Integrated containment risks assessment for subsurface CO2 storage: Overburden analysis and top seal integrity study, offshore Norway

Abstract

This study summarizes the OASIS (Overburden Analysis and Seal Integrity Study for CO₂ Sequestration in the North Sea) project that focuses on assessing the containment risks associated with the geological carbon sequestration (CCS) of the Northern Lights project. CCS is viewed as one of the most effective solutions for reducing carbon emissions, as it captures carbon dioxide from point sources and permanently stores it in suitable geological formations. However, injecting CO₂ into the subsurface may have mechanical consequences, including fault reactivation, top seal fracturing, surface heave, etc. This study proposes an interdisciplinary workflow to characterize the caprock, faults, and overburden associated with CCS projects in the Horda Platform area, to improve injection-induced containment risk assessment. Our findings show that the proposed workflows and tools effectively characterize stress-related mechanical hazards. However, due to the complex nature of rocks, it is challenging to evaluate the top seal integrity using a single method. Therefore, the proposed interdisciplinary approach is more effective for any fluid injection site's characterization, given the complex nature of the subsurface and its behavior under injection-induced stress changes. This research paper adds knowledge about the top seal integrity assessment and the reliability of injected CO₂, making CCS projects more reliable and safer. Although this study focuses on the northern North Sea, the proposed methods are equally applicable globally to characterize subsurface CO₂ storage sites. Apart from CCS projects, these research results can benefit other subsurface injection projects, such as water injection for reservoir management, wastewater injection for disposal, hydrogen storage, and hydraulic fracturing for unconventional hydrocarbon resources.