Summary

IEAGHG’s combined Modelling and Risk Management Network, hosted by the EERC, took place in Grand Forks, North Dakota between 18^th and 22^nd June 2018.  These meetings bring together leading experts from research and industry to discuss the latest work and developments, with over 30 speakers and 71 attendees representing 8 countries. 

The theme for the meeting was ‘How advances in modelling and risk management improve pressure management, capacity estimation, leakage detection and the prediction of induced seismicity’.  Sessions included project updates, the application of oil and gas production experience, modelling capacity, unconventional reservoir risk assessments and active pressure management.  The third day focused on conformance and regulation with a keynote presentation by Lynn Helms from the North Dakota Industrial Commission on Class VI well regulations.   

Key findings from the meeting included further refinement for a global capacity estimation methodology needs to be agreed. SPE SRMS provides a solid foundation although further refinement is necessary. Geological heterogeneity still remains very difficult to simulate. The development of models based on a diversity of analogues would improve model predictability. Capillary pressure simulations can help to explain the pattern of CO₂ plume migration better than porosity/permeability simulations alone. Fluid events can now be simulated at pore-scale.