Latest CO2 Transport, Storage and Monitoring R&D Progress in Republic of Korea: Offshore Geologic Storage

Abstract

The objective of the present study is to review and introduce R&D strategy, progress and plan focused on marine geological storage in Republic of Korea. Marine geological storage of CO2 is to transport and to store CO2 captured from major point sources into the offshore geologic formations. The present project focused on an investigation into potential CO2 storage in the Korean continental shelves. This technology development plan is to meet Korean Government's CCS demonstration plan to explore and secure the CO2 storage sites which have >1MtCO2/year capacity in 2015 and to start CO2 injection of >1 MtCO2/year in 2017. We have carried out comprehensive R&D project on CO2 storage in marine geological formations since 2005. From 2011, core technologies related to the demonstration of CO2 offshore geological storage have been developed. Under this multidisciplinary project, our research topics can be categorized into 4 parts: 1) screening, selection and characterization of storage sites, and development of DB (especially focused on the offshore sediments), 2) design of offshore transport infrastructure including CO2 pipeline, carrier and floating temporary storage, 3) development of technologies for CO2 leak prevention during the transport, injection and storage processes, and 4) modeling and monitoring of subsurface CO2 behavior, and establishment of marine environmental monitoring and management framework.