Assessment of safety of CO₂ storage in depleted oil and gas reservoirs

Yevstakhii Kryzhanivskyi, Eduard Kuzmenko, Serhii Bahriy*, Yurii Artyshuk

serhii.bahrii@nung.edu.ua

Received 27.11.2025, Revised 13.05.2026, Accepted 30.06.2026, Published 06.07.2026
Abstract

Research relevance is determined by the need for safe geological storage of carbon dioxide as part of the implementation of carbon capture, transport and storage (CCS/CCUS) technologies. Study aimed to assess safety of CO₂ storage in depleted oil and gas reservoirs and to justify the feasibility of use of the natural pulsed Earth electromagnetic field (NPEMFE) method for real-time monitoring of reservoir pressure and the identification of potential fluid migration pathways. The research methodology was based on an analysis of the results of experimental geophysical studies conducted at the Dolynskyi oilfield research site in the western region of Ukraine, as well as on the application of spatial correlation analysis to establish relationships between NPEMFE parameters and reservoir pressure. Depleted hydrocarbon fields were considered as promising sites for long-term CO₂ sequestration due to their significant storage capacity, proven leak-tightness and existing production infrastructure. The study established a regular relationship between reservoir pressure and NPEMFE parameters. An inverse relationship was identified, whereby an increase in reservoir pressure is accompanied by a decrease in the intensity of the NPEMFE, whilst a decrease in reservoir pressure increases electromagnetic activity. Study demonstrated that changes in the intensity of the NPEMFE are associated with stress redistribution processes within the rock mass. The anisotropic nature of the spatial distribution of NPEMFE anomalies has been established, reflecting the directions of fluid flow and zones of increased permeability. Correlation analysis has confirmed the existence of a relationship between changes in the natural electric field and formation pressure. A conceptual approach has been developed for organisation of a geophysical monitoring system for CO₂ geological storage sites, based on regular observations of NPEMFE parameters, which can be used for early detection of potential hydrocarbon migration pathways and storage integrity breaches. The practical value of the results obtained is determined by their potential use by specialists in the oil and gas industry, geoecology and geophysical monitoring to monitor the condition of underground CO₂ storage sites, assess the risks of leaks and improve the environmental and technological safety of geological carbon storage

Keywords:
geological CO₂ storage; depleted gas fields; formation pressure; the Earth’s natural pulsed electromagnetic field; monitoring; storage site safety; fluid migration

