Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Methodology to monitor the seismic response to injected carbon dioxide

Model and synthetic seismograms of CO\(_2\) injection

  • Research Article - Special Issue
  • Published:
Acta Geophysica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Petrophysics and fluid-flow simulations are used to build a realistic pre- and post- CO\(_2\) injection geological model for the Utsira formation at the Sleipner field, and the Fourier pseudospectral method is employed to compute synthetic seismograms. The methodology can be used to perform a seismic sensitivity analysis for the detection of carbon dioxide. We built the model solely based on the porosity and clay content of the formations with the aid of fluid-flow and seismic simulations. The pressure map before the injection is assumed to be hydrostatic for which a reference porosity map is defined. The injection induces pore pressure variations and partial saturation, which affect the poroelastic properties and hence the associated seismic response. A proper porosity–permeability–clay content relation is one of the key factors since permeability determines the preferential flow directions and the distribution of the CO\(_2\) plume. The petrophysical model is based on a shaly sandstone (or sandy shale) to represent the caprock, Utsira Sand and embedded mudstone layers. The composite permeability (anisotropic) is analogous to the inverse electrical resistance model. Gas viscosity depends on pressure and temperature. The P- and S-wave velocities are obtained from Gassmann equation (pre-injection) and White’s mesoscopic model (post-injection), which also yields the P-wave quality factor in the case of partial (patchy) saturation. To model a realistic situation, we implement a fractal variation of the porosity and clay content, based on the von Kármán correlation function. We then compare the real and synthetic seismograms (pre-injection and post-injection) and show the effect of attenuation on the seismic data. Simulations and real data show a remarkable match.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alajmi M, Bona A, Pevzner R (2016) Empirical 3D depth/time dependent coherent noise generation for use in statistical models of seismic data. J Appl Geophys 125:7–13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arts RJ, Chadwick A, Eiken O, Thibeau S, Nooner S (2008) Ten years’ experience of monitoring CO\(_2\) injection in the Utsira Sand at Sleipner, offshore Norway. First Break 26:65–72

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arts R, Eiken O, Chadwick A, Zweigel P, van der Meer L, Zinszner B (2004) Monitoring of CO2 injected at Sleipner using time-lapse seismic data. Energy 29:1383–1392

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Audigane P, Gaus I, Czernichowski-Lauriol I, Pruess K, Xu T (2007) Two-dimensional reactive transport modeling of CO2 injection in a saline aquifer at the Sleipner site. North Sea Am J Sci 307:974–1008

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Audigane P, Chiaberge C, Mathurin F, Lions J, Picot-Colbeaux G (2011) A workflow for handling heterogeneous 3D models with the TOUGH2 family of codes: applications to numerical modeling of CO2 geological storage. Comput Geosci 37:610–620

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bear J, Bachmat Y (1990) Introduction to modeling of transport phenomena in porous media. Kluwer, Dordrecht

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Bear J, Braester C, Menier PC (1987) Effective and relative permeabilities of anisotropic porous media. Transp Porous Med 2:301–316

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Carcione JM (2022) Wave fields in real media. Theory and numerical simulation of wave propagation in anisotropic, anelastic, porous and electromagnetic media, 4th edition, Elsevier

  • Carcione JM, Gei D (2009) Theory and numerical simulation of fluid-pressure diffusion in anisotropic porous media. Geophysics 74:N31–N39

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carcione JM, Gei D, Picotti S, Michelini A (2012) Cross-hole electromagnetic and seismic modeling for CO2 detection and monitoring in a saline aquifer. J Petrol Sci Eng. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.petrol.2012.03.018

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carcione JM, Gurevich B, Cavallini F (2000) A generalized Biot–Gassmann model for the acoustic properties of shaley sandstones. Geophys Prosp 48:539–557

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carcione JM, Helbig K, Helle HB (2003) Effects of pressure and saturating fluid on wave velocity and attenuation of anisotropic rocks. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 40:389–403

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carcione JM, Picotti S, Gei D, Rossi G (2006) Physics and seismic modeling for monitoring CO2 storage. Pure Appl Geophys 163:175–207

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carcione JM, Picotti S, Santos JE, Qadrouh AN, Almalki HS (2014) Numerical simulation of two-phase fluid flow. J Petrol Explor Prod Technol. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13202-014-0109-y

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carcione JM, Qadrouh AN, Alajmi M, Alqahtani NB, Ba J (2023) Rock acoustics of CO2 storage in basalt. Geophys J Int. https://doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggad252

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chadwick RA, Arts R, Eiken O (2005) 4D seismic quantification of a growing CO\(_2\) plume at Sleipner North Sea. In: Dore, A.G.; Vining, B.A., (eds.) Petroleum geology: North-West Europe and global perspectives—proceedings of the 6th petroleum geology conference. Geological Society, London, pp 1385-1399

