BRGM (France)

BRGM, the French geological survey, is a leading public institution in the Earth Science field in France. It has three main activities:  scientific research, support for government policy, and international cooperation and development assistance.  BRGM has been among the pioneers in research on CO₂ geological storage, participating from 1993 in the first European research project on the topic (Joule) and in the first pilots worldwide (Sleipner, Weyburn, In Salah, Ketzin, Lacq, etc.).  Its fields of expertise are site selection and characterization, predictive modeling risk analysis, monitoring and safety management, thus addressing a wide range of the issues related to CO₂ geological storage. BRGM is also carrying out research activities on geothermic fields.  At the origin of the low-enthalpy exploitation of the Dogger aquifer in the Paris basin, in the early 1980s;  the main focus today is on the production of geothermal energy potential inventories resource maps and on structuring the sector via training and mainstreaming.  In addition to the geothermal Energy Department, the presence of CFG Services (a 100% BRGM subsidiary) at the Orleans technical facility provides valuable operating feedback on monitoring and implementing of geothermal operations in the Dogger formation in the Paris basin. BRGM has been participating in many national (ANR GEOSTOCAL, geological heat storage), European and international projects on CO₂ storage, often as WP leader or coordinator.  BRGM was manager of the FP6-CO2GeoNet European Network of Excellence on the geological storage of CO₂, now a legally registered Association under French law hosted by BRGM.  BRGM coordinated the FP7-STRACO2 on support to regulatory activities for the CCS implementation.  Besides Europe, BRGM has been carrying out research activities on CO₂ storage in China, Russia, North Africa, and Canada.  BRGM is member of key networking initiatives on CCS:  the French CO₂-Club, CO2NET, ENeRG, ZEP Task Forces, EERA CCS Program, EuroGeoSurveys Task force on CCS, IEAGHG research networks, IEA CCS regulators network, CSLF Task Forces and Technical committee.