Numerical Simulation of Wave Propagation due to Carbon Dioxide Storage in Anisotropic Porous Media

Geological carbon sequestration (GCS) has been identified as a key technology for mitigating greenhouse gases (GHGs) from emissions-intensive sectors such as: cement, steel, petroleum, refining and chemicals. However, the successful deployment of large-scale projects, hinge on its ability to safely monitor and verify the migration and containment of the injected carbon dioxide (CO2). Among the monitoring methods, seismic techniques that rely on wave propagation analysis are particularly valuable because they track real-time changes in the subsurface during carbon dioxide storage. They are effective in detecting fault slip, and microseismical events; factors that previous studies such as ( Rutqvist, 2012 ), have identified as key geomechanical risks in geological carbon storage (GCS).

Several numerical approaches have been widely developed to analyse and mitigate these geomechanical risks associated with carbon dioxide (CO2) storage. Although these models have advanced considerably, a key challenge remains in connecting hydromechanical processes such as pressure buildup, and fault reactivation, to fully dynamic three-dimensional poroelastic wave propagation and the resulting ground motions in anisotropic media. This existing challenge poses difficulties for reliable risk assessment since ground motion parameters like peak ground velocity (PGV) and seismic intensity are relevant in the safe design of GCS repositories.