Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage: NMR Applications

The study of carbon capture (utilization) and storage (CCS, CCUS), also referred to as carbon sequestration, requires detailed and careful assessment of the rock into which carbon dioxide (CO₂) could be injected, or trapped by, for long-term storage. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) characterises the porosity, permeability, and pore size distribution of rocks – key properties to establish for potential reservoir and cap rocks for CO₂ storage. Time Domain NMR (TD-NMR) is a well- established method that is already widely used in the oil and gas industry and is typically conducted on rock core samples taken from drilled wells.

NMR can be used to ascertain how injected CO₂ will react with the rock matrix, and with other fluids present in the reservoir system. Capillary pressure, determined using NMR, is key to understanding how CO₂ will spread through the network and whether a cap rock seal is likely to remain intact. GeoSpec, our TD-NMR solution for geological applications, employs a patented method for determining capillary pressure, which is much faster and delivers more reliable, accurate data than traditional measurement methods. NMR measurements also provide a convenient way to monitor the actual movement of fluids, such as brine and CO₂ in a rock, as real-time core flooding experiments can be easily conducted.

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