Background

Currently there are more than 6,500 km of CO₂ pipelines worldwide; most of them are linked to EOR operations in the United States but there are also a number of pipelines associated with or under development for CO₂ storage. Valuable experience is available from these projects for all phases of pipeline projects: from early design through to operation and decommissioning.

The aim of this study is to collate information from the public domain on existing CO₂ pipelines into a comprehensive reference document. Other objectives are to discuss the similarities and differences between CO₂ and other, especially natural gas, pipelines and to provide an overview. The overall lessons learned from this study should support project developers, decision makers, regulators, and governmental bodies who do not deal with engineering calculations and cost estimates on a regular basis.

The IEAGHG commissioned this study on behalf of the Global CCS Institute. Ecofys was the main contractor with SNC-Lavalin, who has extensive experience in the oil and gas industry, e.g. in US-based EOR operations, acting as a subcontractor.

Key Messages

• New CO₂ pipeline projects require large investments in infrastructure. Re-use of existing infrastructure can lead to substantial savings in investment costs.

• In the US, EOR has been the primary driver for CO₂ pipeline infrastructure development. Most EU projects focus on CO₂ storage within emissions reduction schemes.

• Except for the US, most countries have little or no experience with CO₂ pipelines or CO₂-EOR operations.

• Start-up, routine inspection, shutdown and venting of CO₂ pipelines can differ considerably from natural gas pipelines.

• Pipelines can usually handle the flexible operational needs of both supplier and user. Examples for pipeline networks exist in the US. These hubs have no specific set of rules, as each system has its own standards for CO₂ purity and operating conditions.

• Although CO₂ pipelines are rarely the focal point of public concern, effective communication strategies are a key element for successful implementation of the whole project.

• Currently it is not possible to draw robust conclusions, whether or not the incident rate with CO₂ pipelines would be different from other gas pipelines.

• Little information is publicly available on the costs of CO₂ pipelines.

• The contractor created a reference manual, database and interactive web tool detailing information on 29 CO₂ pipeline projects worldwide.