The laboratory carries out research and development projects funded by various sources such as foundations, research councils, and industry.
We have adapted petroleum core analysis techniques to a range of new areas, including rock mechanics, man-made porous materials (ceramics, concrete), soil and water pollution. We are involved in a number of projects with research institutes in Denmark and abroad. The list below summarizes a number of recent R&D projects with participation of our laboratory:
CO₂-EOR related projects
CO₂-EOR in fractured Chalk:
2013-2017: Reservoir condition experiments are carried out with CO₂ flooding of artificially fractured Chalk. The experiments are performed both in a traditional set-up with 38 mm diameter samples and in a set-up where 123 mm diameter fractured samples are studied. Special focus is on determination of diffusion parameters and oil recovery by CO₂ flooding of fractured chalk systems. The project is funded by the Joint Chalk Research (JCR) Phase VII, and is carried out in close collaboration with PERA, who is responsible for the numerical modelling of the experiments.
Enhanced Oil Recovery through CO₂ utilization:
2007-2010: The interplay between oil, water, CO₂, and chalk at reservoir conditions was studied based on sample material and data from the South Arne Field. The project was funded by the Danish National Advanced Technology Foundation and was carried out in collaboration between Department of Chemical Engineering at DTU, Institute of Environment and Resources at DTU, GEO, DONG Energy, and GEUS. Flooding experiments at reservoir conditions were carried out at GEUS. The experiments provided valuable information about the behaviour of a chalk reservoir during a CO₂ flooding operation, in particular regarding the timing and amount of oil recovery for both the Ekofisk and Tor Formations (Danish North Sea).
CO₂-EOR projects funded by Industry:
2009-2012: Various confidential projects funded by industry partners related to CO₂-EOR. The projects focused on several aspects such as recovery potential, chemical interactions, and caprock quality.
Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) related projects
BIGCCS:
2009-2016: The BIGCCS International Research Centre is an interdisciplinary research centre funded by the Norwegian Research Council and managed by SINTEF. The research centre studies the entire CCS chain from capture to geological storage. In relation to BIGCCS, our laboratory has performed core scale experimental studies on dry-out effects by CO₂-flooding and is currently involved in a well integrity study as well as a study where possible geomechanical effects of CO₂ storage are investigated.
CO₂ – Sink Project:
2004-2010: A CCS demonstration project based at an old gas storage facility outside Berlin and funded from EU FP6 and industry sources. Our obligation was to assist in risk assessment and to characterize the caprock sealing properties relative to CO₂ injection into the shallow Ketzin storage site.
AQUA-DK:
2007-2010: This project was funded by the Energy Technology Development and Demonstration Programme (EUDP) with the purpose to identify reservoir rocks and caprocks suitable to CO₂ storage in Denmark and investigate possible CO₂-mineral reactions in these rocks. The laboratory was overall project manager and contributed with caprock experimental work as well as hydrogeochemical modelling.
Projects related to Geothermal Energy
CONvert:
2017-2019 : Finansed by the Energy Technology Development and Demonstration Programme (EUDP). It is a collaboration between SINTEF, Rambøll, and GEUS. The project analyzes the techno-economic feasibility of an integrated energy system, where the subsurface is utilized for thermal energy production and storage. GEUS Core Laboratory will perform laboratory experiments to characterize the geochemical reactions that take place when hot formation water is injected to and retrieved from a subsurface reservoir. The work includes reactive modelling of the experiments.
Heat Storage in Hot Aquifers (HeHo):
2010-2017: This project is funded by the Danish Strategic Research Council and is carried out in collaboration between GEUS, DTU CERE, BRGM, ETH Zürich, Vilnius University, and DFG (a consultant for the district heating companies in Denmark). The aim of the project is to develop new technology to improve planning of energy storage in geothermal reservoirs through high-quality experiments and numerical modeling. Our laboratory is responsible for developing and performing hydrogeochemical experiments and subsequent numerical modeling of the experiments.
Other projects
CHEMWEAK:
2014-: In a variety of situations in Chalk reservoirs, e.g. CO₂ injection and well stimulation, it is expected that some of the Chalk matrix will dissolve. However, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the geomechanical effects of such dissolution. The CHEMWEAK project aims at obtaining a Chalk geomechanical model as a function of the amount of dissolved Chalk in a sample. In the project, GEUS Core Analysis Laboratory develops a method to create homogeneous dissolution of single Chalk specimens for laboratory work. The project is funded by the JCR VII programme, and is carried out in collaboration with University of Stavanger (UiS) and GEO.
CRYOFRAC:
2012-: This project was initiated by the need for alternative methods to clean up contaminated sites, where clay till has been contaminated by cleaning agents such as TCE. The project investigates how clay-till reacts to artificially induced freeze-thaw cycles, and what the implications are for using the technology as a possible future remediation technology. The project is funded by the Capital Region of Denmark.
Joint Chalk Research (JCR):
1990-: The Joint Chalk Research Programme is dedicated to improving hydrocarbon production from the North Sea chalk fields. The research programme was initiated by the Danish and Norwegian authorities in 1982 and is financed by the industry. The research has focused on the geological description of chalk, recovery mechanisms, evaluation of gas and water flooding parameters, mechanical behaviour including well stability in chalk fields, and simulation and modelling of chalk sequences. GEUS Core Laboratory has until now been involved in the Joint Chalk Research Programme for 27 years.