The United States Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) has made a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for subsurface monitoring technological advancements that will facilitate the injection and storage of CO2. The announcement is intended to solicit projects in novel technologies under the Crosscutting Research Program.
The DOE’s programs’ goals have been to advance and develop technologies and reduce the cost of implementation and be prepared for widespread commercial deployment between 2020 and 2030. In combination with the DOE’s Carbon Storage Program, this FOA means to ensure 99% permanence through the measurement, monitoring and accounting for the CO2 injected in the geologic formations.
Tools with the ability to withstand the harsh conditions in these geologic formations that have the ability to operate over the lifecycle of a project, are lacking. Developers will require the tools to monitor and determine the location of the CO2 plume, determine boundaries of elevated formation pressure and monitor well bore leaks, faults or fractures.
Similar technologies are being developed for the oil and gas sector but none for specific application to long-term CO2 storage projects as is a requirement by the EPA Underground Injection Control Class VI rules. The FOA intends to award funding as two to three year awards with decision points and requesting applications that are developing deep subsurface monitoring sensor technologies that will ensure the secure geologic storage of CO2. Continuation of projects will be determined at the end of each budget period for all projects through continuation applications.