Storage research
Storage projects
The Optimising Storage Program develops new and innovative technologies and enables the deployment of CO2CRC’s demonstrated technologies for commercial scale application.
Depleted hydrocarbon reservoir CO2 storage
Demonstrated that the CO2 can be safely stored and monitored in depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs.
CO2CRC can provide effective, risk-based solutions for key issues and opportunities in the utilisation of depleted reservoirs for CO2 storage.
Saline formation CO2 storage & trapping
CO2CRC’s applied research has developed new methods to measure residual and dissolved CO2 storage capacity within a saline formation.
A single-well injection test was developed to obtain field scale estimates of residual and dissolved CO2.
Storage of CO2 with impurities
Costs for CO2 capture could be reduced if CO2 gas impurities can be injected and not adversely affect CO2 containment.
CO2CRC’s field test show the impact of storing CO2 containing low levels of common impurities was minimal.
Monitoring stored CO2
CO2CRC have delivered a broadly applicable procedure to predict, monitor and verify and assure CO2 migration and trapping.
Field tests have demostrated non-invasive, high-resolution, on demand monitoring systems that can be used to substantially lower costs in commercial monitoring projects
Reservoir characterisation & modelling
CO2CRC has matured the modelling capability of appraising potential CO2 storage sites, optimising storage operations, and predicting long term fluid trapping processes.
CO2CRC’s modelling can improve the confidence in long term storage for both CCUS operators and regulators.
Environmental monitoring
CO2CRC has had an environmental monitoring program at the Otway International Test Centre since 2006.
Monitoring ensures that the storage of carbon dioxide has no adverse impacts to the environment and demonstrates compliance with regulatory requirements. The facility is regulated under the Environment Protection Act.
Influence of faults on CO2 storage
Predicting the influence of geological faults on the migration of injected CO2 is important for understanding long-term safe CO2 storage.
CO2CRC is developing and testing new methods to predict CO2 migration pathways in the near surface to enable enhanced modelling of stored CO2 behaviour.
Improving CO2 Injection
CO2CRC and the Japanese Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth (RITE) jointly propose to assess a new CO2 injection technology developed by RITE, Microbubble CO2 injection.
Microbubble CO2 injection could increase effective storage capacity and reduce the required number of wells for CO2 injection