Mechanisms and options of the utilization and burial of carbon dioxide in the earth interior

Abstract

Background. One of the key approaches to reducing the long-term effects of global warming consists in capturing, transporting and disposing and/or burial of carbon dioxide. The Russian Federation is one of the leaders in carbon dioxide emissions. At the same time, having great potential in the field of CO2 burial in the subsoil, there are currently no industrial projects for capturing, transporting and utilizing and (or) storing CO2.Aim. To study of the retention mechanisms and burial features of carbon dioxide within various geological formations.Materials and methods. Based on the analysis of extensive material, a review of existing options for the utilization and storage of carbon dioxide in the bowels has been prepared.Results. Burial assumes CO2 injection into rock layers, which are capable of its absorption and safe long-term retention. Various options for the burial of carbon dioxide in the Earth interior are considered. The main ones are layers of depleted hydrocarbon deposits and mineralized aquifers. Also, carbon dioxide storage can be carried out in undeveloped coal seams, saline and basalt formations. The basic mechanisms of retention, necessary geological conditions and characteristics of potential reservoirs are described. The risks and uncertainties of burial in various geological formations are analyzed. Examples of the world’s most significant projects for the utilization and disposal of CO2 in the Earth interior are given. Such as Sleipner in Norway, In-Salah in Algeria, etc. It is indicated that the potential of Russia in the field of utilization and (or) disposal of carbon dioxide in the bowels is quite high, but it has not been fully assessed.Conclusion. At present, the most studied and tested options for the utilization and storage of carbon dioxide in the Earth interior are as follows: the use of carbon dioxide as an agent in the methods of enhanced oil recovery, the storage of CO2 in the strata of depleted deposits of hydrocarbon raw materials and in mineralized aquifers.It is necessary to concentrate efforts on a purposeful geological study of various conditions for storing carbon dioxide in the Russian Earth interior, as well as on the development of uniform requirements for the geological parameters of CO2 underground storage facilities.