Several tests on CO2 monitoring have been performed in the past 20 years, including some remote sensing surveys. In this site geology, geomorphology, impacts on terrestrial ecosystems and other environmental aspects have been studied. A laboratory to collect and process the acquired data was missing, and this is why it was built. The laboratory was officially opened in June 2017. 

The possibility to test and calibrate innovative monitoring techniques, including remote sensing, in an area where CO2 leakages are present, is a key aspect for the CCS frontier improvement. Latera NatLab valorises the area and adds an important value to CCS studies. 

OGS owns the Latera NatLab, its responsible and manages this permanent laboratory, offering logistical and scientific support to the researchers utilising the site. In collaboration with the University of Rome, La Sapienza, OGS makes the long-term series of multidisciplinary data collected and available to the international scientific community.  

This laboratory is related and complementary to the Panarea NatLab, owned and operated by OGS in the island of Panarea (Italy). The implementation of both laboratories has been funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Resarch in the frame of the ECCSEL NatLab Italy project.