Constraining the effectiveness of inherent tracers of captured CO for tracing CO leakage: Demonstration in a controlled release site.

Geological storage of carbon dioxide (CO) is an integral component of cost-effective greenhouse gas emissions reduction scenarios. However, a robust monitoring regime is necessary for public and regulatory assurance that any leakage from a storage site can be detected. Here, we present the results from a controlled CO release experiment undertaken at the K-COSEM test site (South Korea) with the aim of demonstrating the effectiveness of the inherent tracer fingerprints (noble gases, δC) in monitoring CO leakage.

Characterization of a NAPL-contaminated site using the partitioning behavior of noble gases.

Noble gases have been used for oil field exploration due to their partitioning behavior in oil-water systems. However, their application to study sites contaminated with non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPL) has been limited, except for Rn, which has been traditionally used as a partitioning tracer for contaminated sites. This study applied natural noble gas components such as Rn, He, Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe to the characterization of a field site contaminated with trichloroethylene (TCE) located in Wonju, Korea.