Well Construction Complete as Part of Research to Improve Knowledge of Stored Carbon Dioxide Behaviour

Well construction and logging has been successfully completed as part of a new carbon capture and storage (CCS) project at CO2CRC’s Otway Research Facility at Nirranda South in Victoria.  

This is a key milestone in the new Prediction and Verification of Shallow CO₂ Migration Project.  Its aim is to better understand how CO₂ behaves around a geological fault, when CO₂ is injected and stored deep underground.

The project is being managed jointly between CO2CRC and Geoscience Australia. It involves five of Australia’s leading research institutions as well as international researchers and industry partners.

Two shallow observation wells were installed in late February.  A special drill was used to obtain long cylinders of rock, known as core.  This core will now be analysed along with formation evaluation logs, to appraise the site and design the CO₂ injection location and monitoring program.

The next phase, planned for early 2021, will see the injection of between 10 and 40 tonnes of carbon dioxide into the deepest well (approximately 126 metres) and surrounding subsurface.  From this test, scientists will observe how carbon dioxide migrates when it meets a fault. The resulting scientific knowledge will be applied in the development of more effective and accurate near surface monitoring techniques for CO₂ storage sites worldwide.   

CO2CRC Limited is one of the world’s leading CCS research organisations, having invested more than A$100 million in research to deliver better and more cost-effective technologies for CCS.  As owner and operator of the Otway Research Facility (registered as an Asset of National Significance by the Australian Government), CO2CRC commissions and undertakes research projects with partners worldwide.