Using controlled-source electromagnetic (CSEM) for CO2 storage monitoring in the North Dakota CarbonSAFE project

Abstract

The North Dakota CarbonSAFE (Carbon Storage Assurance Facility Enterprise) project is part of the U.S. Department of Energy initiative to develop geologic storage sites to store 50+ million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) from industrial sources. Geophysical methods are key for characterizing the geologic formations to store CO2 and monitor the injected CO2 over time to ensure containment. In the integrated multimeasurement geophysical approach considered for this project, it is expected that the controlledsource electromagnetic (CSEM) method is a strong contributor to mapping the CO2 movement. A feasibility study of the CSEM method, including 1D and 3D modeling and a field noise test, was conducted to determine its effectiveness in monitoring CO2 in the Broom Creek and Deadwood Formations. The study results demonstrate that the CSEM method can be used for CO2 storage monitoring in the study area. Preliminary inversion results of magnetotelluric (MT) and CSEM field data confirm the quality of the anisotropic model developed in this study.