• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.311-330
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• 2023

Development of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technique is becoming increasingly important as a method to mitigate the strengthening effects of global warming, generated from the unprecedented increase in released anthropogenic CO₂. In the recent years, the characteristics of basaltic rocks (i.e., large volume, high reactivity and surplus of cation components) have been recognized to be potentially favorable in facilitation of CCS; based on this, research on utilization of basaltic formations for underground CO₂ storage is currently ongoing in various fields. This study investigated the feasibility of underground storage of CO₂ in basalt, based on the examination of the CO₂ storage mechanisms in subsurface, assessment of basalt characteristics, and review of the global research on basaltic CO₂ storage. The global research examined were classified into experimental/modeling/field demonstration, based on the methods utilized. Experimental conditions used in research demonstrated temperatures ranging from 20 to 250 ℃, pressure ranging from 0.1 to 30 MPa, and the rock-fluid reaction time ranging from several hours to four years. Modeling research on basalt involved construction of models similar to the potential storage sites, with examination of changes in fluid dynamics and geochemical factors before and after CO₂-fluid injection. The investigation demonstrated that basalt has large potential for CO₂ storage, along with capacity for rapid mineralization reactions; these factors lessens the environmental constraints (i.e., temperature, pressure, and geological structures) generally required for CO₂ storage. The success of major field demonstration projects, the CarbFix project and the Wallula project, indicate that basalt is promising geological formation to facilitate CCS. However, usage of basalt as storage formation requires additional conditions which must be carefully considered - mineralization mechanism can vary significantly depending on factors such as the basalt composition and injection zone properties: for instance, precipitation of carbonate and silicate minerals can reduce the injectivity into the formation. In addition, there is a risk of polluting the subsurface environment due to the combination of pressure increase and induced rock-CO₂-fluid reactions upon injection. As dissolution of CO₂ into fluids is required prior to injection, monitoring techniques different from conventional methods are needed. Hence, in order to facilitate efficient and stable underground storage of CO₂ in basalt, it is necessary to select a suitable storage formation, accumulate various database of the field, and conduct systematic research utilizing experiments/modeling/field studies to develop comprehensive understanding of the potential storage site.

• Geophysics and Geophysical Exploration
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.78-88
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• 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 the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.9-17
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• 2022

This paper is the continuation of our previous paper, which we refer to as numerical analysis of phase behavior and flow properties in an injection tubing during gas phase CO₂ injection. Our study in this paper show the results during supercritcal CO₂ injection under the same project. Geological CO₂ storage technology is one of the most effective method to decrease climate change due to high injectivity and storage capacity and economics. A demonstration-scale CO₂ storage project was performed in a deep aquifer in the Pohang basin, Korea for a technological development in a large-scale CO₂ storage project. A problem to consider in the early stage design of the project was to analyze CO₂ phase change and flow characteristics during CO₂ injection. To solve this problem, injection conditions were decided by calculating injection rate, pressure, temperature, and thermodynamic properties. For this research, we simulated and numerically analyzed CO₂ phase change from liquid to supercritical phase and flow characteristics in injection tubing using OLGA program. Our results provide discharge pressure and temperature conditions of CO₂ injection combined with a pressure of an aquifer.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.33-43
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• 2020

CO₂ geological storage is currently considered as the most stable and effective technology for greenhouse gas reduction. The saline formations for CO₂ geological storage are generally located at a depth of more than 800 m where CO₂ can be stored in a supercritical state, and an extensive impermeable cap rock that prevents CO₂ leakage to the surface should be distributed above the saline formations. Trough analysis of seismic and well data, we identified the basalt flow structure for potential CO₂ storage where saline formation is overlain by basalt cap rock around PZ-1 exploration well in the Southern Continental Shelf of Korea. To evaluate CO₂ storage capacity of the saline formation, total porosity and CO₂ density are calculated based on well logging data of PZ-1 well. We constructed a 3D geological grid model with a certain size in the x, y and z axis directions for volume estimates of the saline formation, and performed a property modeling to assign total porosity to the geological grid. The estimated average CO₂ geological storage capacity evaluated by the U.S. DOE method for the saline formation covered by the basalt cap rock is 84.17 Mt of CO₂(ranges from 42.07 to 143.79 Mt of CO₂).

