• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
• /
• 2010.03a
• /
• pp.291-294
• /
• 2010

$CO_2$ is known as the major source of the green house effect and the volume produced from electricity generation and transportation sector in Korea constitutes the large portion. In order to reduce the green house effect, several treatment methods can be the major research topics such as the scheme to fundamentally restrict the production of $CO_2$ creation, to perfectly sequestrate the produced $CO_2$, to reuse the separated $CO_2$, or to permanently dispose $CO_2$ in an appropriate storage site. Among of them, R&D strategy and geotechnical research issues are explored in this paper in an effort to realize geological storage for the sequestrated $CO_2$ in local storage sites. $CO_2$ is known as the major source of the green house effect and the volume produced from electricity generation and transportation sector in Korea constitutes the large portion. In order to reduce the green house effect, several treatment methods can be the major research topics such as the scheme to fundamentally restrict the production of $CO_2$ creation, to perfectly sequestrate the produced $CO_2$, to reuse the separated $CO_2$, or to permanently dispose $CO_2$ in an appropriate storage site. Among of them, R&D strategy and geotechnical research issues are explored in this paper in an effort to realize geological storage for the sequestrated $CO_2$ in local storage sites.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.49 no.6
• /
• pp.469-477
• /
• 2016

To evaluate the $CO_2$ storage capacity for the reservoir rock, the laboratory scale technique to measure the amount of $scCO_2$, replacing pore water of the reservior rock after the $CO_2$ injection was developed in this study. Laboratory experiments were performed to measure the $scCO_2$ displacement efficiency of the conglomerate and the sandstone in Janggi basin, which are classified as available $CO_2$ storage rocks in Korea. The high pressurized stainless steel cell containing two different walls was designed and undisturbed rock cores acquired from the deep drilling site around Janggi basin were used for the experiments. From the lab experiments, the average $scCO_2$ displacement efficiency of the conglomerate and the sandstone in Janggi basin was measured at 31.2% and 14.4%, respectively, which can be used to evaluate the feasibility of the Janggi basin as a $scCO_2$ storage site in Korea. Assuming that the effective radius of the $CO_2$ storage formations is 250 m and the average thickness of the conglomerate and the sandstone formation under 800 m in depth is 50 m each (from data of the drilling profile and the geophysical survey), the $scCO_2$ storage capacity of the reservoir rocks around the probable $scCO_2$ injection site in Janggi basin was calculated at 264,592 metric ton, demonstrating that the conglomerate and the sandstone formations in Janggi basin have a great potential for use as a pilot scale test site for the $CO_2$ storage in Korea.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2009.10a
• /
• pp.16-19
• /
• 2009

Recently, CO2 geologic storage (geologic sequestration) has been concerned as one of methodologies for reducing greenhouse gas. We expect that geophysical approach plays an important role in the site selection, characterization, and monitoring during CO2 injection or post-injection. Especially we believe that monitoring and verification technologies such as surface and borehole geophysical methods are an important part of making CO2 geologic storage an acceptable method.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.78-88
• /
• 2021

Owing to the abnormal weather conditions due to global warming, carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology has attracted global attention as a countermeasure to reduce CO₂ emissions. In the Pohang CCS demonstration project in South Korea, 100 tons of CO₂ were successfully injected into the subsurface CO₂ storage in early 2017. However, after the 2017 Pohang earthquake, the Pohang CCS demonstration project was suspended due to an increase in social concerns about the safety of the CCS project. In this study, to reconfirm the structural suitability of the CO₂ storage site in the Pohang Basin, we employed seismic imaging based on reverse-time migration (RTM) to analyze small-scale ocean-bottom seismic data, which have not been utilized in previous studies. Compared with seismic images using marine streamer data, the continuity of subsurface layers in the RTM image using the ocean-bottom seismic data is improved. Based on the obtained subsurface image, we discuss the structural suitability of the Pohang CO₂ storage site.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
• /
• v.4 no.1
• /
• pp.51-58
• /
• 2006

Since 2002, more than 400 PWR spent nuclear fuel assemblies have been transported and stored on-site using transport casks in order to secure the storage capacity of PWR spent nuclear fuel of Kori nuclear power plant. The complete on-site transport system, which includes KN-12 transport casks, the related equipment and transport vehicles, had been developed and provided. KN-12 transport casks were designed, fabricated and licensed in accordance with Korean and IAEA's transport regulations, and the related equipment was also provided in accordance with the related regulations. The on-site transport and storage operation using two KN-12 casks and the related equipment has been conducted, and the strict Quality Control and Radiation Safety Management through the whole process has been carried out so as to achieve the required safety and reliability of the on-site transport of spent nuclear fuel.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.51 no.4
• /
• pp.381-392
• /
• 2018

