L'Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale – OGS – is the Italian national research institute that promotes and performs researches and operates as national reference for co-ordinating the Italian participation in entities, projects and international research initiatives in the fields of oceanography and experimental geophysics.

In detail, the OGS performs: 1) studies and research in the fields of geophysics and environmental sciences, with special consideration to the development of applied research and its transfer to production market; 2) studies, applied research and technological development in the field of exploration, exploitation and storage of geo-energy and energy residues, as CO2, on land and at sea, in Italy and abroad; 3) studies and research in marine sciences, with a particular view to the interaction of the marine and oceanic environment with the atmosphere and the lithosphere; 4) studies and research aimed at acquiring knowledge on seismicity as well as the analysis of geodynamical and hydrodynamical phenomena influencing the environment, also for civil defence purposes; 5) studies and research aimed at developing technologies for data acquisition, processing and archiving, and new interpretative technologies applied to the exploitation of land resources and towards a better utilization of the territory.
In its long activity, OGS has gained a solid base of experience in applied researches and high-technology services for public and private clients. Of particular note are the following: a) many years of experience in Antarctic research, using the OGS-Explora, under the aegis of the National Research Program in Antarctica (PNRA); b) consolidated experience in seismic exploration for hydrocarbons and other minerals, and for studying the earth’s crust; c) participation in more than 40 RTD projects financed by the European Community (Joule, Thermie, Environment, Mast, Brite-Euram programs etc...) often as co-ordinator; d) participation in large oceanographic programs for studying the Mediterranean Sea, for protecting the marine environment (Adriatic Sea), and for marine engineering; e) many international collaborations and with research institutions and the energy and raw materials industry, particularly ENI-AGIP, ENEL, ENEA, Statoil, Norsk Hydro.
OGS is partially funded by the Italian Government according to a Three-Years Plan of Activity. In the actual one, the following researches, related to the geological confinement of CO2, are funded:
- numerical 3D modelling for the CO2 confinement and its implementation on massive parallel computers;
- theory and modelling of seismic waves propagations, with application to the geologic confinement of CO2;
- evaluation of content and stability of CO2 hydrates in geologic formations in the offshore;
- tomographic evaluation of Q factor and anisotropy parameters, with application to the monitoring of re-injected CO2 fate.
OGS is the co-ordinator of the Italian Project “Geological sequestration of CO2 and development of the related technologies” , involving OGS, ENEA, ENI-Agip, Aquater, CNR, URS and other 13 universities. This project is in the final assessment stage and should start in October 2003.