摘要：AbstractThe storage of CO2in depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs and saline water aquifers is a leading solution to Global Warming due to CO2emission to the atmosphere. The capture of CO2from major CO2-emitting plants and its storage in underground geological structures has a potential to reduce Global Warming by about 60%. A procedure for monitoring safe and secure storage of CO2in underground geological structures is demonstrated in this study using seismic velocity tomography. The tomographic method uses first arrival traveltime to estimate velocity of geological structure along the ray path. The inversion procedure utilizes optimized objective function that consists of two parts: (i) a part that minimizes the misfit between the observed and inverted data, and (ii) a part that enforces the true shape and structure of the real geology. First, the method is applied to invert the velocity structure of a west Texas oilfield, and later to reconstruct the velocity structure of Marmousi models before and after CO2injection. The results of the tests confirm the appropriateness of the procedure for CO2monitoring. The inverted velocity tomogram for the post-injection stage shows velocity perturbation due to CO2presence and the progression in CO2front. Technology for monitoring CO2in geological storages as demonstrated in this study is crucial to forestall CO2leakages and its negative consequences on the environment.
关键词：Carbon capture and storage;Seismic velocity tomography;Ray theory;Geological models;Global warming
