Carbon dioxide injection into deep aquifers: a geomechanical perspective
Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is widely recognized as a key strategy for reducing atmospheric CO₂ emissions and mitigating climate change. However, the safe and effective implementation of CO₂ injection into deep geological formations requires a comprehensive understanding of the coupled geomechanical and multiphase processes occurring in the subsurface.
In this seminar, Prof. Lyesse Laloui (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne – EPFL) will present a geomechanical perspective on carbon dioxide injection into deep aquifers, addressing the main challenges and opportunities from the pore scale to the reservoir scale. The lecture will focus on critical aspects such as reservoir integrity, caprock stability, pore pressure evolution, two-phase flow, and reactive transport processes in heterogeneous porous media.
By integrating experimental studies, numerical modeling, and field data, the seminar will highlight recent advances in the understanding of thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) processes triggered by CO₂ injection. Special emphasis will be placed on permeability evolution, wettability effects, and their role in ensuring long-term storage security and reliable risk assessment.
The seminar aims to foster cross-disciplinary discussion and contribute to the development of robust and sustainable CCS solutions, addressing key challenges in geomechanics, porous media research, and subsurface engineering.
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