INTELLIGENT MONITORING SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT BEING CONDUCTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (DOE)/NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY (NETL) FOR GEOLOGIC STORAGE OF CO2

An Intelligent Monitoring System (IMS) is an integrated reservoir management technology that combines near real-time measurement of reservoir properties, with project-specific data management and data processing workflows, collaborative approaches to interpretation and decision making, and automated production or injection control capabilities. IMS strategies are used primarily in oilfield applications, but many of their components are readily adaptable to CO₂ storage projects. New and distinct IMS components are needed to address storage-specific objectives and challenges for both enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and saline CO₂ storage activities. It is envisioned that an IMS system will contribute to workers safety, reservoir surveillance, well surveillance, surface process surveillance, pipeline surveillance, and real time system optimization, resulting in greater efficiency and reduced costs.

IMS is a broad technology area, encompassing sensors and actuators, hardware and software tools for data acquisition, management, transmission, and software tools for modeling and visualization. The DOE Carbon Storage Program is developing an integrated IMS architecture to help commercialize carbon capture and storage (CCS) by developing high resolution, long-term or permanent systems to monitor the behavior of the CO₂ in the reservoir, detect possible leakage pathways, and quantify any leakage volumes. Improved systems are needed to monitor the surface, wellbores, and the subsurface. Software tools for modeling, analysis, and integration are critical components of an IMS. The Storage Program is developing software tools such as neural networks, artificial intelligence and soft computing technologies for decision making and optimization of reservoir management. These software tools would be combined with coupled modeling codes to evaluate collected data and present the analysis in a user friendly format for decision makers. Optimization of injection operations in CO₂ storage projects would include tools for decision making, closed-loop reservoir process control, detection and processing of events. A fully integrated IMS system at a commercial CCS facility should provide timely information and automate some of the routine process thus resulting in significant cost savings.