Induced seismicity and carbon storage: Moving towards improved risk assessment and risk mitigation strategies

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Presenter

Dr. Joshua White
Research Scientist
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Abstract

Geologic carbon storage (GCS) is widely recognized as an important strategy to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide emissions. Like all technologies, however, sequestration projects create a number of potential environmental and safety hazards that must be addressed. These include earthquakes—from microseismicity to larger events—that can be triggered by altering pore-pressure conditions in the subsurface. To date, measured seismicity due to CO₂ injection has been limited to a few modest events, but the hazard exists and must be considered. This presentation will focus on strategies for assessing and mitigating seismic risk, with an emphasis on maintaining public trust in GCS. We will also highlight research avenues which could have a substantial impact on this subsurface engineering challenge.