Reservoir storage and containment of greenhouse gases

This paper deals with the problem of disposal of industrial waste greenhouse gases (CO₂) into deep reservoirs. The simulator TOUGH2 was used to model the injection of 100 kg/s of CO₂ for 10 years into an aquifer 3 km deep with the object of evaluating the long-term storage prospects for this gas. Depending on the permeability structure above the injection point, some gas may escape to the surface. In the most favourable case, all of the gas dissolves into the water, and the resulting dense fluid settles in the aquifer over several thousand years. Consequently, underground storage provides a promising sink for reducing CO₂ emissions to the atmosphere.