Microseismic Monitoring and Geomechanical Modelling of CO2 Storage in Subsurface Reservoirs

This thesis presents an impressive summary of the potential to use passive seismic methods to monitor the sequestration of anthropogenic CO2 in geologic reservoirs. It brings together innovative research in two distinct areas – seismology and geomechanics – and involves both data analysis and numerical modelling. The data come from the Weyburn-Midale project, which is currently the largest Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) project in the world. James Verdon’s results show how passive seismic monitoring can be used as an early warning system for fault reactivation and top seal failure, which may lead to the escape of CO2 at the surface.

2010 Royal Astronomical Society Keith Runcorn Prize for best geophysics thesis in the UK.

2010 Award for best oral presentation at the British Geophysical Association postgraduate meeting.

Endorsement by James Verdon's PhD supervisor, Prof. Mike Kendall, Bristol University:
James is one of the most productive PhD students I have met. In four years he has published 12 refereed papers in leading journals, and he is the lead author on 7 papers, 6 of which are derived directly from his PhD work. He has presented his work 15 times in extended abstracts at international meetings. The breadth of his research is revealed by the range of journals that he has published in. Most recently he has had a paper accepted in Earth and Planetary Science Letters, which is one of the very best academic Earth Science journals. In contrast, he has also published in Geophysics and the Leading Edge, which are widely read by Earth scientists working in the petroleum industry. James already enjoys an international reputation in the CCS field and is well known in the area of monitoring CO2 sequestration in geologic reservoirs. I see James as one of the bright young stars in UK geophysics and he is the best young applied geophysicist I have seen in many years.