Advances in Geodetic Monitoring of Subsurface Gas Reservoirs: From Surface Deformation to Reservoir Characterization

The safe and efficient management of subsurface gas reservoirs, including natural gas fields and underground gas storage (UGS) facilities, is paramount for global energy security and environmental stewardship. While traditional monitoring relies on invasive methods like well-logging and seismic surveys, these techniques can be costly and spatially limited. Over the past two decades, geodetic methods, particularly Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) and the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), have emerged as powerful, non-invasive tools for monitoring reservoir behavior. By measuring minute surface deformations—subsidence and uplift—caused by pressure changes within the reservoir, geodesy provides critical insights into reservoir dynamics. This paper reviews the advances in the application of geodetic techniques for monitoring subsurface gas reservoirs. It discusses the evolution from simple deformation detection to sophisticated quantitative analysis through poroelastic modeling, data assimilation, and the synergistic use of multiple geodetic and geological datasets. These advancements now enable the characterization of reservoir geometry, the inference of pressure distributions, the assessment of caprock integrity, and the optimization of injection and withdrawal strategies, solidifying geodesy’s role as an indispensable component of modern reservoir management.