• KEPCO Journal on Electric Power and Energy
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.167-185
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• 2016

$CO_2$ 지중저장 기술은 가장 유력한 대용량 온실가스 감축기술의 하나이다. 이 기술을 적용하여 국제적으로 노르웨이, 알제리, 캐나다, 미국 등에서 이미 대규모 실증 및 상용화 사업이 수행되고 있으며, 호주, 일본, 네덜란드, 독일 등 그 밖의 여러 나라에서 다양한 내용과 규모를 갖는 중소규모 실증사업이 진행되고 있다. 한국도 소규모 육상 파일럿 저장 프로젝트와 중규모 해상 저장실증 프로젝트가 추진되어 착실하게 기술개발과 경험확보를 위해 노력하고 있다. $CO_2$ 지중저장 사업은 화석연료의 사용이 다른 에너지원으로 대체되기 전까지 지속적으로 확장될 것으로 예측되고 있으나, 온실가스 감축시장의 불안전성, 사업의 수익구조와 관련된 경제성, 누출에 대한 안전성 등의 위협요소를 갖고 있다. 따라서 이러한 위협을 극복하기 위해 많은 국가와 기업들이 저비용-고효율 지중저장 기술과 안전한 지중저장 기술의 확보를 목표로 연구개발 및 실증사업을 추진하고 있다. 한국의 경우에 저장소가 주요 포집원으로부터 상당한 거리를 갖고 있는 해저에 발달하고 있기 때문에 지중저장 사업의 경제성 확보가 매우 불리한 조건이다. 따라서 정부나 기업이 CCS 기술을 주요 온실가스 감축수단으로 채택하여 대규모 지중저장 사업을 본격적으로 착수하는 것을 주저하고 있다. 한국과 같은 불리한 조건을 갖는 국가의 경우에 특히 대규모 저장소의 확보를 포함한 저비용-고효율 지중저장 기술의 실용화가 절실하게 필요하다. 결론적으로 한국의 $CO_2$ 지중저장 사업의 성공적인 추진을 위해서는 대규모 저장소의 확보, 저비용-고효율 지중저장 기술의 개발과 실증을 통한 실용화, 중소규모 지중저장 실증사업으로 축적한 기술과 경험으로 대규모 지중저장 사업의 효율화 달성이 요구된다. 이를 위한 실천적인 로드맵과 프로그램의 작성과 착실한 이행 역시 중요하다. 이러한 기반이 착실하게 다져질 경우에 한국에서 대규모 CCS 통합실증과 $CO_2$ 지중저장 사업이 본격적으로 개시될 수 있을 것이다.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.10-18
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• 2021

CO₂ storage technology in an aquifer is one of the most effective way to decrease global warming due to a high storage capacity and economics. A demonstration-scale offshore CO₂ storage project was performed in a geological deep aquifer in the Pohang Basin, Korea for a technological development of large-scale CO₂ storage. A challenging issue in the early design stage of the project was to establish the proper injectivity during CO₂ injection. To solve this issue, injection conditions were calculated by calculating injection rate, pressure, temperature, CO₂ phase change, and thermodynamic properties. For this study, we simulated and numerically analyzed CO₂ phase change from gas to supercritical phase and flow behavior in transport piping and injection tubing using OLGA program. Our results provide the injectivity conditions of CO₂ injection system combined with a bottomhole pressure of an aquifer.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.213-220
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• 2020

When CO₂ foam is injected into the saline aquifer, the relative permeability of CO₂ decreases and its viscosity increases, thereby reducing mobility in porous media and ultimately improving CO₂ storge with enhanced sweep efficiency. In general, surfactants were used to fabricate CO₂ foam. Recently, nanoparticles have been used to form stable foam than surfactant. This paper introduces CO₂ storage technology using nanoparticle stabilized CO₂ foam. If the surface of the hydrophilic nanoparticles is partially modified into a CO₂-philic portion, the particles have an affinity for CO₂ and water, thus forming a stable CO₂ foam even in deep saline aquifers under high temperature and high salinity conditions, thereby it can be stored in the pores of the rock. In terms of economics, injection method using nanopaticle-stabilized CO₂ foam is more expensive than the conventional CO₂ injection, but it is estimated that it will have price competitiveness because the injection efficiency is improved. From an environmental point of view, it is possible to inject chemical substances such as surfactants and nanomaterials into aquifers or reservoirs for specific purposes such as pollutant removal and oil production. However, some studies have shown that nanoparticles and surfactants are toxic to aquatic animals, so environmentally proven substances should be used. Therefore, further research and development will be needed to study the production and injection of nanoparticle-stabilized CO₂ foam that are environmentally safe and economically reasonable.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.23-32
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• 2020

