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Long Term Integrity of CO₂ Storage – Well Abandonment

1 July 2009
Storage

This report focuses on potential hazards to geological storage of CO₂ related to previously abandoned deep oil and gas wells. As many prospective CO₂ storage projects will be situated in mature sedimentary basins, these operations need to accommodate previously drilled and abandoned wells. The current study aims to provide a high order evaluation of abandoned wells and their suitability to CO₂ storage operations. To this purpose an overview of the current state of knowledge on potential degradation mechanisms of typical well materials (i.e. cement and steel) is presented. Several case studies are described, illustrating some typical aspects associated with abandoned wells in the context of geological storage of CO₂. Furthermore, a geographical overview of numerous well abandonment regulations is provided, reflecting significant differences in regulatory demands around the world. Moreover, both abandonment regulations and practices historically gradually developed to the present high standards. As a consequence, especially older wells are considered to be a potential threat to long term storage integrity. Various risk assessment methodologies are described that are tailored to well integrity evaluation for geological CO₂ storage. Finally, an overview of potential corrective measures and monitoring strategies is presented.

Technical Report

5th Meeting of the Wellbore Integrity Network

1 June 2009
Event Proceedings
Storage

The IEA GHG Wellbore Integrity Network has been running for 5 years now, and the meeting in 2009 was held in Calgary, Canada. The attendance for the meeting covered the usual mix of industry, academia, research and regulators, but there was a noted increase in attendance from industrial companies. This was demonstrative of the local area that the meeting was held in, with a large number of oil companies working in the surrounding province. This increased industry representation moved the discussion sessions to areas previously not addressed, or only addressed in brief outline, and this is indicative of the progress of the meeting and its continued worth. A possibility for the future of the network will be an alteration in its role, from pure research into wellbore integrity, materials and abandonment procedures, to one of education of industrial operators, and the broaching of the gap between experience gained from the oil and gas industry, and the needs and demands of regulations relating to CO2 Capture and Storage (CCS) operations.

Technical Report

Safety in Carbon Dioxide Capture, Transport and Storage

1 June 2009
Capture
Storage

Within the next few years it is expected that an increasing number of commercial-scale demonstrations of CO2 capture and storage technology will be built and brought into operation. Many aspects of the design of such facilities including issues relating to engineering design, environmental impacts, standards and permitting have been the subject of studies undertaken for the IEA GHG. So far no study has been dedicated specifically to the issue of safety in the above ground elements of CCS systems although such safety issues have been addressed to some extent in earlier studies. This study was designed specifically to examine the safety issues which are likely to arise when preparing safety cases and planning emergency procedures for CO2 capture and storage (CCS) projects

Technical Review

Otway Basin Pilot Project - Annual Expert Review of Monitoring and Verification Programme

1 June 2009
Industry Insights
Storage

IEA GHG has produced a revised set of criteria for assessment of plants, particularly power plants with CO₂ capture, making use of information from EPRI and others. The revised criteria should be used by IEA GHG for its future studies. Other organisations are encouraged to use the criteria to provide consistency of results. Preliminary criteria have been specified for alternative locations and these should be finalised with local organisations at the time when IEA GHG undertakes its first study for each alternative location. Other alternative locations could be considered in future, at the request of IEA GHG's members. As a follow on to this report IEA GHG will assess the feasibility of providing standard assessment criteria for CO₂ transport and storage and it will develop methodologies for comparing the relative merits of CCS and alternative low-CO₂ technologies.

Technical Report

CO₂ Geological Storage Modelling Workshop

1 April 2009
Event Proceedings
Storage

The concept of this workshop was previously proposed to the IEA Greenhouse Gas R&D Programme (IEA GHG) by BRGM and Schlumberger, and following the approval of the workshop in principle, discussion was initiated in June 2008 at the IEA GHG Joint Network Meeting in New York. The suggestion was that CO₂ geological modelling for Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage (CCS) was an important topic not being adequately dealt with by the existing storage based research networks. Further discussions by these network groups concluded that this was indeed a gap, and that an initial workshop should be held to determine the viability of forming a separate network dealing solely with geological storage modelling.

