Perenco said it has successfully completed the United Kingdom’s (UK) first carbon dioxide (CO2) injection test for carbon capture and storage (CCS).
The test involved the injection of CO2 into a depleted natural gas reservoir in the UK’s Southern North Sea, marking a major milestone for Project Poseidon and the UK’s broader decarbonization strategy, Perenco said in a news release.
The Poseidon injection test involved 15 injection cycles performed in the Leman gas field, mobilizing 11 CO2 offshore batch refills. The operational program did not encounter any injection issues and was able to result in the acquisition of a useful dataset, the company said.
According to Perenco, the operation proves not only that carbon storage can be a reality for the depleted fields of the Southern North Sea, but also that it is possible to “widely reuse petroleum production infrastructure to unlock cost-effective projects”.
Perenco said it is hopeful that the project will strengthen confidence in the CCS industry by “progressing the regulatory path and contributing to setting the technical standard for future UK CCS projects”.
Perenco CEO Armel Simondin said, “This test has met our expectations, both in terms of technical execution and the quality of data gathered. These insights are instrumental as we move to the next phase of developing the Poseidon Project. The successful test highlights the role our industry can play in the UK’s decarbonization efforts. The Perenco CCS team and our joint venture partners are now fully focused on interpreting the results and converting new insights into an evidence-based development plan for Project Poseidon”.
The Project Poseidon joint venture is composed of Perenco UK, Carbon Catalyst Ltd, and Harbour Energy.
The CO2 injection test, which started in February, has the potential to unlock the Poseidon CCS project, which has an initial injection capacity of 1.5 million metric tons per annum (mtpa) with the potential to increase to 40 mtpa, beginning in 2029. The injection test follows the UK government’s recent pledge of approximately GBP 22 billion for CCS through the funding of two carbon capture sites, according to an earlier statement.
Perenco UK General Manager Jo White said, “As the first test of its kind in the UK, today’s news is a key moment, not only for Perenco and the wider Project Poseidon joint venture, but also for the UK’s decarbonization ambitions”.
Perenco CCS Manager Louis Hannecart said, “We are very pleased with the progress of the project to date. This is a groundbreaking test and the results, which are expected in the coming weeks, will enable us to further develop our approach to delivering the Poseidon CCS project. The energy industry is uniquely placed to use its geological and engineering expertise for this important initiative as we move down the path to Net Zero”.
Perenco UK said it has been present in the UK Southern North Sea Basin since 2003 and has operated Europe’s largest onshore oil field at Wytch Farm since 2011. The company said it operates 7 percent of natural gas production from oil and gas fields in the UK, and owns and operates the largest infrastructure on the UK Continental Shelf, composed of 45 offshore platforms, 14 subsea wells, and a network of more than 2,400 kilometers of pipelines connected to its two onshore terminals at Bacton and Dimlington.
Source: By Rocky Teodoro from Rigzone.com