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Shear-wave Reflection-seismic Pilot Study at the UNIS CO2 Lab site, Longyearbyen, Svalbard
- Publisher: European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers
- Source: Conference Proceedings, 76th EAGE Conference and Exhibition 2014, Jun 2014, Volume 2014, p.1 - 5
Abstract
As part of the world’s needs for CO2-injection test sites, the city of Longyearbyen in Svalbard is an interesting location for testing technologies related to carbon capture and storage (CCS) in a vulnerable arctic environment, being a closed energy system with a coal-fuelled power plant. Therefore, the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) established the UNIS CO2 Lab site a few km away of Longyearbyen. The local geological structures appear suited for storing CO2 at about 600–900 m depth and injection tests are carried out. Monitoring micro-seismicity during and after injection is important, but to properly analyse micro-seismicity, a good velocity model for both P- and S-wave is necessary. The top 100-m of the site, including permafrost, is however difficult to assess. In an attempt to improve the actual velocity model near the surface, a pilot study of S-wave reflection seismic was carried out in 2012 and is reported here. Despite numerous noise sources, including wind and strong surface waves, a profile acquired on a nearby filled road showed promising results, indicating very low S-wave velocity values down to 200 m/s, thus giving a much better image of the top 70-m than P-wave seismic earlier acquired. Lessons learned are given too.