InterPore2026

Susceptibility analysis of underground CO2 storage and its implications for aquifers, case study: Middle Magdalena Valley

20 May 2026, 15:35

1h 30m

Poster Presentation (MS01) Porous Media for a Green World: Energy & Climate Poster

Speaker

Dr Adriana Patricia Piña Fulano (Assistant Professor)

Description

Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) is a key strategy for mitigating climate change through the capture and long-term storage of carbon dioxide (CO₂), the most significant greenhouse gas, accounting for approximately 74.5% of global emissions. CCS projects involve the storage of CO₂ in both onshore and offshore geological formations and are being implemented worldwide, particularly in regions where the oil and gas industry plays a major economic and political role. In Colombia, CCS remains in a research and assessment stage, requiring preliminary evaluations of potential storage sites and their implications for groundwater resources.
Despite the country’s abundance of surface water, its limited water quality increases the strategic importance of groundwater as a freshwater source. Consequently, assessing aquifer vulnerability to potential CO₂ leakage represents a critical component of CCS feasibility studies. The Middle Magdalena Valley (MMV) is one of Colombia’s most productive hydrocarbon regions and hosts extensive groundwater systems associated with thick sedimentary deposits of the Magdalena River. In 2025, the MMV produced more than six million barrels of oil.
In this study, a simplified numerical model was implemented to simulate the migration of injected CO₂ over a 10-year period under a hypothetical storage scenario within a productive formation of the MMV. The model was designed as a first-order approximation to explore dominant flow behavior rather than to reproduce site-specific operational conditions. Results indicate a predominantly horizontal CO₂ migration pattern controlled by formation properties.
To evaluate potential impacts on groundwater, a susceptibility index was developed using raster map algebra. The susceptibility equation was constructed by integrating a subset of hydrological, hydrogeological and geological parameters identified in established CCS site characterization guidelines, selected based on data availability in the study area. The resulting susceptibility map classifies groundwater contamination vulnerability into distinct ranges, highlighting zones of increased vulnerability relevant for local water use and future CCS screening efforts.