Researchers from the University of Erlangen-Nuernberg are scientific partners in the CO2MAN research project. They investigate for example the isotopic1 composition of the CO2.
At the Ketzin pilot site gas and fluid samples were taken from the delivering trucks, the CO2 pipeline and the well heads between March, 19th and 23th. The following studies will give insight into the physical and chemical processes during the subsurface distribution of the CO2. For these investigations instruments were specifically adapted and new measurement methods developed.
1 Isotopes are variants of a particular chemical element. They have the same atomic number but different mass numbers, as their nucleus contains varying numbers of neutrons (besides protons). The ratio of heavy13C (12 protons and 13 neutrons in the nucleus of carbon) to light12C (12 protons and 12 neutrons in the nucleus of carbon) can vary with the origin of the carbon (for example injected CO2 or preexisting rock forming carbon).