Advancing CO2 Sequestration in Offshore Saline Aquifers with Artificial-Intelligence-Enhanced Geophysical Techniques

We propose to develop and apply advanced geophysical techniques for high-resolution site characterization and monitoring of geological reservoirs in a shallow offshore saline aquifer for Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). We will develop the artificial intelligence (AI) assisted generic geophysical technique suite through this international collaborative effort and perform a systematic field-scale verification based on a block in the Tapti-Daman field, located in western offshore of India, as well as on another potential site in the North Sea. The site characterization will involve the mapping of facies and faults, assessing reservoir continuity, and performing fault-seal analysis. We will also work on maximizing CO2 storage, minimizing the Area of Review (AoR), and reducing vertical displacement. The monitoring of the reservoir includes observing microseismicity caused by the fractures (and their mapping) as well as early-stage CO2 leakage detection (using extremely sparse seismic data). Further, we will perform a long-term risk assessment for CO2 leakage. We will leverage the AI-based tools for the above tasks. The success of the project will serve as a pilot demonstration of a next-generation geophysical paradigm for offshore CCS site characterization and monitoring.