Injection of 100ppm O2 in deep aquifer simulated with a pressurized reactor (60bar)

In the context of oil crises and the urge to find an alternative to fossil fuels, biomethane is considered as one of the most promising energy vectors to support the energy transition. As its production is steadily increasing, high capacities are needed to cover seasonal storage needs. Existing Underground Gas Storage (UGS) aquifers, so far used for natural gas storage, are excellent candidates. However, dioxygen (O2) can be injected as an impurity with the biomethane in these normally anoxic environments. Quantities of O2 in biomethane were limited to 100 ppm in the network upon injection. Studies are needed to better understand the impact of O2, in particular to define the upper limit of O2 during biomethane storage. In the context of the RINGS project, a multidisciplinary study was conducted where in-situ conditions of an aquifer situated in the South-West of France were reproduced in a high pressure reactor (60ber; 36C).