Surface-downhole electrical resistivity tomography applied to monitoring of CO2 storage at Ketzin, Germany

Abstract

Surface-downhole electrical resistivity tomography (SD-ERT) surveys were repeatedly carried out to image [Formula: see text] injected at the pilot storage Ketzin, Germany. The experimental setup combines surface with downhole measurements by using a permanent electrode array that has been deployed in three wells. Two baseline experiments were performed during the site startup and three repeat experiments were performed during the first year of CO2 injection. By the time of the third repeat, approximately 13,500 tons of [Formula: see text] had been injected into the reservoir sandstones at about 650 m depth. Field data and inverted resistivity models showed a resistivity increase over time at the [Formula: see text] injector. The lateral extent of the related resistivity signature indicated a preferential [Formula: see text] migration toward the northwest. Using an experimental resistivity-saturation relationship, we mapped [Formula: see text] saturations by means of the resistivity index method. For the latest repeat, [Formula: see text] saturations show values of up to 70% near the injection well, which matches well with [Formula: see text] saturations determined from pulsed neutron-gamma logging. The presence of environmental noise, reservoir heterogeneities, and irregularities in the well completions are the main sources of uncertainty for the interpretations. The degradation of the permanently installed downhole components is monitored by means of frequently performed resistance checks. In consistency with the SD-ERT data, these resistance checks indicate a long-term resistivity increase near the [Formula: see text] injector. In conclusion, the investigations demonstrate the capability of surface-downhole electrical resistivity tomography to image geologically stored [Formula: see text] at the Ketzin site.