3D modelling and capacity estimation of potential targets for CO2 storage in the Adriatic Sea, Italy

One of the most innovative and effective technologies developed in recent decades for reducing carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere is carbon capture and storage (CCS). It consists of capture, transport and injection of CO2 produced by energy production plants or other industries. The injection takes place in deep geological formations with the suitable geometrical and petrophysical characteristics to trap CO2 permanently in the subsurface, which is called geological storage. In the development process of a potential geological storage site, correct capacity estimation of the injectable volumes of CO2 is one of the most important aspects. There are various approaches to estimate CO2 storage capacities for potential traps, including geometrical equations, dynamic modelling, numerical modelling and 3D modelling. In this work, the generation of 3D petrophysical models and equations for calculation of the storage volumes are used to estimate the effective storage capacity of four potential saline aquifers in the Adriatic Sea offshore. The results show how different saline aquifers, with different lithologies at favourable depths, can host a reasonable amount of CO2, which will require further and more detailed feasibility studies for each of these structures. A detailed analysis is carried out for each saline aquifer identified, varying the parameters of each structure identified and adapting them for a realistic estimate of potential geological storage capacity. Thematic collection: This article is part of the Geoscience for CO2 storage collection available at: https://www.lyellcollection.org/cc/geoscience-for-co2-storage