Surface Deformation Monitoring As a Cost Effective MMV Method

In order for CCS to be accepted by industry and the public, long-term and cost effective containment assurance is critical. While seismic- based imaging methods have the ability to identify changes in large volumes of rock, the methods are expensive and there is a long delay between acquisition and processed results. Surface Deformation Monitoring (SDM) has the potential to provide near real-time notification of subsurface CO(2) leakage while the CO(2) is located deep in the earth. Some SDM techniques can image areas of 10,000 km(2) or more monthly at a fraction of the cost of a seismic shoot. While SDM techniques may not be appropriate for every sequestration project, they should be evaluated in the MMV design because of their large cost/benefit advantage. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.