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Introduction

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is a high-impact decarbonization lever being used by larger E&P companies and consortiums to offset their carbon emissions to meet decarbonization targets. Of the six decarbonization levers (Figure 1) being used, CCS is the most CAPEX intensive, but perhaps the most critical, with a projected requirement for 1050 dedicated CCS projects by 2050.

These projects utilize a highly collaborative and multi-discipline team working together for several years. However limited data can make these projects exceptionally challenging, taking up to 3 years to reach a financial investment decision (FID). This in part accounts for how few operational CCS projects there are globally. CCS plays a crucial role in achieving decarbonization goals. It involves innovative technologies and technical expertise to efficiently navigate decision gates and ensure safe, long-term, and cost-effective CO2 storage..

Six decarbonization levers infographic

Figure 1: The six decarbonization levers (modified from McKinsey Energy Insights - Global Energy Perspective 2022.

The carbon storage process

Decision gates throughout the CCS lifecycle regulate the transition from one project stage to the next (as shown in Figure 2). These stages include project initiation, assessment, concept selection, detailed design, operations, and Post Injection Site Closure (PISC). Each stage presents unique insights, challenges, and questions that require attention.

C02 storage and challenges infographic

Figure 2: CO2 storage challenges and process.

Initiate

The first challenge is to locate regions and sites that have the potential to store CO2. Extensive screening workflows need to be undertaken - a lengthy process that can be further complicated by lack of data.

The key questions to be addressed during this stage are:

  • Where are the prospective storage resources?
  • What stratigraphic intervals could provide effective reservoirs and seals?

A traditional approach to fairway screening can take many months to arrive at a first-pass assessment of suitable sites that warrant closer investigation. This stage of work would benefit from being able to access global content and automated workflows running this first pass-assessment of reservoir seal presence, effectiveness, and potential supercritical state of CO2.

Access

Once potential sites have been identified, the next phase of activity assesses their feasibility and identifies potential concepts. This requires the following questions to be addressed:

  • What are the geological controls?
  • What is the prospective resource capacity?
  • What is the injectivity potential?
  • Can CO2 be safely contained?

These calculations benefit from robust subsurface characterization and the creation of comprehensive plume migration and containment models. With so many potential variables, multiple scenarios are often run and comparisons made before progressing to the next stage. This can be both time and resource intensive.

Select

The assessment of potential sites generates a list of viable options which can then be further narrowed down to a single site and a single storage concept during the Select phase. The key question is: can we inject CO2 at a sufficient rate?

The Pre-FEED phase involves understanding the baseline injection conditions, which are then used to test various scenarios. This analysis assesses the impact of different variables on CO2 injectivity over time. These include:

  • Inflow rate variability.
  • Casing and completion configuration.
  • Reservoir parameters such as porosity and permeability.
  • Injection scheduling options to explore the impact of CO2 injection within the wellbore and its immediate vicinity.

This multi-scenario analysis is required to calculate a safe operation envelope and select the most appropriate storage injection concept.

Define

The next stage involves creating and developing a storage development and MMV plan during the FEED phase. These plans cover the project's entire lifetime  and incorporate regulatory requirements. To demonstrate compliance, specific containment risks must be identified and carefully considered, so the appropriate mitigation plans can be devised and documented.

If the storage development and MMV plans meet the requirements, a single storage concept can proceed through the FID gate and more detailed engineering activity can begin.

Execute

Before operations can commence, detailed engineering designs and multi-scenario analysis are used to identify the optimal well design for safe and cost-effective operations. This is done while taking into consideration Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions to ensure operators stay within the required limits.

Operate

The operational stage requires management and visualization of CO2 stream supply, monitoring injection rates, and continual verification of plume development and migration. Real-time monitoring data must be incorporated into a dynamic, evergreen plume model as part of a digital twin for the storage model. This enables adjustments to the development plan based on new data and insights to help maintain safe and efficient operations.

PISC

Post Injection Site Closure represents the final stage of the carbon storage process. It requires the successful implementation of the containment risk-driven, cost optimized long-term monitoring strategies developed during earlier phases. During this stage, the following questions arise:

  • Is the plume behaving as predicted?
  • Has the plume migration stabilized?
  • What are the costs of plug and abandonment?

During this stage, the post-injection CO2 behavior is monitored and modeled by observing pressure changes within the reservoir to validate predictions and ensure plume migration has stabilized. It can also include groundwater monitoring to help detect migration of CO2 or brines out of the injected zones.

A reporting program with a defined schedule is put in place, aligning with specific regulatory requirements. This helps ensure that relevant stakeholders are informed about the project status, site closure plans, and estimated costs.

Summary

The full lifecycle of a CO2 project can span decades and represent a long-term investment in terms of resources and finance. However, relatively few projects have passed through FID due to the labor-intensive and lengthy nature of traditional workflows. To meet decarbonization goals, the time it takes to reach FID must be reduced. This requires embracing automated workflows designed for the CO2 storage process and leveraging the right technical knowledge throughout the carbon storage lifecycle.

In an upcoming series of spotlight articles, Halliburton Landmark advisors will explore in more detail how DecisionSpace®365 CO2 Storage Suite can help accelerate the different stages of activity.

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