Geomicrobiological research concerning Carbon Capture and Storage / CCS

Report of the project:

• CO2GeoNet Association - European Network of Excellence on Geological Storage of CO2

Collection of long sediment cores from the Lake Laacher See using a special float of the University Mainz Source: BGR

Research results 2006 – 2015

The Team of Geomicrobiology has been involved in the framework of the EU-network CO2GeoNet and the EU-project RISCS in the investigation of natural CO₂-releases, to determine potential environmental effects of elevated CO₂concentrations in near-surface ecosystems (Oppermann et al. 2010, Krüger et al. 2011, Frerichs et al. 2013, Gwosdz et al. in press). Related microbiological and biogeochemical investigations in potential CO2 storage formations, like oil, gas or coal reservoirs (Frerichs et al. 2014), are running in the frame of the BMBF-financed projects RECOBIO-2, CO₂BioPerm und CLEAN.
This research is of special importance for (1) the formation or dissolution of minerals and resulting changes in the permeability and capacity of the storage site, (2) for the estimation of long-term stability and reliability to select suitable reservoirs, (3) the influence of an acidification of the reservoir on heavy metal solubilisation and transport, (4) the estimation of consequences of potential leakages in groundwater aquifers and higher compartments in contact with the atmosphere.

Literature:

• Gwosdz S., West J. M., Jones D., Rakoczy J., Green K., Barlow T., Blöthe M., Smith K., Steven M., Krüger M. (2016). Long-term CO2 injection and its impact on near-surface soil microbiology. FEMS Microbiology Ecology, in press
• Frerichs J, Rakoczy J., Ostertag-Henning C., Krüger M. (2014) Viability and adaptation potential of indigenous microorganisms from natural gas field fluids in high pressure incubations with supercritical CO2. Environ. Sci. & Technol. 48, 1306-1314.
• Frerichs J., Möller I., Oppermann B., Krüger M. (2013) Biogeochemical and microbiological variations induced by CO2- exposure at a CO2 vent at the Laacher See, Germany. FEMS Microbiol. Ecol. 84, 60-74.
• Krüger M., Jones D., Frerichs F., West J., Greene K., Coombs P., Möller I. (2011) Effects of elevated CO2 concentrations on the vegetation and microbial populations at a terrestrial CO2 vent at Laacher See, Germany. Int. J. Greenhouse Gas Control 5: 1093-1098.
• Oppermann, B., Michaelis, W., Blumenberg, M., Frerichs, J., Schulz, H.-M., Schippers, A., Beaubien, S., Krüger, M.* (2010) Soil microbial community changes as a result of long-term exposure to a natural CO2 vent. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 74: 2697-2716.