Technical Report

Storage in Depleted Gas Fields

1 March 2009
Storage

The initial specification required a desk-based study to: 1. Assess the future implications for CO₂ storage of future natural gas production trends, especially the potential future exploitation of fields with naturally-high CO₂ 2. Undertake a source-sink matching exercise, utilising the IEA GHG database on point source emissions and with due consideration to existing transport pipeline infrastructure. The specification specifically stated that ship transportation should not be considered; content; 3. Determine the potential role of enhanced gas recovery (CO₂-EGR) in CO₂ 4. Develop an analytical screening process/tool for the selection of gas fields suitable for CO storage; 2 storage, allowing ranking of opportunities and assessment of potential global CO₂ 5. Estimate CO storage capacity; 2 6. Provide a summary of opportunities around the world where CO storage costs in depleted gas fields; 2 storage in depleted gas fields could be feasible from both technological and economic perspectives

Technical Review

What Have We Learned from IEAGHG Storage Activities

1 February 2009
Industry Insights
Storage

This report summarises key learning points on CO₂ geological storage from Operating Phase 5 of the IEA Greenhouse Gas R&D Programme (IEA GHG), which commenced in 2005 and effectively coincided with the publication of the IPCC Special Report on Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage (IPCC SRCCS). IEA GHG activities revolve mainly around contracted studies and organisation of the international research networks. IEA GHG studies are chosen by programme members and sponsors from a wide list of proposals, ensuring those selected are focussed on topical technical issues. Study reports issued from 2005 onwards have contributed significant knowledge to major storage topics, including: regional capacity estimation; economics; environmental impact and risk assessment; well integrity and remediation of seepage; and development issues for deep saline formations.

Technical Report

Joint Network Meeting report

1 December 2008
Event Proceedings
Storage

The agenda was structured in accordance with the 3 criteria with sessions on review of performance monitoring tools, data integration and demonstrating monitoring data conforms with predictive modelling, developing protocols and strategies to form a monitoring plan and monitoring of the outer envelope – demonstrating no leakage. There was also a discussion session on CCS in the CDM – what modelling is required for monitoring and a session on updates and permanent Installations; current and future activities. The meeting ended with a review of the main learnings taken from the meeting.

Technical Report

Environmental Impacts Meeting Report

1 December 2008
Event Proceedings
Storage

The meeting was held over 3 days, and covered views of both regulators and industry, and the presentations covered impacts of leaks in both terrestrial and marine environments, and also extensively covered the experience of various research bodies and projects from Europe and the USA. The closing session included an open discussion to determine the needs of the different groups likely to be involved in a storage project, from regulators, industry, researchers and the general public.

Technical Report

Aquifer Storage – Development Issues

1 November 2008
Storage

The aim of this study was to bring together and review the research that has been undertaken in Europe, North America, Japan and Australia, to develop an understanding of how knowledge on deep saline aquifers has developed in recent years, in particular since the 2005 IPCC Special Report on CO₂ Capture and Storage (IPCC SRCCS). Emphasis was placed on the identification of knowledge gaps and priority areas for R&D activities.

Technical Report

4th Meeting of the Wellbore Integrity Network Meeting

1 August 2008
Event Proceedings
Storage

The broad aims of the network remain unchanged, and they are: To provide confidence to all stakeholders that the mechanisms involved with maintaining wellbores are understood. That the safety of storage, specifically in relation to wellbores, can be ensured because the risks can be identified and minimised. That wellbores can be monitored for early signs of leakage and remediated as necessary. The meeting also had some specific aims identified in the conclusions from the 3rd meeting, and these included: Investigating the contrast between field and lab results. Updating the advances in technologies and understanding, as was seen between the 2nd and 3rd meetings. Continued investigation of the advancements made in the modelling of wellbores and the reactions between CO₂ and wellbore materials.

Technical Report

An Assessment of the Potential for CO₂ Storage in the Indian Subcontinent

1 May 2008
Storage

This project aims to: Update the IEAGHG R&D programme CO₂ sources database with all the major current and planned industrial sources of CO₂ in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh (the updated CO₂ sources database is available from the IEAGHG R&D Programme); Identify the CO₂ storage capacity of each of these three countries in oil and gas fields and coal seams and ranks the sedimentary basins in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in terms of their saline aquifer CO₂ storage potential (sedimentary basins north of the frontal thrusts of the Himalayas were not investigated); Identify the local costs of the main elements of the CO₂ capture and storage chain, such that they could be used to produce marginal CO₂ abatement cost curves in a future project; Provide a geological CO₂ storage potential GIS of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

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