CO2 Storage:

4D Geophysical Monitoring
Geoelectrical Measurements

Conny Schmidt-Hattenberger
OUTLINE:

Brief description of the method & practical

workflow.

How it works for monitoring of CO2 storage ?

Practical example: Geoelectrical measurements

at the Ketzin test site.
 Resistivity method and its application
The method is based on the
resistivity contrasts of subsurface
materials.

R of the material depends on:

Horizontal and vertical discontinuities can be studied in a variety of

fields:

Hydrogeology and underground water prospection

Engineering & construction site investigation
Waste and pollutant investigations
Glaciology, permafrost
Archaeological investigations
Underground storage operations  CO2 storage

GeoEn Summer School, Potsdam, 24-28 September 2012

 Background theory of DC resistivity
method (I)
employs very low-frequency alternating currents as source signals
 magnetic properties can usually be ignored
displacement currents and induction effects are negligible
 Maxwells equation reduce to

Ohms law E-field

Poisson equation for electrostatic fields

Potential due to single point source for

the homogeneous half-space

GeoEn Summer School, Potsdam, 24-28 September 2012

 Background theory of DC resistivity
method (II)

Four-electrode measurement:

r1r4 distances between A, B, M and N

K geometric factor

Schematic illustration of a four-electrode arrangement after

Kndel et al., (1997). Current flow lines (solid) and
equipotential lines (dashed) are given for a two-layer case
with higher resistivity in the first layer.
apparent resistivity

GeoEn Summer School, Potsdam, 24-28 September 2012

Rock texture has influence on resistivity

Basalt is a typical
example of a high
porosity rock with
low conductivity due
to its low
permeability
(unconnected or
dead-end pore
space).

(Ward, 1990)

GeoEn Summer School, Potsdam, 24-28 September 2012

Resistivity of different materials in nature

destilled water > 104 m

sea water ~ 0.25 m
brine <0.1 m

(Ward, 1990)

GeoEn Summer School, Potsdam, 24-28 September 2012

 Surveys
Design:
Depth of investigation characteristic:

(after Szalai et al., 2009)

Experimental techniques :
electric profiling or areal mapping
vertical electric sounding (VES)
2D and 3D imaging

GeoEn Summer School, Potsdam, 24-28 September 2012

 Geoelectric modeling

Forward modeling

Current
Voltage

MODEL DATA

Inversion (modified after Marescot, 2010)

GeoEn Summer School, Potsdam, 24-28 September 2012

 Sensitivity analysis

The sensitivity matrix Sij indicates how changes in the

model domain element mj do change the data domain
element fi .

Examples of 2D sensitivity distributions of a homogenous Measurement i Cell j

half-space for various arrays (modified after Friedel, 2000):

Asymmetric Schlumberger Wenner

GeoEn Summer School, Potsdam, 24-28 September 2012

 Which steps form our workflow?
Feasibility

Design &
Preparation
Installation

Online Quality Control &

Data Acquisition Infield Inversion

Data Transfer &

Conversion Acquisition
Data Archiving & Linking to External
Process Data Databases
Mining

Pre-Processing &
Digital Signal Proc.
Fluid Flow
Modeling Inversion Detection Limits
Processing
Petrophysical Con- Mesh Definition & Geologic advance
version (forward) Adaption information

Resistivity
Mapping

Petrophysical Con-
version (inverse)
Evaluation
Data
Quantification
Integration

GeoEn Summer School, Potsdam, 24-28 September 2012

 How to apply ERT for CO2 storage
monitoring?
Our motivation:

at intermediate and high gas

saturation (above 20 %) geoelectrical
methods are more sensitive than
seismic methods

geoelectrical measurements are

relatively easy to deploy

higher repetition rates and cost-

P-wave velocity and resistivity
efficiency, versus CO2 saturation
but: lower structural resolution
- measured at Nagaoka test site (Japan)
by X. Zue et al., SPE 126885, Nov. 2009.

