Downhole monitoring boosts confidence in CO₂ storage

Overview

An operator advanced its carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCS) strategy with the construction of their first CO₂ injection well. The project required a solution to support continuous monitoring designed to support monitoring throughout the life of the well. From initial injection through long-term storage, the operator required clear visibility into reservoir behavior, injection performance, and well integrity to support responsible sequestration practices and alignment with regulatory requirements.

To meet these objectives, the operator collaborated with Halliburton to deploy a permanent downhole monitoring solution designed for CCUS environments. The system integrates pressure and temperature sensing with fiber-optic diagnostics to deliver real-time data from the reservoir to the surface. Installed and cemented in place during well construction, the monitoring infrastructure is designed to provide continuous surveillance that may help reduce the need for repeated well intervention and has supported the operator’s operational and regulatory requirements from day one.

Challenge

This operator required a monitoring approach that could support efforts toward verification of CO₂ containment and help address the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) measurement, monitoring, and verification (MMV) requirements. Unlike conventional injection operations, CCUS projects demand approaches that build confidence over time in well integrity and formation containment, supported by continuous data rather than periodic measurements.

The challenge was to implement a system designed to operate reliably in CO₂ environments while capturing high-resolution pressure, temperature, and acoustic information from multiple well sections. The solution also needed to support early indicators of potential anomalies and provide actionable insight to help execute injection parameters in real time, all while being permanently installed as part of the well construction program.

Solution

Halliburton designed and installed an integrated permanent monitoring system tailored to the specific needs of the well. The team installed two DataSphere® Array permanent monitoring suite pressure and temperature gauges on the intermediate casing and cemented them into place to provide continuous formation level measurements. Alongside the gauges, the team also deployed a fiber-optic cable to deliver distributed temperature sensing (DTS) and distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) along the full length of the wellbore.

The fiber-optic system and gauges are engineered to withstand the thermal and chemical conditions associated with CO₂ injection to help ensure long-term data reliability. Halliburton also deployed an MHR permanent injection packer on the injection string paired with an Opsis® permanent downhole gauge. This configuration is designed to support CO₂ isolation in the target formation while delivering continuous bottomhole pressure and temperature measurements during injection operations.

Together, these components form a multilayered, permanently installed monitoring system that transmits real-time data from the reservoir to the surface. The integrated design provides a detailed view of well and reservoir performance to help support injection management, containment verification, and long-term CCUS monitoring without reliance on temporary tools or repeated interventions.

Result

Although the project remains in the early stages of CO₂ injection, the operator has realized immediate operational and assurance value from the permanently installed monitoring system. Continuous real-time pressure and temperature data provide visibility into injection conditions and support timely adjustments to injection rates and temperature in alignment with internal standards and applicable AER guidance.

The combination of permanent gauges and fiber-optic diagnostics allows for ongoing monitoring to support assessment of zone conformance and wellbore integrity. The system offers early indicators of deviation to help strengthen the operator’s MMV strategy and increase confidence in long-term containment. While no anomalies have been detected to date, the operator views the monitoring system as an important early-stage monitoring mechanism to help identify potential integrity or containment issues.

Beyond immediate operational control, the operator expects long-term lifecycle value from the permanently installed system. Continuous data collection helps reduce the potential for future intervention, supports improved reservoir understanding, and contributes to more informed CCUS project design and optimization over time. For this operator, permanent monitoring is an important element of responsible CCUS operations and key to its broader low-carbon objectives.