Japanese R&D Project for CO2 Geological Sequestration

Abstract

The distributions of oil and gas fields in Japan are quite limited, and the scale of each field is relatively small. However, there are aquifers that may become suitable reservoirs for CO2 geological sequestration. A preliminary study on CO2 geological sequestration estimated the possible capacity at 8.8 billion tons in the offshore areas surrounding the Japanese Islands. The Japanese government conducted an R&D program for the fixation and utilization of emitted carbon dioxide (CO2). This chapter deals with an outline of the “R&D project for CO2 geological sequestration,” which is one of the major items in this program. Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth (RITE) undertook this project in co-operation with Engineering Advancement Association of Japan (ENAA). The purpose of this project is to study the feasibility of CO2 geological sequestration in Japan, including public acceptance as well as environmental impact assessment. This 5-year project consists of three major research themes: “Fundamental research,” including laboratory tests on rock cores and the development of long-term reservoir simulator, “CO2 injection and monitoring” at an actual field, and “Geological investigation” on methodology of technical site evaluation.