EDUCATOR’S CORNER
The CCSU technologies are in their infancy; they are mostly on R&D labora- tory or pilot demonstration scales, and have thus huge potentials for develop- ment. Many of the CCSU projects rely on engineering, but certain aspects require geoscientist’s skills. These include iden- tifying and mapping the extent and size of underground storage sites, character- izing the petrophysical properties of potential reservoir rocks, seal and trap integrity, forecasting fluid-rock interac- tions, and geophysical monitoring of
the CO2 storages. Underground carbon storage sites must be properly tested and selected; poor choices that result in
CO2 leakages will undermine the public confidence in this promising solution.
Figure 2. Various energy sources by consumption in the USA in 2021. (Source: US Energy Information Administration)
The petroleum industry has long injected CO2 into subsurface reservoirs for EOR; the Permian Basin being the
best example. The petroleum geosci- entists’ skillsets would thus be highly desirable in managing the storage sites not only in active oil and gas fields for EOR, but also in abandoned fields where residual hydrocarbons would mitigate
the carbonic acid formed from CO2 reac- tion with water. Critical Minerals
Figure 3. The amounts of minerals used in selected in vehicles and power generation. (Source: International Energy Agency, 2021)
Massive electrification of the world in the coming decades – electric vehicles, power plants and grids – will require enormous amounts of minerals, metals and rare-earth elements (REEs) (Figure 3). The US Geological Survey has identi- fied 50 minerals and elements critical to the US economy, industries, and national security.1 European Union, Japan, and Australia have also assessed similar lists. These substances may not be geologically rare, but are in high demand and subject to high risks of supply disruptions as their production or processing are currently done in a handful of countries with China topping the list (Figure 4). A recent report by the International Energy Agency2 suggests that global demand for lithium, cobalt, nickel, copper, and REEs will increase by 40-70% by 2040. The exploration, mapping, reserve estimates, and mining of rare metals and critical minerals offer research and funding opportunities for geoscientists.
Critical minerals and elements have
Figure 4. Production and processing of various rare metals compared to that of fossil fuels in 2019. (Source: International Energy Agency, 2021)
1.
either primary conventional sources (rocks and ores) or unconventional sec- ondary sources from existing mines
https://www.usgs.gov/news/national-news-release/us-geological-survey-releases-2022-list-critical-minerals. 2. IEA (2021) The Role of Critical Minerals in Clean Energy Transitions, Paris, 287 p.
www.aipg.org Oct.Nov.Dec 2022 • TPG 49
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