GeoEn Summer School, Potsdam, 24-28 September 2012

 Available reservoir data support feasibility
study
Reservoir properties:
The aquifer resistivity is calculated using Archies law (Archie, 1942)
and assuming:
-Salinity of formation water ~ 230 g/l
-Reservoir temperature of about 36 C (from T-logs)
-Resistivity of 20 wt-% brine @ 36C = 0.05 m
-Mean porosity of 23 %
} Ketzin data

= A w -m Sw-n
(SCO2 = 1-Sw)

- Archie parameters
A = 1.0 and m, n = 2.0 assumed in a first rough model.
- Typical CO2 saturation scenario of 50% ( 2.8 m).

GeoEn Summer School, Potsdam, 24-28 September 2012

 Laboratory experiments

Results from laboratory CO2

formation fluid
flow-through experiments:
(Kummerow et al., 2011)

CO2 ~ 1.7 m

formation fluid ~ 0.52 m formation fluid

t [h]
Lab data Lab data difference
before CO2 after CO2
Ktzi202_B2-3b Available lab data indicate a bulk
[m] 0.52 1.75 +240% CO2 saturation of 50% which
corresponds to a resistivity increase
Ktzi202_B3-1b
of +200% to +240% (~ factor 3).
[m] 0.47 1.40 +200%

GeoEn Summer School, Potsdam, 24-28 September 2012

The Ketzin project Europes longest-operating
on-shore CO2 storage site
Located in the North East German Basin
~ 25 km west of Berlin, at the SE flank
of a double anticline
Storage reservoir: saline aquifer of the
Stuttgart Fm.
Project start 2004, well completion 2007,
start of injection 2008

GeoEn Summer School, Potsdam, 24-28 September 2012

 An interdisciplinary monitoring
concept is applied @ Ketzin site

Start of CO2 injection:

30.06.2008
CO2 sources and quality:
Primary source: food-grade
CO2 (Linde), purity > 99.9 %
Secondary source (limited
time): Schwarze Pumpe pilot
plant (Vattenfall),
purity > 99.7 %
Injection rates:
24 to 77 t/day
(currently ~ 1 kt CO2 /month)
03.06.2012: 61,402 t CO2
injected

GeoEn Summer School, Potsdam, 24-28 September 2012

Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) systems
in CCS projects
Ketzin Cranfield Nagaoka
(permanent array) (permanent array) (logging tool /non-
permanent )

First ERT array in Deepest ERT array in Regular induction logs

CCS operation CCS operation as alternative solution
world-wide world-wide

Kiessling et al., 2010 Carrigan et al., 2010 Xue et al., 2009

GeoEn Summer School, Potsdam, 24-28 September 2012

 The Ketzin ERT concept: combination of
crosshole & surface-downhole measurements

In cooperation with:

Permanent installation of Vertical Electrical Resistivity Concentric circles with 16 surface dipoles & crossed
Array (VERA) in the three Ketzin wells (at insulated profiles for enlargement of observation area, dipole
casing) length: 150 m, r1 = 800 m, r2 = 1500 m )

GeoEn Summer School, Potsdam, 24-28 September 2012

 Design details of the Ketzin permanent ERT array

(1) (2)

(1) Stainless steel ring-shaped electrodes

with multi-conductor cables (15 wires)
(2) Centralizer & Protector Tool
(3) Casing: 5.5steel casing, coated with
insulating layer along the ERT array area (3)

GeoEn Summer School, Potsdam, 24-28 September 2012

Site-specific Customization of
Surface and Downhole
Equipment.

current: 2.5 A max. Electrode ensemble

channels: 15 for current injection
(for potential registration)

measured voltage: 50 V to 100 mV

signal period: 8 s

Electric power source

Data logger (TEXAN-125) TSQ-4 (SCINTREX)

(Photos: Courtesy of University Leipzig)

