Pore Pressure Analysis for Distinguishing Earthquakes Induced by CO 2 Injection from Natural Earthquakes

Chanmaly Chhun and Takeshi Tsuji
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Chanmaly Chhun: Department of Earth Resources Engineering, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
Takeshi Tsuji: Department of Earth Resources Engineering, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 22, 1-12

Abstract: It is important to distinguish between natural earthquakes and those induced by CO 2 injection at carbon capture and storage sites. For example, the 2004 Mw 6.8 Chuetsu earthquake occurred close to the Nagaoka CO 2 storage site during gas injection, but we could not quantify whether the earthquake was due to CO 2 injection or not. Here, changes in pore pressure during CO 2 injection at the Nagaoka site were simulated and compared with estimated natural seasonal fluctuations in pore pressure due to rainfall and snowmelt, as well as estimated pore pressure increases related to remote earthquakes. Changes in pore pressure due to CO 2 injection were clearly distinguished from those due to rainfall and snowmelt. The simulated local increase in pore pressure at the seismogenic fault area was much less than the seasonal fluctuations related to precipitation and increases caused by remote earthquakes, and the lateral extent of pore pressure increase was insufficient to influence seismogenic faults. We also demonstrated that pore pressure changes due to distant earthquakes are capable of triggering slip on seismogenic faults. The approach we developed could be used to distinguish natural from injection-induced earthquakes and will be useful for that purpose at other CO 2 sequestration sites.

Keywords: pore pressure; CO 2 injection; induced earthquakes; seasonal earthquakes; remote earthquakes; seismogenic faults (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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