The PhD defence and trial lecture will be held in Lassegrotta at UNIS - The university centre in Svalbard. In some cases, it will be possible to attend the trial lecture and dissertation digitally, in that case a link to Zoom will be posted.
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Trial lecture
Friday 20 October, 9:15-11:00, Lassegrotta, UNIS, Svalbard
The role of clays in CO2 storage reservoirs
Conferral summary (in Norwegian)
Geologisk CO2-lagring kan være viktig for langsiktig reduksjon av globale klimagassutslipp. Et lagringssted må være stort og sikkert. I ph.d. studien er det gjort feltundersøkelser på Svalbard i tillegg til de historiske dataene fra Longyearbyen CO2-lab prosjekt for å få kunnskap om sikker lagring. Det er brukt nyskapende digitale teknologier, og det er etablert en standardisert metodologi for katalogisering av geologiske data og vurdere hvordan geologiske strukturer påvirker væskestrømmen i berggrunnen. Funnene er viktige med tanke på geologisk CO2-lagring på norsk kontinentalsokkel.
Main research findings
Popular scientific article about Betlem’s dissertation:
Imaging geological complexity to better understand fluid flow in the subsurface
The below-ground geological storage of CO2 is seen as an important component to the long-term reduction of global greenhouse gas emissions. One of the difficult tasks is to find large storage locations with good seals (“roofs”) that prevent any stored CO2 from leaking back to the atmosphere. Leaking fluids typically follow fractures, cracks and more permeable (“open”) routes as they bypass rocks that are tighter. Such local variations contribute to geological complexity, and their study is important to geological CO2 storage.
This doctoral work revolved around the use of emerging digital technologies, computer models, and drones to investigate the impact of geological complexities on fluid flow in Svalbard. Studies in Svalbard benefit from the archipelago’s unique outdoor laboratory that makes it exceptionally for analogue studies; Little vegetation makes for excellent outcrops, and a wealth of existing data can be integrated to solve complicated questions. Surface features are frequently used as analogues for “invisible” processes underground as they can more easily be catalogued and interpreted. This doctoral work did precisely that and used detailed surface information to investigate the potential impact of geological complexity on the fluid flow below ground. The resulting findings were then used to assess the current state of fluid leakage in central Svalbard, aided by dedicated studies of gas leakage and gas hydrate occurrence in the fjords. As Svalbard has a shared geological history with large parts of the Norwegian continental shelf, these findings are of regional importance.
Photo and other information:
Press photo: Peter Betlem, portrait; 614px. Photo: Private
Other photo material: Photos with description and credit as specified in the article above, size 2000px.
Film: A drone’s view of the geological structures at Midterhuken, Svalbard as acquired during the 2021 summer data acquisition campaign. See YouTube: Svalbard in Summer - Svalbox 2021 acquisition campaign (Van Keulen and Van Mijenfjorden)