The application of muon tomography to carbon storage monitoring

Post-injection monitoring of stored super-critical carbon dioxide will play a crucial role in the carbon capture and storage (CCS) industry. To date a number of monitoring methods have been proposed such as repeat seismic surveys. The application of a technique known as muon tomography is discussed. The technique proposes the instrumentation of suitable voids surrounding the storage volumes with detectors capable of detecting cosmic ray muons. The observed fluxes of muons and their arrival directions are taken along with known muon fluxes at sea level from which the density of the overburden (in this case the storage volume) can be interpreted. The theoretical modelling and potential configuration of muon detectors are discussed. Copyright © (2014) by the European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers. All rights reserved.