Stainless-steel
electrode
current: 4 10 A
Insulated casing voltage: 500 1300 V

signal period: 16 s
Length of time series ~ 1 h

Measurement
Unit (ZONGE)

(Photos: Courtesy of GFZ)

GeoEn Summer School, Potsdam, 24-28 September 2012

Field installation: Casing assembly

Photos: Silvio Mielitz

GeoEn Summer School, Potsdam, 24-28 September 2012

Field installation: Casing assembly

Photos: Silvio Mielitz

GeoEn Summer School, Potsdam, 24-28 September 2012

Field installation: Cable management

Photos: Silvio Mielitz

GeoEn Summer School, Potsdam, 24-28 September 2012

Field installation: Sensor mounting

cable electrode

centralizer

Photos: Silvio Mielitz

GeoEn Summer School, Potsdam, 24-28 September 2012

 Data QC and PreProcessing of the field data

Due to time constraints by

QC the acquired manifold of
electrode configurations and
to obtain transient effects 

Only two signal cycles have

ABMN: 3-2-18-17
been recorded
(each cycle T= 8s).
PP
No regular reciprocial
Day of injection
measurements, but for
individual data sets only.

Individual error estimation

EE from the cycles, and RMS
estimation from the adapted
preprocessing scheme.

GeoEn Summer School, Potsdam, 24-28 September 2012

 Inversion Strategy
Test of various program codes :
EarthImager, ERTLab, BERT
Deployment of constraints,
e.g. resistivity logs and
laboratory results 

 0.5 - 5 m low-res. environment

 small resistivity contrasts
 moderate resistivity changes
 thin target reservoir zone

Predefinition of most essential

parameters:
-regularization ,
z- geometrical weight, (Gnther & Rcker, 2006)
E- error weight
Separate investigation of 2D inversion results for two observation planes.

GeoEn Summer School, Potsdam, 24-28 September 2012

 2D Time-lapse results
Gravity driven upward
migration (funnel-like
Ktzi201 Ktzi200 Ktzi201 Ktzi200 Ktzi201 Ktzi200 Ktzi201 Ktzi200 shape) was observed
Inversion (monitor data)

since middle of August

2008.

steady-state situation
reached in December
2008.

Attenuated resistivity
profiles in the
Ratio (monitor/base data)

observation plane
Ktzi200-Ktzi201
for phases of significant
reduced injection rate
(March August 2010).

Good coverage of the

injection start phase by
August 18, 2008 December 03, 2008 March 15, 2010 April 02, 2011 frequently measured
data sets given.
(Schmidt-Hattenberger et al., 2012)

GeoEn Summer School, Potsdam, 24-28 September 2012

 3D Time-lapse results
Ktzi201 Ktzi200

202

z=620 m
202
z=635 m
202 z=640 m
202

201 200

201 200 201 200

201
200

3D View
Z-slice @ 630 m Data set from July 2010

Consistent results of the 2D inversion and the full 3D inversion for the individual
observation planes Ktzi200-Ktzi201 and Ktzi200-Ktzi202.

Significant volume effect necessary in order to detect the CO2 arrival at both
observation wells (Ktzi200 / Ktzi202) in the inverted data.

Assumption: limited 3D effect since Nov 2009 (degradation detected by contact
resistance checks)  critical electrodes: some of them have to be excluded from
interpretation, and some of them even from the inversion procedure.

GeoEn Summer School, Potsdam, 24-28 September 2012

Cross-checking of measurements and inverse modeling
ensures data reliability

Data inversion by
open-source code
BERT
with unstructured
tetrahedral grids.
www.resistivity.net

Zonge Engineering equipment

Data inversion by
ERTLab
which provided
very fast on-site
results.
www.ertlab.com

Multi-Phase Technologies equipment

Survey: April 2011

GeoEn Summer School, Potsdam, 24-28 September 2012

Surface-downhole results

Operating range: extended wellbore area

(Bergmann et al., 2012)

GeoEn Summer School, Potsdam, 24-28 September 2012

30
 Evaluation & Outlook
CO2 signature has been detected Resistivity
with sufficient spatial resolution. Mapping

Data sets are consolidated now,

updated petrophysical results are
available.
Petrophysical
Conversion (inverse)

Quantification

Contribution to data integration.

