ fluxes and concentrations suggested that the transport of CO₂ from the vadose zone to ground surface was dominated by diffusion in the study area. In gravel areas, the mixing with atmospheric gases was significant. Based on this study result, a soil monitoring procedure has been established for a candidate geologic CO₂ storage site. Also, this study result provides ideas for innovating soil monitoring technologies.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2024

As part of monitoring technology aimed at verifying the stability of CO₂ geologic storage and mitigating concerns about leakage, a method for measuring the pH and alkalinity of high-pressure fluid samples was established to obtain practical technology. pH measurement for high-pressure samples utilized a high-pressure pH electrode, and alkalinity was measured using the Gran titration method for samples collected with a piston cylinder sampler (PCS). Experimental samples, referencing CO₂-rich water and CO₂ geologic storage studies, were prepared in the laboratory. The PCS controls the piston, preventing CO₂ degassing and maintaining fluid pressure, allowing mixing with KOH to fix dissolved CO₂. Results showed a 6.1% average error in high-pressure pH measurement. PCS use for sample collection maintained pressure, preventing CO₂ degassing. However, PCS-collected sample alkalinity measurements had larger errors than non-PCS measurements, limiting PCS practicality in monitoring field settings. Nevertheless, PCS could find utility in preprocessing for carbon isotope analysis and other applications. This research not only contributes to the field of CCS monitoring but also suggests potential applications in studies related to natural analogs of CCS, CO₂-rock interaction experiments, core flooding experiments, and beyond.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.359-366
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• 2009

CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) is considered as the most promising interim solution to deal with the greenhouse gas such as $CO_2$ responsible for global warming. Even though carefully chosen geologic formations are known to contain stored gas for a long time period, there are potential risks of leakage. Up to now, applicable risk assessment procedures for the leakage of $CO_2$ are not available. This study presents a basis for risk analysis applicable to a complex geologic storage system. It starts with the classification of potential leakage pathways. Receptors and the leakage effect on them are identified and quantified. Then, a fault tree is constructed, which yields the minimum cut set (i.e., the most vulnerable leakage pathway) and quantifies the probability of the leakage risk through the cut set. The methodology will provide a tool for risk assessment in a CCS project. The outcomes of the assessment will not only ensure the safety of the CCS system but also offer a reliable and efficient monitoring plan.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.9-22
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• 2012

Though geologic storage of $CO_2$ (GS) is considered as an attractive technological option to enormously reduce greenhouse gases emission into the atmosphere, many concerns on potential environmental and health risks associated with $CO_2$ leakage have been raised. In particular, groundwater contamination due to the brine displacement by a pressure build-up and the acidification by leaked $CO_2$ is paid a special attention. Therefore, integrated regulatory frameworks have been established by law in many countries to secure the permanent containment of injected $CO_2$. Regulatory frameworks deal with entire processes of GS, including site selection, monitoring and post-closure environmental management. This review paper provides a summary of regulatory frameworks in USA (U.S. EPA Geologic Sequestration Rule) and EU (Geologic $CO_2$ Sequestration Directive). The regulatory framework to properly address environmental issues should be established for the deployment of CCS projects in Korea.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.42-49
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• 2017

TOUGH2 was used to simulate the migration of $CO_2$ injected into a sandy aquifer. A series of numerical simulations was performed to investigate the effects of a low-permeability layer (LPL) embedded in the aquifer on the injection rate and the pressure distribution of $CO_2$. The results show that the size and location of the LPL greatly affected the spread of $CO_2$. The pressure difference between two points in the aquifer, one each below and above the LPL, increased as the size of the LPL increased, showing a critical value at 200 m, above which the size effect was diminished. The location of the LPL with respect to the injection well also affected the migration of $CO_2$. When the injection well was at the center of the LPL, the injection rate of $CO_2$ decreased by 5.0% compared to the case with no LPL. However, when the injection well was at the edge of the LPL, the injection rate was decreased by only 1.6%. The vertical distance between the injection point and the LPL also affected the injection rate. The closer the LPL was to the injection point, the lower the injection rate was, by up to 8.3%. Conclusively, in planning geologic storage of $CO_2$, the optimal location of the injection well should be determined considering the distribution of the LPL in the aquifer.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.24-35
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• 2019

It is known that ${\delta}^{13}C_{DIC}$ (carbon-13 isotope of dissolved inorganic carbonate (DIC) ions) of water increases when dissolved $CO_2$ degases. However, ${\delta}^{13}C_{DIC}$ could decrease when the pH of water is lower than 5.5 at the early stage of degassing. Laboratory experiments were performed to observe the changes of ${\delta}^{13}C_{DIC}$ as $CO_2$ degassed from three different artificial $CO_2$-rich waters (ACWs) in which the initial pH was 4.9, 5.4, and 6.4, respectively. The pH, alkalinity and ${\delta}^{13}C_{DIC}$ were measured until 240 hours after degassing began and those data were compared with kinetic isotope fractionation calculations. Furthermore, same experiment was conducted with the natural $CO_2$-rich water (pH 4.9) from Daepyeong, Sejong City. As a result of experiments, we could observe the decrease of DIC and increase of pH as the degassing progressed. ACW with an initial pH of 6.4, ${\delta}^{13}C_{DIC}$ kept increasing but, in cases where the initial pH was lower than 5.5, ${\delta}^{13}C_{DIC}$ decreased until 6 hours. After 6 hours ${\delta}^{13}C_{DIC}$ increased within all cases because the $CO_2$ degassing caused pH increase and subsequently the ratio of $HCO_3{^-}$ in solution. In the early stage of $CO_2$ degassing, the laboratory measurements were well matched with the calculations, but after about 48 hours, the experiment results were deviated from the calculations, probably due to the equilibrium interaction with the atmosphere and precipitation of carbonates. The result of this study may be not applicable to all natural environments because the pressure and $CO_2$ concentration in headspace of reaction vessels was not maintained constant as well as the temperature. Nevertheless, this study provides fundamental knowledge on the ${\delta}^{13}C_{DIC}$ evolution during $CO_2$ degassing, and therefore it can be utilized in the studies about carbonated water with low pH and the monitoring of geologic carbon sequestration.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.451-461
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• 2005

