John Gale

Field experiment of ECBM-CO 2 in the upper Silesian Basin of Poland (RECOPOL)

The RECOPOL project is an EC-funded research and demonstration project to investigate the technical and economic feasibility of storing CO 2 permanently in subsurface coal seams. This is considered to be an option for CO 2 sequestration, which will be required to meet the Kyoto protocol. The main aim is to demonstrate that CO 2 injection in coal under European conditions is feasible and that CO 2 storage is a safe and permanent solution before it can be applied on a larger scale in a socially acceptable way. An international consortium of research institutes, universities and industrial partners is carrying out the project activities. This is the first field demonstration experiment of its kind in Europe. The development of the pilot site in the Upper Silesian Basin in Poland began in summer 2003. One of the existing coalbed methane wells was cleaned up, repaired and put back into production. A new injection well was drilled at 150 m from the production well, the distance being based on the available amount of CO 2 and project time. After completion of the well with casing, cementing and perforations, the perforated zones were tested. Activities in autumn 2003 included the finalizing of the injection facilities. Production was started in the first half of June 2004 to establish a base line gas production without CO 2 injection. First injection tests took place in the first week of July 2004. During the injection period the process was monitored to assess any potential, although unlikely, leakage of CO 2 to the surface. Copyright 2005, Society of Petroleum Engineers.

Worldwide Selection of Early Opportunities for CO2-EOR and CO2-ECBM (1)

One of the technologies that have the potential to make deep reductions in CO 2 emissions is geological storage of CO 2 . Deep reductions in CO 2 emissions will most probably be needed to achieve stabilization of atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations. There are several options for geological storage that can be divided into two groups: storage without energy benefits (for example, in aquifers or in depleted gas and oil reservoirs) and with energy benefits. The latter group can be cost effective, even without CO 2 credits or taxes, because of revenues from oil or gas production. It is, therefore, likely that these options give an added value to each ton of CO 2 prevented from emission to the atmosphere, and have the potential to be the first projects to be implemented in the near future. As a matter a fact, due to its cost effectiveness, enhanced oil recovery with CO 2 (CO 2 -EOR) is already applied by the oil and gas industry, mostly in the United States and Canada. These low costs opportunities combine high purity (100%) CO 2 gas streams, which lower capture costs, with short transmission distance and potentially profitable CO 2 enhanced fossil fuel recovery schemes such as CO 2 -EOR and CO 2 -ECBM. Such low cost opportunities should provide options for early implementation of CO 2 capture and storage projects worldwide. The study has used a Geographical Information System to link high purity CO 2 point sources to oil and gas reservoirs within 100 km of the point source.

Abatement and Utilisation of Methane

Methane is the second most important of the anthropogenic greenhouse gases (after carbon dioxide). Most methane emissions arise from anthropogenic sources, the opposite of the situation with carbon dioxide emissions. Action to reduce methane emissions, through the application of abatement technologies or by utilisation, could make a significant difference to the future rate of climate change.