Research

DTU Offshore to investigate fault behaviour in CO₂ storage reservoirs

Faults are typically regarded as one of the key risks in CO₂ storage, because they can become pathways for fluid migration. A new research project at DTU Offshore, “Pressure Communication That Heals? Turning Degassing into Fault Seals for CO₂ Storage”, will investigate how pressure communication, fluid flow and geochemical reactions influence fault behaviour in storage reservoirs.

Villum Experiment Grant 2026
A fault intersecting the storage reservoir can become a pathway for CO₂ migration, one of the main risks addressed by a new DTU Offshore project (illustration made with AI).

Monday 19 October 2026

Julie Skajaa Wøldike

The project has received a grant of DKK 2.5 million from Villum Foundation through the Villum Experiment 2026 programme, which backs unconventional research ideas where failure is a real possibility.

The research team will combine laboratory experiments, X-ray CT imaging and reactive transport modelling to improve understanding of the coupled processes that govern containment and pressure evolution in geological storage systems. The project aims to develop new predictive tools for assessing fault performance and storage integrity, providing knowledge that supports safer and more reliable implementation of geological CO₂ storage.

Facts

Villum Experiment

  • In Villum Experiment, the Villum Foundation supports unconventional research ideas at an early stage, where failure is a real possibility
  • Applications are assessed anonymously, with the focus on the idea rather than the applicant’s academic track record
  • In 2026, 53 researchers were awarded a total of DKK 129 million from 280 applications
“With the Villum Experiment grant, we are very excited to be able to address more unconventional, high-risk, high-reward research ideas that have the potential to challenge established thinking and open new scientific directions,” says Birgitte Dalsgaard Larsen, Geoscience Advisor, PhD, at DTU Offshore.

The project runs from March 2027 to March 2029.

Contact

Birgitte Dalsgaard Larsen

Birgitte Dalsgaard Larsen Geoscience Advisor Danish Offshore Technology Centre Mobile: +4593511836

Hamid Nick

Hamid Nick Professor Danish Offshore Technology Centre Mobile: 9351 1497