Carbon storage a reality in the North Sea, say experts
07.02.2011 + + + It is no longer a question of if carbon storage will become a reality in the North Sea but where, say energy industry experts.
Hosted by The Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Aberdeen Section, ‘Carbon Storage – the Subsurface: How, Where and Now’ one-day seminar on March 28, will hear from leading industry figures such as Jon Gluyas, Professor in Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and Geo-Energy at Durham University.
Professor Gluyas will set the scene with a keynote talk on the requirements for a first-class subsurface Carbon Storage site.
Jeb Tyrie, Director 3rd Energy Limited and SPE Carbon Storage Conference Chair says: “There has been talk of Carbon Storage in the North Sea for many years: this event is not about discussing ‘if’, but takes the debate to a new level to look at ‘where’ – it is therefore an unmissable opportunity for anyone interested in Carbon Storage to attend, because it’s about to happen.”
Another highlight of the event will see the audience being invited to participate in a Live Debate on the relative merits of depleted reservoirs and saline aquifers. The Debate will be chaired by Richard Holdgate, Storage Development Manager National Grid Carbon, with the pros and cons of each storage type being led by Dr Andy Beckly, Principal Geologist, Senergy, and R Stuart Haszeldine, Scottish Power Professor of Carbon Capture and Storage at The University of Edinburgh.
UK power and industrial emissions clusters such as the Scottish central belt, Teesside, Humber and Thames regions have been identified by various studies as being amongst those offering the best opportunities for Carbon Storage in Europe due to their scale and proximity to the North Sea storage sites. Following cessation of production, depleted oil and gas fields and deep saline formations which, co-incidentally, lie above many of the typical oil and gas formations, could provide storage for the captured carbon dioxide emissions.
Carbon networks in Scotland and Humberside could together result in a reduction of approximately 78 million tonnes of carbon dioxide from large scale industrial emitters (60 for Humberside and 18 for Scotland) going into the atmosphere every year. Capturing and storing those large point source emissions would be the equivalent of taking nearly all of Britain’s cars off the road.
Global experience will be added by representatives of BP, Shell and Statoil who will present case studies and projects. Bamshad Nazarian, Statoil Principal Researcher Reservoir Technology CO2 Storage, will detail the reservoir engineering aspects of Statoil’s successful Sleipner CO2 injection project.
Tyrie continues: “I have been working as an advisor to National Grid, which recognises the major benefits of using all the skills and technology that have already been harnessed by the North Sea Energy industry and applying to Carbon Storage. We have already tapped into this knowledge and are now planning wells.
“The North Sea has the potential to be the leading Carbon Storage area in the world. This seminar is an opportunity for those across the industry to see how their skills can fit in, and the evening dinner is a chance to network with like-minded people from industry.
“There are many issues in the world that we have to collectively face up to. SPE Aberdeen Section is using this event to promote UNICEF UK and increase awareness of its work around the world. UNICEF not only supports children throughout the world in disasters and extreme need, but has a philosophy in common with our SPE section, supporting the education of children - in particular where there is gender discrimination.”
A share of the proceeds of this event will be dedicated to UNICEF UK.
‘Carbon Storage – the Subsurface: How, Where and Now’ at Kings College on March 28 is a SPE Aberdeen event, to find out more and see a full programme for the event visit
www.spe-uk.org.
Source: The Society of Petroleum Engineers
Published in Oil & Gas Financial Journal
