Peter Cook

Safe storage and effective monitoring of CO2 in depleted gas fields

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is vital to reduce CO2 emissions to the atmosphere, potentially providing 20% of the needed reductions in global emissions. Research and demonstration projects are important to increase scientific understanding of CCS, and making processes and results widely available helps to reduce public concerns, which may otherwise block this technology. The Otway Project has provided verification of the underlying science of CO2 storage in a depleted gas field, and shows that the support of all stakeholders can be earned and retained. Quantitative verification of long-term storage has been demonstrated. A direct measurement of storage efficiency has been made, confirming that CO2 storage in depleted gas fields can be safe and effective, and that these structures could store globally significant amounts of CO2.

Carbon dioxide capture and geological storage: research, development and application in Australia

Projections of world energy demand indicate increasing use of fossil fuels, especially coal. Because of this there is interest in using carbon dioxide capture and storage technologies as a mitigation option, particularly in Australia because of its dependency on fossil fuels for electricity generation. Research in Australia into capture options includes post-combustion capture (PCC), integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) and oxyfuels combustion. Separation technologies being investigated in Australia include solvent absorption, membranes, adsorption and cryogenics, with particular emphasis on bringing down costs. Australia appears to have abundant geological storage capacity, particularly in saline formations and to a much lesser extent in depleted oil and gas fields. Storage in coal systems has potential but more research and development is needed. Australia has the opportunity to use low-emission hubs in order to bring down costs. A major study of this concept for the Latrobe Valley of Victoria, based on 50 million tonnes per annum of CO2 emissions, is encouraging. A key concept for taking CO2 capture and geological storage forward is demonstration and commercial deployment. Australian projects are proposed for PCC and oxyfuels combustion. A significant geological storage project has started in the Otway Basin, with CO2 injection scheduled to commence in mid-2007. The coal-to-liquids Monash Project could involve up to 10 million tonnes CO2 per annum, with injection into the offshore Gippsland Basin. The most advanced commercial project is the LNG Gorgon Project, comprising about 3 million tonnes per annum. Through current R&D momentum and the likelihood of a number of major commercial-scale projects, Australia could become an early mover in the application of carbon dioxide capture and geological storage.

Regulatory challenges and managing public perception in planning a geological storage pilot project in Australia

Abstract The implementation of geological storage of CO 2 requires not only further research and development but also the demonstration of carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) technology as a viable option. A pilot program is an important first step towards building industry and community confidence in the application of CCS. The Cooperative Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Technologies (CO2CRC), Australias leading research organisation in CCS, has initiated a comprehensive research and demonstration program in the Otway Basin in South-West Victoria. As the first project of its kind in Australia, the Otway Basin Pilot Project (OBPP) has faced a number of regulatory and organisational challenges while having to concurrently address public perception. The Otway Basin site with its natural CO 2 accumulations and many depleted natural gas fields offers an appropriate CO 2 storage site to test scientific and regulatory concepts and evaluate public response through social research. The project aims to show that CO 2 can be safely captured, transported and stored deep underground under local conditions, and also monitored and verified. Planning has been ongoing for over a year, baseline studies are underway and the project is targeted to start injection in 2007.