The role of geomechanics for geological carbon storage

Abstract

Geological Carbon Storage (GCS) is a technology that captures CO2 released by human activities and injects it into a specific formation for long-term storage. Globally, GCS is being explored as a feasible option for combating climate change. The formation pressure increases when large amounts of CO2 are injected into the subsurface. The uncontrolled injection can lead to geomechanical-related issues, such as failure of well integrity and fault activation, which will cause the leakage of CO2. CO2 leakage may cause rapid deterioration of the ecological environment and even endanger human life. This paper reviews the current studies on geomechanical issues such as in-situ stress evolution, caprock seal, chemical effects, well integrity, and induced seismicity in GCS technology. The limitations and challenges of the current studies are discussed, and some existing issues and suggestions for future study are put forward.