CCS Risk Assessment: Groundwater Contamination Caused by CO₂

Abstract

The potential contamination of underground drinking water (UDW) caused by CO2 leakage is a critical decision input for risk assessment and management decision making. This paper presents an overview of the potential alterations to UDW quality caused by CO2 and the relevant quality guidelines on drinking water. Furthermore, a framework and numerical simulator have been developed to (i) predict and assess the potential consequences of CO2 leakage on the quality of UDW; and (ii) assess the efficiency of groundwater remediation methods and scenarios for various UDW leakage conditions and alterations. The simulator was applied to a Canadian CO2 disposal site to assess the potential consequences of CO2 leakage on groundwater quality. The information, framework, and numerical tool presented here are useful for successful risk assessments and the management of CO2 capture and sequestration in Canadian geological formations.

Keywords

• climate change
• deep geological disposal
• CO₂
• carbon sequestration
• carbon capture
• risk assessment
• THMC
• groundwater
• contamination