The $CO_2$ storage in geologic and oceanic reservoirs is considered to be one of the carbon management strategies for responding to global climate change. Ocean carbon sequestration is purposeful storage acceleration into the ocean of large amounts of carbon that would accumulate in the atmosphere and naturally enter the ocean over a longer timespan. Some technologies for $CO_2$ ocean sequestrations have been developed as a nation project. However, $CO_2$ ocean sequestrations are attractive because they have the advantage of vast capacity sequestration far away from industrial areas, and offer easier monitoring whereas less economic advantage has been indicated as one of the key barriers compared with $CO_2$ geosphere sequestration, which is produced as a byproduct. In this paper, a conceptual design for $CO_2$ ocean sequestration is introduced, and the preliminary examination is described. As a result, the $CO_2$ price, US$ 24/t shows far away from the economics. The causes come from the expensive $CO_2$ recovery cost and the low $CO_2$ price. The expensive $CO_2$ recovery cost is because too much electricity and water are consumed. In order to look for an economic balance point for $CO_2$ ocean sequestration, NPV=0, it is increases the $CO_2$ price. Finally 60.4$ per ton is found to be the balance price.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.41-55
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• 2015

Monitoring of $CO_2$ release through the ground surface is essential to confirm the safety of carbon storage projects. We conducted a feasibility study of the multi-channel surface-soil $CO_2$-concentration monitoring (SCM) system as a soil $CO_2$ monitoring tool with a small scale injection test. The background concentrations showed the distinct diurnal variation. The negative relation of $CO_2$ with temperature and the low $CO_2$ concentrations during the day imply that surface-soil $CO_2$ depends on photosynthesis and respiration. After 4.2 kg of $CO_2$ injection (1 m depth for 29 minutes), surface-soil $CO_2$ concentrations increased in the all five chambers, which were located less than 2.8 m of distance from each other. The $CO_2$ concentrations seem to be recovered to the background around 4 hours after the injection ended. To determine the leakage, the data from Chamber 2 and 5 with low increase rates were used for statistical analyses. Coefficient of variation for 30 minutes ($CV_{30min}$.) is efficient to determine a leakage signal, with reflecting the fast change in $CO_2$ concentrations. Consequently, SCM and $CV_{30min}$ could be applied for an efficient monitoring tool to detect $CO_2$ release through the ground surface. Also, this study provides ideas for establishing action steps after leakage detection.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.66-75
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• 2024

This paper presents development of a CO₂ injectivity analysis model using nodal analysis for the depleted oil reservoirs in Malaysia. Based on the final well report of an appraisal well, a basic model was established, and sensitivity analysis was performed on injection pressure, tubing size, reservoir pressure, reservoir permeability, and thickness. Utilizing the well testing report of A appraisal well, permeability of 10md was determined through production nodal analysis. Using the basic input data from the A appraisal well, an injection well model was set. Nodal analysis of the basic model, at the bottomhole pressure of 3000.74psia, estimated the CO₂ injection rate to be 13.29MMscfd. As the results of sensitivity analysis, the injection pressure, reservoir thickness, and permeability tend to exhibit a roughly linear increase in injection rate when they were higher, while a decrease in reservoir pressure at injection also resulted in an approximate linear increase in injection rate. Analyzing the injection rate per inch of tubing size, the optimal tubing size of 2.548inch was determined. It is recommended that if the formation parting pressure is known, performing nodal analysis can predict the maximum reservoir pressure and injection pressure by comparing with bottomhole pressure.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.13-30
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• 2013

Increase of pore fluid pressure resulting from injection of $CO_2$ may reactivate pre-existing faults, and the induced seismic activities can raise the safety issues such as seal integrity, restoration of storage capacity, and, in the worst case, removal of previously injected $CO_2$. Thus, fault stability and potential for $CO_2$ leakage need to be assessed at the stage of site selection and planning of injection pressure, based on the results of large-scale site investigations and numerical modeling for various scenarios. In this report, studies on the assessment of fault stability during injection of $CO_2$ were reviewed. The seismic activities associated with an artificial injection of fluids or a release of naturally trapped high-pressure fluids were first examined, and then site investigation methods for the magnitude and orientation of in situ stresses, the distribution and change of pore fluid pressure, and the location of faults were generally summarized. Recent research cases on possibility estimation of fault reactivation, prediction of seismic magnitude, and modeling of $CO_2$ leakage through a reactivated fault were presented.