This study examines strategies and implementation plans for commercializing $CO_2$ capture and storage, which is an effective method to achieve the national goal of reducing greenhouse gas. In order to secure cost-efficient business model of $CO_2$ capture and storage, we propose four key strategies, including 1) urgent need to select a large-scale storage site and to estimate realistic storage capacity, 2) minimization of source-to-sink distance, 3) cost-effectiveness through technology innovation, and 4) policy implementation to secure public interest and to encourage private sector participation. Based on these strategies, the implementation plans must be designed for enabling $CO_2$ capture and storage to be commercialized until 2030. It is desirable to make those plans in which large-scale demonstration and subsequent commercial projects share a single storage site. In addition, the plans must be able to deliver step-wised targets and assessment processes to decide if the project will move to the next stage or not. The main target of stage 1 (2019 ~ 2021) is that the large-scale storage site will be selected and post-combustion capture technology will be upgraded and commercialized. The site selection, which is prerequisite to forward to the next stage, will be made through exploratory drilling and investigation for candidate sites. The commercial-scale applicability of the capture technology must be ensured at this stage. Stage 2 (2022 ~ 2025) aims design and construction of facility and infrastructure for successful large-scale demonstration (million tons of $CO_2$ per year), i.e., large-scale $CO_2$ capture, transportation, and storage. Based on the achievement of the demonstration project and the maturity of carbon market at the end of stage 2, it is necessary to decide whether to enter commercialization of $CO_2$ capture and storage. If the commercialization project is decided, it will be possible to capture and storage 4 million tons of $CO_2$ per year by the private sector in stage 3 (2026 ~ 2030). The existing facility, infrastructure, and capture plant will be upgraded and supplemented, which allows the commercialization project to be cost-effective.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
• /
• v.28 no.2
• /
• pp.161-174
• /
• 2018

$CO_2$ storage site for small-scale demonstration has been investigated in Yeongil Bay, Pohang, SE Korea, using seismic survey and exploration well data. We found a potential storage formation consisting mainly of conglomerate and sandstone. The storage formation unconformably overlies volcanic basement rocks that are located in a depth from 650 to 950 m (below sea level). The depth of the storage formation is suitable for injecting supercritical $CO_2$ in the Pohang Basin. The average thickness of the storage formation is about 123 m, which possibly provides sufficient capacity at the level of small-scale storage demonstration. The overlying fine-grained deposits consist mainly of marine hemipelagic muds and interlayered turbidite sands. The overlying formation is considered as a good seal rock that is over 600 m thick and widely distributed in the onshore and offshore portions of the basin. NNE-trending faults found in the study area likely formed at basement level, probably not continue to seafloor. Such faults are interpreted as syndepositional faults involved to the basin initiation. This study reveals that the offshore area of the Pohang Basin contains deep geological formations suitable for small-scale $CO_2$ storage demonstration.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.50 no.5
• /
• pp.363-373
• /
• 2017

In the present study, adaptability of cyber-physical system (CPS) for risk management of $CO_2$ storage site is examined and the subagging regression (SBR) method is proposed as a key component of the cyber-twin to estimate the risk due to potential $CO_2$ leakage. For these purposes, $CO_2$ concentration data monitored from a controlled $CO_2$ release field experiment is employed to validate the potentialities of the SBR method. From the validation study, it is found that the SBR method has robust estimation capability by showing minimal influence from anomalous measurements, and makes stable and sound predictions for the forthcoming $CO_2$ concentration trend. In addition, the method is found to be well suited as a tool of operational risk assessment based on real-time monitoring data due to the computational efficiency. The overall results suggest that the SBR method has potential to be an important component comprising the cyber twin of CPS for risk management of $CO_2$ storage site.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
• /
• v.26 no.3
• /
• pp.166-180
• /
• 2016

The present study numerically simulated the CO2 injection into the saline aquifer of CO2CRC Otway pilot project and the resulting hydrological-mechanical coupled process in the storage site by TOUGH-FLAC simulator. A three-dimensional numerical model was generated using the stochastic geological model which was established based on well log and core data. It was estimated that the CO2 injection of 30,000t over a period of 200 days increased the pressure near the injection point by 0.5 MPa at the most. The pressure increased rapidly and tended to approach a certain value at an early stage of the injection. The hydrological and mechanical behavior observed from the CO2 flow, effective stress change and stress-strength ratio revealed that the CO2 injection into the saline aquifer under the given condition would not have significant effects on the mechanical safety of the storage site and the hydrological state around the adjacent fault.

• Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.83-88
• /
• 2012

Currently, the technology of $CO_2$ capture and storage (CCS) has become the main issue for climate change and global warming. Among CCS technologies, the prediction of $CO_2$ behavior underground is very critical for $CO_2$ storage design, especially for its safety. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to model and simulate $CO_2$ flow and its heat transfer characteristics in a storage site, for more accurate evaluation of the safety for $CO_2$ storage process. In the present study, as part of the storage design, a micro pore-scale model was developed to mimic real porous structure, and computational fluid dynamics was applied to calculate the $CO_2$ flow and thermal fields in the micro pore-scale porous structure. Three different configurations of 3-dimensional (3D) micro-pore structures were developed, and compared. In particular, the technique of assigning random pore size in 3D porous media was considered. For the computation, physical conditions such as temperature and pressure were set up, equivalent to the underground condition at which the $CO_2$ fluid was injected. From the results, the characteristics of the flow and thermal fields of $CO_2$ were scrutinized, and the influence of the configuration of the micro-pore structure on the flow and scalar transport was investigated.