Georesources: Sustainable Use and Geoengineering

Topic 4

Contributing Centre: GFZ


We aim to develop new concepts and technologies for the exploration and sustainable exploitation of subsurface environments. All activities are strongly linked with industry. The subtopic SEDIMENTARY BASIN EVOLUTION has three research thrusts. Basin Geodynamics will provide an essential ground-truthed megascale framework for studying energy and mass transport.


Fossil Energy focusses on predicting organic matter fluxes in time and space because of its fundamental global importance, both economically and environmentally. The third thrust, Deep Biosphere, represents a true research frontier; the impact of microbial activity on hydrocarbon systems is dramatic, but its extent and mechanisms are largely unknown. The subtopic ENHANCED PRODUCTION AND CARBON CAPTURE has three thrusts. Utilising the field trial facilities for onshore Underground CO, Storage at Ketzin we shall improve injection, monitoring and abandonment technologies. For the thrust Petroleum Reservoir Utilisation, we shall relate rock-fluid heterogeneities to depositional, filling and biodegradation histories in order to improve recovery efficiency. As far as New Energy Sources is concerned, we shall improve exploration and drilling strategies to make geothermal energy and "shale gas" ventures more cost effective. In the subtopic TECHNOLOGICAL R&D, a whole range of activities have been conceived for both scientific drilling, CO2 capture and geothermal energy. Seismic diagnosis during drilling, geophysical prediction during excavation, the development of downhole memory logging probes and the design of methods and instruments for hostile environments all feature in this subtopic.



Responsible:


Prof. Brian Horsfield
Section 4.3
Telegrafenberg
Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum
14473 Potsdam
phone.: 0331-288 1100