CO 2 leakage in a shallow aquifer -Observed changes in case of small release

Abstract : Geological storage of CO 2 in deep saline aquifers is one of the options considered for the mitigation of CO 2 emissions into the atmosphere. A deep geological CO 2 storage is not expected to leak but potential leakage monitoring is required by legislation, as e.g. the EU Directive relative to Geological Storage of CO 2. To ensure that the storage will be permanent and safe for the environment and human health, the legislation require that the CCS operators monitor the injection, the storage complex and if needed the environment to detect any CO 2 leakage and its hazardous effects on the environment. Various monitoring methods are available for the monitoring of CO 2 storage sites and the environment as listed by the IEA-GHG and the monitoring selection tool.