(Lth et al., 2011) (in progress)

GeoEn Summer School, Potsdam, 24-28 September 2012

Electrical and electromagnetical monitoring
on various scales
Regional scale
Magnetotellurics (MT) &
Controlled-Source
Electromagnetics (CSEM)

 see presentation by K.M.Bhatt

Sub-regional scale
Electromagnetics (EM)

Local scale
Electrical Resistivity
Tomography (ERT)

GeoEn Summer School, Potsdam, 24-28 September 2012

References:
Archie, G.E. (1942). The electric resistivity log as an aid in determining some reservoir characteristics. Trans. Am. Inst. Miner.
Met. 146,5462.
Bergmann, P. et al. (2012). Surface-downhole electrical resistivity tomography applied to monitoring of CO2 storage at
Ketzin, Germany. Geophysics 77 (2012), B253-B267.
Carrigan, C. R. et al. (2009). Application of ERT for tracking CO2 plume growth and movement at the SECARB Cranfield site.
8th Annual Conference on Carbon Capture & Sequestration, Pittsburgh, PA, United States, 4-7 May, 2009.
Friedel, S. (2000). ber die Abbildungseigenschaften der geoelektrischen Impedanztomographie unter Bercksichtigung von
endlicher Anzahl und endlicher Genauigkeit der Medaten. Ph.D. thesis, Fakultt fr Physik und Geowissenschaften, Universitt
Leipzig, Germany.
Gnther et al. (2006). Three-dimensional modelling and inversion of dc resistivity data incorporating topographyII.
Inversion. GJI 166, 506517.
Kiessling, D. et al. (2010). Geoelectrical methods for monitoring geological CO2 storage, First results from crosshole and
surface-downhole measurements from the CO2SINK test site at Ketzin (Germany). International Journal of Greenhouse Gas
Control 4 (2010), 816-826.
Kndel, K., Krummel, H., Lange, G. (1997). Handbuch zur Erkundung des Untergrundes von Deponien und Altlasten, Band 3
- Geophysik. Bundesanstalt fr Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe, Springer Verlag, 1063 S.
Kummerow and Spangenberg (2011). Experimental evaluation of the impact of the interactions of CO2-SO2, brine, and
reservoir rock on petrophysical properties: A case study from the Ketzin test site, Germany: Geochemistry Geophysics
Geosystems, 12, 5, Q05010.
Lth et al. (2011). Time-lapse seismic surface and down-hole measurements for monitoring CO2 storage in the CO2SINK
project (Ketzin, Germany). Energy Procedia, Volume 4, 3435-3442.
Marescot, L. (2010). http://tomoquest.com/attachments/File/Marescot_Intro_to_Inversion_UNIFR_19042010.pdf, Script on
Introduction to Inversion in Geophysics.
Xue, Z. et al. (2009). Detecting and monitoring CO2 with P-wave velocity and resistivity from both laboratory-and field scales.
In:SPE126885,SPE International Conference on CO2 Capture, Storage, and Utilization, SanDiego, CA, USA, November24.
Schmidt-Hattenberger, C. et al. (2012). A modular geoelectrical monitoring system as part of the surveillance concept in
CO2 storage projects. Energy Procedia 23 (2012), 400-407.
Szalai, S. et al. (2009). Depth of Investigation and Vertical Resolution of Surface Geoelectric Arrays, Journal of Environmental
& Engineering Geophysics, 14, 15-23.
Ward, S. H. (1990). Geotechnical and Environmental Geophysics, Chapter Resistivity and Induced Polarization Methods,
pages 147189. Investigations in Geophysics No. 5. Soc. Expl. Geophys.

GeoEn Summer School, Potsdam, 24-28 September 2012