Geological CO₂ sequestration is a global warming response technology to limit atmospheric emissions by injecting CO₂ captured on a large scale into deep geological formations. The presented results concern mineralogical and hydrogeological investigations (FE-SEM, XRD, XRF, and MICP) of mudstone samples from drilling cores of the Pohang basin, which is the research area for the first demonstration-scale CO₂ storage project in Korea. They aim to identify the mineral properties of the mudstone constituting the caprock and to quantitatively evaluate the hydrogeologic sealing capacity that directly affects the stability and reliability of geological CO₂ storage. Mineralogical analysis showed that the mudstone samples are mainly composed of quartz, K-feldspar, plagioclase and a small amount of pyrite, calcite, clay minerals, etc. Mercury intrusion capillary pressure analysis also showed that the samples generally had uniform particle configurations and pore distribution and there was no distinct correlation between the estimated porosity and air permeability. The allowable CO₂ column heights based on the estimated pore-entry pressures and breakthrough pressures were found to be significantly higher than the thickness of the targeting CO₂ injection layer. These results showed that the mudstone layers in the Yeongil group, Pohang basin, Korea have sufficient sealing capacity to suppress the leakage of CO₂ injected during the demonstration-scale CO₂ storage project. It should be noticed, however, that the applicability of results and analyses in this study is limited by the lack of available samples. For rigorous assessment of the sealing efficiency for geological CO₂ storage operations, significant efforts on collection and multi-aspect evaluation for core samples over entire caprock formations should be accompanied.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.217-246
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• 2018

During the selection and characterization of target formations in the Small-scale Offshore $CO_2$ Storage Demonstration Project in the Pohang Basin, we have carefully investigated the possibility of induced earthquakes and leakage of $CO_2$ during the injection, and have designed the storage processes to minimize these effects. However, people in Pohang city have a great concern on $CO_2$-injection-intrigued seismicity, since they have greatly suffered from the 5.4 magnitude earthquake on Nov. 15, 2017. The research team of the project performed an extensive self-investigation on the safety issues, especially on the possible $CO_2$ leakage from the target formation and induced earthquakes. The target formation is 10 km apart from the epicenter of the Pohang earthquake and the depth is also quite shallow, only 750 to 800 m from the sea bottom. The project performed a pilot injection in the target formation from Jan. 12 to Mar. 12, 2017, which implies that there are no direct correlation of the Pohang earthquake on Nov. 15, 2017. In addition, the $CO_2$ injection of the storage project does not fracture rock formations, instead, the supercritical $CO_2$ fluid replaces formation water in the pore space gradually. The self-investigation results show that there is almost no chance for the injection to induce significant earthquakes unless injection lasts for a very long time to build a very high pore pressure, which can be easily monitored. The amount of injected $CO_2$ in the project was around 100 metric-tonne that is irrelevant to the Pohang earthquake. The investigation result on long-term safety also shows that the induced earthquakes or the reactivation of existing faults can be prevented successfully when the injection pressure is controlled not to demage cap-rock formation nor exceed Coulomb stresses of existing faults. The project has been performing extensive studies on critical stress for fracturing neighboring formations, reactivation stress of existing faults, well-completion processes to minimize possible leakage, transport/leakage monitoring of injected $CO_2$, and operation procedures for ensuring the storage safety. These extensive studies showed that there will be little chance in $CO_2$ leakage that affects human life. In conclusion, the Small-scale Offshore $CO_2$ Storage Demonstration Project in the Pohang Basin would not cause any induced earthquakes nor signifiant $CO_2$ leakage that people can sense. The research team will give every effort to secure the safety of the storage site.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.39 no.11
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• pp.63-70
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• 2023

Underground carbon dioxide (CO₂) storage emerges as a pivotal strategy for mitigating atmospheric CO₂ emissions and addressing global warming concerns. This study investigates techniques to optimize storage efficiency in aquifers, which stand out for their superior capacity compared to other geological layers. The focus is on the application of nonionic and anionic surfactants to enhance CO₂ storage efficiency within confined spaces. A specialized micromodel facilitating fluid flow observation was employed for the evaluation. Experimental results revealed a noteworthy minimum 40% increase in storage efficiency at the lowest injection rate when utilizing nonionic and anionic surfactants, in comparison to pure water injection. Interestingly, no significant variations in storage efficiency were observed based on the ionicity and concentration of the surfactants under investigation. These findings have implications for guiding the selection and concentration determination of surfactants in future underground CO₂ storage endeavors.