BRGM, France’s leading public institution in the Earth Science field, has three main activities: scientific research, support for government policy, and international cooperation and development assistance.

BRGM has been among the pioneers in research on geological CO₂ storage, participating from 1993 in the first European research project (‘The underground disposal of carbon dioxide’ - Joule II FP3) and in the first commercial operations and research pilots worldwide (Sleipner, Weyburn, In Salah, Nagaoka, Ketzin, Hontomín, Lacq-Rousse, etc.).

BRGM also carries out research at natural CO₂ fields, such as Montmiral in France, and at natural CO₂ seepage areas in Italy, Germany and France.

BRGM fields of expertise are site selection and characterisation, predictive modelling, risk analysis, monitoring and safety management, thus addressing a wide range of the issues related to CO₂ geological storage. BRGM carries out opportunity studies on the potential of integration of CCUS in a territory to help achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, adapted to the specificities and needs of the territory.

BRGM also performs some research on CO₂ capture (1. by dissolving CO2 in water (Pi-CO2 process); 2. by electrochemistry, in aqueous medium, from LDH) and on CO₂ use (1. In-situ CO2 conversion into methane, using green hydrogen; 2. CO2 mineralisation).

BRGM is a founding member of the CO₂GeoNet European Network of Excellence on the geological storage of CO₂, initiated in 2004 through an EC FP6 contract, now a legally registered Association under French law with statutory seat in BRGM offices. BRGM was President of the CO2GeoNet Association from 2011 to 2015.

BRGM was the coordinator of a number of European research projects:

• FP7 STRACO2 (2008-2009) ‘Support to Regulatory Activities for Carbon Capture and Storage’
• FP7 CGS Europe project (2010-2013), a Pan-European Coordination Action on CO2 Geological Storage involving 34 research institutes over 28 countries, including the CO2GeoNet Association.
• FP7 ULTIMATE CO2project (2011-2015) dedicated to the understanding of the long-term fate of geologically stored CO2. 
• FP7 ENOS (2016-2020) ‘ENabling Onshore CO2 Storage in Europe’
• H2020 STRATEGY CCUS (2019-2022) ‘Strategic planning of regions and territories in Europe for low-carbon energy and industry through CCUS’

Currently, BRGM is the coordinator of:

• H2020 PilotSTRATEGY (2021-2026) ‘CO2 geological pilots in strategic territories’
• the French node of ECCSEL ERIC, the European Research Infrastructure on CCUS. The French node is composed of six research institutes (BRGM, IFPEN, INERIS, Andra, ARMINES, CNRS) and three industrial companies (EDF, TotalEnergies, Lafarge).

BRGM has been playing a key role in the national French Club CO2 and is deeply involved in CCS international initiatives such as ZEP, EERA CCS, CO2GeoNet, CSLF, IEAGHG.