text: The First Phase of the IEAGHG Weyburn CO Monitoring and Storage Project (the Midale oil field did not join the research project until the Final phase research) which began in 2000 and ended in 2004, verified the ability of an oil reservoir to securely store CO for significant lengths of time. This was done through a comprehensive analysis of the various process factors as well as monitoring/modeling methods designed to measure, monitor and track the CO.  Research was conducted into geological characterization of both the geosphere (the geological layers deeper than near surface) and biosphere (basically from the depths of groundwater up).  As well, prediction, monitoring and verification techniques were used to examine the movements of the CO.  Finally, both the economic and geologic limits of the CO storage capacity were predicted, and a long-term risk assessment developed for storage of CO permanently in the formation.
  A critical part of the First Phase was the accumulation of baseline surveys for both CO soil content, and water wells in the area.  These baselines were identified in 2001 and have helped to confirm through comparison with more recent readings that CO is not leaking from the reservoir into the biosphere in the study area.