Characterization and modelling of a naturally fractured reservoir-caprock unit targeted for CO2 storage in arctic Norway

Successfully storing CO2 underground requires a good understanding of the subsurface at the storage site, and its robust representation in geological models. Geological models, and related simulations, provide important quantitative information on critical parameters for the optimal utilisation of the subsurface, such as storage capacity, fracturing pressure, optimal injection rates and drilling strategy. In the majority of cases, such models are constructed on the basis of seismic and well data, and history matched using production and injection data. On the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, however, a siliciclastic unit ca. 700-1000 m deep is considered for CO2 storage, and its outcrop equivalents are exposed 15-20 km from the planned injection site. These outcrops provide an important insight into the structural and sedimentological heterogeneity of the target reservoir. The use of modern tools such as photogrammetric digital outcrops enhances our ability to obtain relevant quantitative data for the geomodel. We here present an integrated characterization of the UNIS CO2 project target reservoir, combining well, core, seismic, EM and outcrop data, to build a realistic model of the planned CO2 storage site.