Energy and the shallow subsurface: from key processes to robust monitoring of geo-environmental greenhouse gases

能源和浅层地下：从关键过程到对地球环境温室气体的稳健监测

• 批准号: RGPIN-2022-04941
• 负责人: VanDeVen, Cole
• 金额: $ 1.97万
• 依托单位: Carleton University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=749118
• 关键词: Energy; shallow; subsurface; key; processes

Substantial reductions of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are required to address climate change and the associated impacts on the natural and built environment. Canada has committed to reducing emissions 30% by 2030 and decarbonization to achieve "net-zero" emissions by 2050. Specific actions to achieve these goals are crucial in the energy sector, such as reducing the production of fossil fuels, transitioning to "cleaner" fuels (e.g., hydrogen), and implementing carbon reduction strategies (e.g., geological sequestration). The subsurface plays a critical role in each of these approaches, as thousands of legacy energy wells will remain after decarbonization and the deep subsurface will be used to store new fuels and captured GHGs. As a result, a major environmental concern is the potential release of geo-environmental GHGs from deep below the earth's surface to the shallow subsurface and atmosphere. This release may further contribute to GHG emissions and threaten potable groundwater resources. The overall impacts are not well quantified due to limited knowledge of the processes governing gas migration within the shallow subsurface and a lack of accurate monitoring techniques. The proposed research program seeks to advance quantitative understanding of the movement and fate of GHGs in the shallow subsurface and leverage process-based knowledge to develop monitoring and mitigation strategies. The focus will be on understanding gas movement and dissolution in the shallow subsurface under non-steady state conditions (i.e., pressure and temperature variation) expected across the natural landscape of the Canadian energy sector and to develop novel approaches for the detection of leaked gas. A team of seven highly qualified personnel (HQP), will conduct a complementary set of research tasks, using intermediate-scale (centimetre-to-metre) laboratory experiments coupled with numerical modelling. This team will: 1)Quantify the environmental impacts associated with geo-environmental GHGs in the energy sector; 2)Provide high-resolution datasets to establish knowledge of processes driving subsurface gas movement and fate; 3)Develop and validate numerical models to assess impacts across a variety of scales; 4)Test monitoring approaches to accurately detect signs and symptoms of anomalous gas. The results will be valuable to academics, practitioners, and policymakers, allowing identification and prioritization of legacy energy wells requiring decommissioning, safe design and operation of future energy projects, quantification of risk, and providing science-based insight for regulation and policy decisions. This program will also provide unique training to HQP allowing them to solve the complex environmental challenges Canada faces into the future. Ultimately, the knowledge gained from this research will support subsurface decarbonization efforts in the Canadian energy sector by protecting groundwater, soils, and the atmosphere.

需要大量减少温室气体（GHG）排放来解决气候变化以及对自然环境的相关影响。加拿大已致力于到2030年减少30％的排放，并在2050年脱碳，以实现“净零”的排放。实现这些目标的具体措施在能源领域至关重要，例如减少化石燃料的产生，过渡到“清洁器”燃料（例如，氢（例如，氢）（例如，氢）和实施碳纤维策略（E.Godic）（E.G. Geological）（E.G. Geological）。地下在每种方法中都起着至关重要的作用，因为脱碳后数千个传统能井将保留，并且深层地下将用于存储新的燃料和捕获的温室气体。结果，一个主要的环境问题是，环境温室气温葡萄酒的潜在释放从地球表面以下到浅的地下和大气。该释放可能进一步有助于温室气体排放和威胁饮用的地下水资源。由于对浅层地下中的气体迁移的过程的了解有限以及缺乏准确的监测技术，因此无法很好地量化总体影响。拟议的研究计划旨在提高对温室气体运动和命运的定量理解，并利用基于过程的知识来制定监测和缓解策略。重点将放在理解加拿大能源部门自然景观中预期的非稳态条件下（即压力和温度变化）下的浅地下气体运动和溶解，并开发出新的方法以检测泄漏的气体。由七个高素质人员（HQP）组成的团队将使用中等规模（厘米至米）的实验室实验以及数值建模的实验中进行互补的研究任务。该团队将：1）量化能源部门中与地理环境温室气温剂有关的环境影响； 2）提供高分辨率数据集，以建立驱动地下气体运动和命运的过程知识； 3）开发和验证数值模型以评估各种尺度的影响； 4）测试监测方法准确检测异常气体的体征和症状。该结果将对学者，从业人员和政策制定者来说是有价值的，允许识别和优先考虑传统能源井，需要退役，对未来的能源项目的安全设计和运营，风险量化以及为监管和政策决策提供基于科学的洞察力。该计划还将为HQP提供独特的培训，使他们能够解决加拿大面临的复杂环境挑战。最终，从这项研究中获得的知识将通过保护地下水，土壤和大气来支持加拿大能源部门的地下脱碳工作。