SOUTHWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Subsurface Gas Disposal and Storage

Development of carbon dioxide and sour gas disposal (e.g., CO₂ sequestration), and hydrogen storage facilities in geologic formations are important components of efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and develop a sustainable energy economy. The Geosciences and Engineering Division of Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) offers a range of services to support the evaluation and development of these subsurface gas disposal and storage projects.

Interpreted seismic line from a thrust belt off-shore of Turkey helps constrain subsurface geometry.

	The 3DStress® program calculates slip tendency (top) and direction and dilation tendency (bottom), permitting two- and three-dimensional analyses of stress effects on faults and fractures. These analyses can be used to evaluate CO2 leakage through faults and any potential for induced seismicity.

Subsurface Gas Disposal and Storage Capabilities

• Geologic characterization and modeling of deep geologic environments with particular expertise in folded, fractured, and faulted carbonate formations

• Hydrogeochemical analysis and modeling of gas, water, and rock interactions

• Numerical modeling of multiphase, non-isothermal fluid flow in geologic formations

• Laboratory and theoretical analysis of corrosion and engineered material behavior in extreme geologic environments

• System-level risk assessment and environmental impact analyses

• Permitting and compliance with environmental regulations

SwRI Laboratory and Testing Facilities

The capabilities of the Geosciences and Engineering Division are complemented by the extensive laboratory and testing facilities of SwRI for:

• Well-drilling and well-completion technologies for multi-phase and corrosive fluids

• Reliability, efficiency, and safety analysis of engineered systems

• Compressor design

• Pipeline transmission of multi-phase and condensable fluids

• Corrosion analysis

• Pipeline protection

• Risk analysis and management

For acoustical design analysis, SwRI typically provides spectral analysis of pulsation waveforms for the piping system, as well as a compressor cylinder pressure-volume diagram.

For more information about the subsurface gas disposal and storage capabilities of SwRI or how you can contract with SwRI, please contact Dr. Gary Walter at gwalter@swri.org or (210) 522-3805.
 

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Southwest Research Institute® (SwRI®), headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, is a multidisciplinary, independent, nonprofit, applied engineering and physical sciences research and development organization with 11 technical divisions.

September 29, 2008