June 19 – 22, the SIAM Conference on Mathematical & Computational Issues in the Geoscience (GS23) was held in Bergen. The conference was co-chaired by CSSR deputy director Jan Martin Nordbotten. In the Local Organizing Committee, we also recognize many others from the CSSR team: Sarah Gasda, Eirik Keilegavlen and Jakub Both.
The conference had 350 registered participants from the whole geoscience’s community. At the first day, the FluidFlower experimental rig was in the center of attention both in the icebreaker in the evening, and during several concurrent sessions. During the icebreaker Jan Nordbotten announced the first ever live experiment at a conference venue, as CO2 was injected in the FluidFlower in front of engaged participants! Our partner Wintershall Dea sponsored part of the icebreaker.
Throughout the week, the CSSR team participated in organizing 4 mini-symposiums, contributed to 15 scientific talks, presented posters, and promoted some of the research being done in our Centre. In addition, all our international partners represented by collogues from Imperial College London, Oregon State University, Stuttgart University, TNO, and TU Delft, contributed to the program.
Martin Fernø presenting the FluidFlower concept 
Tor Harald Sandve and Jan Norbotten discussing the migration of CO2 
Icebreaker 
Jan Norbotten explaining the CO2 migartion in the FluidFlower Rig. 
Sarah Gasda in an inspiring discussion 
Conference dinner in the Bergen Aquarium 
Birane Kane presenting on data-driven methods 
PhD student Peter von Schultzendorff engages in discussion 
Tor Harald Sandve getting ready to introduce Stephan Matthai during the mini-symposium.
The conference demonstrated that the FluidFlower experimental has become an arena for international verification of geological carbon storage simulation capabilities. In addition, much of the centers dedicated research on advanced methods for data-driven modeling in porous media applications was presented through the work of Birane Kane, Jakub Both, Eirik Keilegavlen and others. Our PhD student Peter von Schultzendorff gave a very interesting talk on Two-Phase Flow with a Data-Driven Flux Mode.
The CSSR team was particularly visible in the mini-symposium on Testing Predictive Capabilities of Geologic CO2 Storage with Meter-Scale Laboratory Experiments, organized by CSSR deputy directors Martin Fernø and Jan Nordbotten. In the same mini-symposium, results from David Landa-Marban on An Open-Source Image-Based History Matching Framework for the FluidFlower Data Set was presented. The CSSR team was also co-organizing a mini symposium on Developing Complex Simulation software, which cumulated in an interesting panel debate where Tor Harald Sandve participated.
On Tuesday many of the delegates attended an exciting excursion to the Northern Lights CCS site in Øygarden. The conference-dinner on Wednesday was held in the spectacular venue at the Aquarium in Bergen. Overall, an inspiring week with many scientific discussions and highlights.
Photos by Trine Mykeltvedt and Sergey Alyaev