  • Chadwick A, Noy D, Lindeberg E, Arts R, Eiken O, Williams G (2006) Calibrating reservoir performance with time-lapse seismic monitoring and flow simulations of the Sleipner CO2 plume. GHGT-8: 8th International conference on greenhouse gas control technologies, Trondheim, Norway, 19–22 June 2006. Elsevier, Oxford, pp 1–6

  • Dupuy B, Romdhane A, Eliasson P, Querendez E, Yan H, Torres VA, Ghaderi A (2017) Quantitative seismic characterization of CO2 at the Sleipner storage site. North Sea Interpret 5(4):23–42. https://doi.org/10.1190/INT-2017-0013.1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dvorkin J, Nur A, Yin H (1994) Effective properties of cemented granular material. Mech Mater 18:351–366

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ganguli SS, Kumar P, Dimri VP (2019) Seismic anisotropy of a fractured rock during CO2 injection: a feasibility study. Acta Geophys 67:141–148

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guo J, Han X (2016) Rock physics modelling of acoustic velocities for heavy oil sand. J Petrol Sci Eng 145:436–443

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liao J, Wen P, Guo J, Zhou L (2023) Seismic dispersion, attenuation and frequency-dependent anisotropy in a fluid-saturated porous periodically layered medium. Geophys J Internat 234:331–345

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Luo X, Vasseur G (1996) Geopressuring mechanism of organic matter cracking: numerical modeling. AAPG Bull 80:856–874

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mavko G, Mukerji T, Dvorkin J (2009) The Rock physics handbook. Cambridge University Press

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • McKenna JJ, Gurevich B, Urosevic M, Evans BJ (2003) Rock physics-application to geological storage of CO\(_2\). APPEA Journal 43:567–576

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nilsen HM, Herrera PA, Ashraf SM, Ligaarden I, Iding M, Hermanrud C, Lie K-A, Nordbottem JM, Dahle HK, Kellegavlen E (2011) Field-case simulation of CO\(_2\)-plume migration using vertical-equilibrium models. Energy Proced 4:3801–3808

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Picotti S, Carcione JM, Gei D, Rossi G, Santos JE (2012) Seismic modeling to monitor CO\(_2\) geological storage: the Atzbach-Schwanenstadt gas field. J Geophys Res 117:B06103. https://doi.org/10.1029/2011JB008540

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rabben TE, Ursin B (2011) AVA inversion of the top Utsira Sand reflection at the Sleipner field. Geophysics 76:C53–C63

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Savioli G, Santos JE (2011) Modeling of CO\(_2\) storage in aquifers. J Phys Conf Ser 296:012021. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/296/1/012021

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Savioli GB, Santos JE, Carcione JM, Gei D (2016) A model for CO2 storage and seismic monitoring combining multiphase fluid flow and wave propagation simulators. Sleipner-field Case Comput Geosci. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10596-016-9607-y

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • White MD, Oostrom M, Imhard RJ (1995) Modeling fluid flow and transport in variably saturated porous media with the STOMP simulator. 1. Nonvolatile three-phase model description. Adv Water Res 18(6):353–364

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zimmerman RW, Somerton WH, King MS (1986) Compressibility of porous rocks. J Geophys Res 91:12765–12777

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank Prof. Junxin Guo for useful comments.

Funding

This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant no. 41974123 and 42174161), and National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars (BK20200021).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. KACST, PO Box 6086, Riyadh, 11442, Saudi Arabia

    Mamdoh Alajmi & Ayman N. Qadrouh

  2. School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing, China

    José M. Carcione, Juan Santos & Jing Ba

  3. National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics – OGS, Trieste, Italy

    Davide Gei & José M. Carcione

  4. Facultad de Ingeniería, Instituto del Gas y del Petróleo, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Juan Santos

  5. Department of Mathematics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, USA

    Juan Santos

Authors
  1. Mamdoh Alajmi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Davide Gei
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. José M. Carcione
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Ayman N. Qadrouh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Juan Santos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Jing Ba
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

MA edited the manuscript and coded the programs. DG made and discussed the plots. JMC re-coded the programs and provided the concept. ANQ conducted the literature review. JS and JB reproduced the plots and wrote some sections.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jing Ba.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Consent to publish

The Authors confirm that the work described has not been published before and is not under consideration for publication elsewhere. Its publication has been approved by all co-authors and the responsible authorities at the institutions where the work is carried out.

Additional information

Edited by Dr. Abir Jrad (ASSOCIATE EDITOR) / Prof. Gabriela Fernández Viejo (CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF).

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Alajmi, M., Gei, D., Carcione, J.M. et al. Methodology to monitor the seismic response to injected carbon dioxide. Acta Geophys. 72, 1343–1353 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11600-023-01199-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11600-023-01199-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation