This work describes strategies for assessing and managing induced seismicity risk during each phase of a carbon storage project. We consider both nuisance and damage potential from induced earthquakes, as well as the indirect risk of enhancing fault leakage pathways. A phased approach to seismicity management is proposed, in which operations are continuously adapted based on available information and an on-going estimate of risk. At each project stage, specific recommendations are made for (a) monitoring and characterization, (b) modeling and analysis, and (c) site operations. The resulting methodology can help lower seismic risk while ensuring site operations remain practical and cost-effective.
Earthquakes are known to be caused by anthropogenic sources: wastewater injection, hydraulic fracturing, mining, geothermal operations, and underground storage. Induced events have been large enough to cause loss of life and significant economic losses. In many cases, induced seismicity is one of the major technical hurdles for resource development. In fact, concerns around the risks posed by these operations have been great enough to end operations. In this thesis, I develop a risk-based approach to manage the risks of induced earthquakes by informing the threshold for stopping an operation (i.e., the red-light). Due to the complexity of this issue, multiple concepts were developed to begin addressing it. Within this thesis, I provide a review of short-term induced seismicity cases (i.e., hydraulic fracturing & enhanced geothermal systems), describe common themes relevant for risk management, describe current shortcomings, develop tools/concepts to address these shortcomings, and then incorporate these concepts/themes together into a risk-based framework. In addition, we provided links to the codes and papers developed to address this issue. Overall, the concepts here begin building a framework for the management of induced seismicity risks -- to strike the right balance between public safety and orderly development of resources.
In the past several years, some energy technologies that inject or extract fluid from the Earth, such as oil and gas development and geothermal energy development, have been found or suspected to cause seismic events, drawing heightened public attention. Although only a very small fraction of injection and extraction activities among the hundreds of thousands of energy development sites in the United States have induced seismicity at levels noticeable to the public, understanding the potential for inducing felt seismic events and for limiting their occurrence and impacts is desirable for state and federal agencies, industry, and the public at large. To better understand, limit, and respond to induced seismic events, work is needed to build robust prediction models, to assess potential hazards, and to help relevant agencies coordinate to address them. Induced Seismicity Potential in Energy Technologies identifies gaps in knowledge and research needed to advance the understanding of induced seismicity; identify gaps in induced seismic hazard assessment methodologies and the research to close those gaps; and assess options for steps toward best practices with regard to energy development and induced seismicity potential.
Carbon Capture and Storage, Second Edition, provides a thorough, non-specialist introduction to technologies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels during power generation and other energy-intensive industrial processes, such as steelmaking. Extensively revised and updated, this second edition provides detailed coverage of key carbon dioxide capture methods along with an examination of the most promising techniques for carbon storage. The book opens with an introductory section that provides background regarding the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, an overview of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies, and a primer in the fundamentals of power generation. The next chapters focus on key carbon capture technologies, including absorption, adsorption, and membrane-based systems, addressing their applications in both the power and non-power sectors. New for the second edition, a dedicated section on geological storage of carbon dioxide follows, with chapters addressing the relevant features, events, and processes (FEP) associated with this scenario. Non-geological storage methods such as ocean storage and storage in terrestrial ecosystems are the subject of the final group of chapters. A chapter on carbon dioxide transportation is also included. This extensively revised and expanded second edition will be a valuable resource for power plant engineers, chemical engineers, geological engineers, environmental engineers, and industrial engineers seeking a concise, yet authoritative one-volume overview of this field. Researchers, consultants, and policy makers entering this discipline also will benefit from this reference. Provides all-inclusive and authoritative coverage of the major technologies under consideration for carbon capture and storage Presents information in an approachable format, for those with a scientific or engineering background, as well as non-specialists Includes a new Part III dedicated to geological storage of carbon dioxide, covering this topic in much more depth (9 chapters compared to 1 in the first edition) Features revisions and updates to all chapters Includes new sections or expanded content on: chemical looping/calcium looping; life-cycle GHG assessment of CCS technologies; non-power industries (e.g. including pulp/paper alongside ones already covered); carbon negative technologies (e.g. BECCS); gas-fired power plants; biomass and waste co-firing; and hydrate-based capture
Encompassing theory and field experience, this book covers all the main subject areas in earthquake risk reduction, ranging from geology, seismology, structural and soil dynamics to hazard and risk assessment, risk management and planning, engineering and the architectural design of new structures and equipment. Earthquake Risk Reduction outlines individual national weaknesses that contribute to earthquake risk to people and property; calculates the seismic response of soils and structures, using the structural continuum 'Subsoil - Substructure - Superstructure - Non-structure'; evaluates the effectiveness of given designs and construction procedures for reducing casualties and financial losses; provides guidance on the key issue of choice of structural form; presents earthquake resistant designs methods for the four main structural materials - steel, concrete, reinforced masonry and timber - as well as for services equipment, plant and non-structural architectural components; contains a chapter devoted to problems involved in improving (retrofitting) the existing built environment. Compiled from the author's extensive professional experience in earthquake engineering, this key text provides an excellent treatment of the complex multidisciplinary process of earthquake risk reduction. This book will prove an invaluable reference and guiding tool to practicing civil and structural engineers and architects, researchers and postgraduate students in seismology, local governments and risk management officials.
This book is devoted to diverse aspects of earthquake researches, especially to new achievements in seismicity that involves geosciences, assessment, and mitigation. Chapters contain advanced materials of detailed engineering investigations, which can help more clearly appreciate, predict, and manage different earthquake processes. Different research themes for diverse areas in the world are developed here, highlighting new methods of studies that lead to new results and models, which could be helpful for the earthquake risk. The presented and developed themes mainly concern wave's characterization and decomposition, recent seismic activity, assessment-mitigation, and engineering techniques. The book provides the state of the art on recent progress in earthquake engineering and management. The obtained results show a scientific progress that has an international scope and, consequently, should open perspectives to other still unresolved interesting aspects.
The secure storage of energy and carbon dioxide in subsurface geological formations plays a crucial role in transitioning to a low-carbon energy system. The suitability and security of subsurface storage sites rely on the geological and hydraulic properties of the reservoir and confining units. Additionally, their ability to withstand varying thermal, mechanical, hydraulic, biological and chemical conditions during storage operations is essential. Each subsurface storage technology has distinct geological requirements and faces specific economic, logistical, public and scientific challenges. As a result, certain sites can be better suited than others for specific low-carbon energy applications. This Special Publication provides a summary of the state of the art in subsurface energy and carbon dioxide storage. It includes 20 case studies that offer insights into site selection, characterization of reservoir processes, the role of caprocks and fault seals, as well as monitoring and risk assessment needs for subsurface storage operations.
Earthquakes are a serious threat to safety in hotel and motel buildings and pose a significant potential liability to owners and operators. Hotel and motel buildings in 39 states are vulnerable to earthquake damage. Unsafe existing buildings expose hotel and motel building owners, operators, and guests to the following risks: Death and injury to guests, visitors, and staff; Damage to or collapse of buildings; Damage to and loss of furnishings, equipment, and other building contents; and Disruption of hospitality functions and building operations. The greatest earthquake risk is associated with existing hotel and motel buildings that were designed and constructed before the use of modern building codes. For many parts of the United States, this includes buildings built as recently as the early 1990s. Although vulnerable hotel and motel buildings should be replaced with safe, new construction or rehabilitated to correct deficiencies, for many building owners, new construction is limited, at times severely, by budgetary constraints, and seismic rehabilitation is expensive and disruptive. However, incremental seismic rehabilitation, an innovative approach that phases in a series of discrete rehabilitation actions over a period of several years, is an effective, affordable, and non-disruptive strategy for responsible mitigation action that can be integrated efficiently into ongoing facility maintenance and capital improvement operations to minimize cost and disruption. This manual and its companion documents are the products of a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) project to develop the concept of incremental seismic rehabilitation-that is, building modifications that reduce seismic risk by improving seismic performance and that are implemented over an extended period, often in conjunction with other repair, maintenance, or capital improvement activities. It provides operators of hotels and motels and their owners, be they Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), pension funds, partnerships, individuals, or other forms of ownership, with the information necessary to assess the seismic vulnerability of their buildings and to implement a program of incremental seismic rehabilitation for those buildings.
Current events help to emphasise the importance of the analysis and management of risk to planners and researchers around the world. Natural hazards such as floods, earthquakes, landslides, fires and others have always affected human societies. The more recent emergence of the importance of man-made hazards is a consequence of the rapid technological advances made in the last few centuries. The interaction of natural and anthropogenic risks adds to the complexity of the problems. Presented at the 12th International Conference on Risk Analysis and Hazard Mitigation, the included research works cover a variety of topics related to risk analysis and hazard mitigation, associated with both natural and anthropogenic hazards.
* Multidisciplinary approach of risk assessment and management, which can provide more efficient earthquake mitigation. * Transfer of Geo-scientific and engineering knowledge to Civil Protection and insurance agents * Approaches and common practices directly related to the preparation of earthquake emergency plans * Illustrated examples of actual applications, including web sites * Case-studies and information on relevant international projects