Retrieved from Vol. 60, No. 1, 2026

Pages 46–59

References Suggested citation
  1. Ahmed, A., Kamy, S., Delshad, M., & Hildebrand, L.M.A. (2025). A comprehensive review of CO₂ subsurface storage: Integrity, safety, and economic viability. Energy Geoscience, 6(3), article number 100441. doi: 10.1016/j.engeos.2025.100441.
  2. Ajayi, T., Gomes, J.S., & Bera, A. (2019). A review of CO₂ storage in geological formations emphasizing modeling, monitoring and capacity estimation approaches. Petroleum Science, 16(5), 1028-1063. doi: 10.1007/s12182-019-0340-8.
  3. Albertz, M., Stewart, S.A., & Goteti, R. (2023). Perspectives on geologic carbon storage. Frontiers in Energy Research, 10, article number 1071735. doi: 10.3389/fenrg.2022.1071735.
  4. Bachu, S. (2015). Review of CO₂ storage efficiency in deep saline aquifers. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 40, 188-202. doi: 10.1016/j.ijggc.2015.01.007.
  5. Bai, M., Zhang, Z., & Fu, X. (2016). A review on well integrity issues for CO₂ geological storage and enhanced gas recovery. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 59, 920-926. doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2016.01.043.
  6. Benson, S.M., & Cole, D.R. (2008). CO₂ sequestration in deep sedimentary formations. Elements, 4(5), 325-331. doi: 10.2113/GSELEMENTS.4.5.325.
  7. Deflandre, J.-P., Estublier, A., Baroni, A., Daniel, J.-M., & Adjémian, F. (2011). In Salah CO₂ injection modeling: A preliminary approach to predict short term reservoir behavior. Energy Procedia, 4, 3574-3581. doi: 10.1016/j.egypro.2011.02.286.
  8. Demchuk, Y., Shogenov, K., Shogenova, A., Merson, B., & Vincent, C.J. (2025). Geological and petrophysical properties of underground gas storage facilities in Ukraine and their potential for hydrogen and CO₂ storage. Sustainability, 17(6), article number 2400. doi: 10.3390/su17062400.
  9. Eigbe, P.A., Ajayi, O.O., Olakoyejo, O.T., Fadipe, O.L., Efe, S., & Adelaja, A.O. (2023). A general review of CO₂ sequestration in underground geological formations and assessment of depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs in the Niger Delta. Applied Energy, 350, article number 121723. doi: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2023.121723.
  10. Fawad, M., & Mondol, N.H. (2021). Monitoring geological storage of CO₂: A new approach. Scientific Reports, 11, article number 5942. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-85346-8.
  11. Fedoriv, V., Bagriy, S., Piatkovska, I., Femyak, Y., & Trubenko, A. (2019). Petrophysical model for determining clay content of rocks based on integrated geophysical investigations. In 18th international conference on geoinformatics – theoretical and applied aspects. Bunnik: European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers. doi: 10.3997/2214-4609.201902116.
  12. Kuzmenko, E.D., Chepurnyi, I.V., Chepurna, T., & Bagriy, S.M. (2020). Subsidence and failures within the territory of Precarpathian salt fields and the possibility of their prediction. Scientific Bulletin of the National Mining University, 2, 5-10. doi: 10.33271/nvngu/2020-2/005.
  13. Massarweh, O., & Abushaikha, A.S. (2024). CO₂ sequestration in subsurface geological formations: A review of trapping mechanisms and monitoring techniques. Earth-Science Reviews, 253, article number 104793. doi: 10.1016/j.earscirev.2024.104793.
  14. Michael, K., Golab, A., Shulakova, V., Ennis-King, J., Allinson, G., Sharma, S., & Aiken, T. (2010). Geological storage of CO₂ in saline aquifers – a review of the experience from existing storage operations. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 4(4), 659-667. doi: 10.1016/j.ijggc.2009.12.011.
  15. Nguyen, V., Olayiwola, O., Guo, B., & Liu, N. (2023). Well cement degradation and wellbore integrity in geological CO₂ storages: A literature review. Petroleum & Petrochemical Engineering Journal, 5(3). doi: 10.23880/ppej-16000269.
  16. Nsiama, K.K., Yu, L., Wang, F., Kasongo Numbi, E., & Mustapha, A. (2024). Exhaustive review of CO₂ sequestration in depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs: Recent advances, challenges and future prospects. Energy & Fuels, 38(22), 21701-21734. doi: 10.1021/acs.energyfuels.4c03512.
  17. Rutqvist, J. (2012). The geomechanics of CO₂ storage in deep sedimentary formations. Geotechnical and Geological Engineering, 30, 525-551. doi: 10.1007/s10706-011-9491-0.
  18. Shah, M.S., Zendehboudi, S., Duan, X., Khan, F., & Heagle, D.J. (2026). Geological and technical foundations of offshore CO₂ storage in depleted reservoirs. ACS Omega, 11(11), 17013-17078. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.5c10510.
  19. Tang, W., Li, W., Lin, Z., Zhu, J., Zhou, S., Kuang, Y., & Zheng, Y. (2025). Geophysical monitoring technology and simulation in CO₂ geological storage: A comprehensive review. Gas Science and Engineering, 143, article number 205725. doi: 10.1016/j.jgsce.2025.205725.
  20. Wei, B., Wang, B., Li, X., Aishan, M., & Ju, Y. (2023). CO₂ storage in depleted oil and gas reservoirs: A review. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 9(2), 76-93. doi: 10.46690/ager.2023.08.02.
  21. White, D. (2009). Monitoring CO₂ storage during EOR at the Weyburn-Midale Field. The Leading Edge, 28(7), 838-842. doi: 10.1190/1.3167786.
  22. Zhou, X., et al. (2024). Review of carbon dioxide utilization and sequestration in depleted oil reservoirs. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 202, article number 114646. doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2024.114646.
Kryzhanivskyi, Ye., Kuzmenko, E., Bahriy, S., & Artyshuk, Yu. (2026). Assessment of safety of CO₂ storage in depleted oil and gas reservoirs . Mining Journal of Kryvyi Rih National University, 60(1), 46-59. https://doi.org/10.31721/2306-5435-2026-1-46-59
en