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Geothermal Energy & CO2 Storage Using Seismic Geomechanics
Geological parameters that must be taken into consideration before the implementation of CO2 storage methods include porosity-permeability and the thickness and depth of the reservoir formation which speaks to the in-situ stress state of the Earth, in addition to cap rock integrity and sealing properties of faults (Koukouzas et al., 2020).
Additional factors that substantially affect the implementation of geological storage methods involve environmental issues (CO2 leakage) which speaks to the mechanical stress state of the Earth.
Like the conventional petroleum system, a Carbon Storage System (CSS) has essential subsurface elements with uncertainty and risk assigned to each element that must be investigated and defined, in this case for safe and efficient containment prior to application which speaks to integrity of the rock and minimal horizontal stress.
Emerging methods involve not only the artificial creation of storage space and confinement in tight rocks, but safe containment which requires measurement of rock properties and in-situ stress states of the Earth involving geomechanical stratigraphy and the Mechanical Earth Model (or MEM).
Such methods represent a similar approach with application of in-situ stress states and the MEM relative to the development of unconventional oil and gas resources and fracture stimulation of tight rocks, in this case for environmentally safe containment of CO2 with knowledge of geomechanics and subsequent fracture geometry in defining the CSS.