Risk Assessment of CO₂ Storage by Understanding Coupled Thermo-hydro-chemical-mechanical Processes

(13-14 March 2025)

Instructors:	Andreas Busch and Eric Mackay (Heriot-Watt University)
Language:	English
Level:	Advanced
Duration and format:	Classroom: 2 days
Location:

Course Description

Evaluating the risks for CO₂ storage is a key aspect in determining the technical viability of such projects. This course will explain coupled phenomena in terms of i) reservoir conformance and ii) storage integrity by discussing the principles of coupled processes affected mainly by changes in pressure (effective stress), temperature and geochemistry in subsurface storage and sealing formations. These changes will affect flow and transport as well as geomechanical stability and impact the long-term predictability of conformance and containment. Through this course you will learn how coupled processes are implemented in real-world CO₂ storage projects to assess related risks. You will gain an understanding of the coupled processes in CO₂ storage reservoirs to make your own assessment of short to long-term risks for reservoir conformance prediction and containment, and you will obtain an introduction into the fundamental coupled processes expected to occur in subsurface.

Course Objectives

• Generate an understanding of the coupled processes in CO₂ storage reservoirs to make an assessment of short to long-term risks for reservoir conformance prediction.
• Generate an understanding of coupled processes in geological sealing units (caprocks, faults) to make an assessment of short to long-term risks for reservoir containment.
• Obtain an introduction into the fundamental coupled processes expected to occur in subsurface CO₂ storage formations and associated seals.
• Learn how coupled processes are implemented in real-world CO₂ storage projects to assess related risks.

Instructors

Prof. Andreas Busch is Professor in Earth Sciences. He is currently the Director of the Institute of GeoEnergy Engineering and Head of the GeoEnergy Research Group in the Lyell Centre, both at Heriot-Watt University. His research is focusing on topics associated with the Energy Transition, working with a diverse group of researchers composed of geologists, geomechanists, petroleum engineers, hydrologists and geochemists. The group aims at an improved understanding of the coupled thermo-hydro-chemical-mechanical aspects related to carbon capture and storage (CCS), geothermal heat, hydrogen storage and natural gas production on the laboratory, field, and modelled reservoir scale

Eric Mackay holds the Energi Simulation Chair in CCUS and Reactive Flow Simulation in the Institute of GeoEnergy Engineering at Heriot-Watt University, where he has worked since 1990. His research interests include the study of fluid flow in porous media, such as the flow of oil, gas and water in subsurface geological formations. He has over 100 publications related primarily to maintaining oil production when faced with mineral scale deposition, but since 2005 he has also worked on Carbon Capture and Storage. He is involved in projects identifying methods for calculating secure CO₂ storage potential in saline formations and depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs

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