Geological storage of carbon dioxide; an emerging opportunity

Concerns about climate change and the need to stabilize atmospheric CO (sub 2) concentrations are driving the development of a lower carbon future. Within this context, carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) is gaining momentum as a large-scale option to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This paper reviews the rationale and potential scale of CCS, the status of geological storage options and lessons from the operating In Salah project CCS is expected to have applications in the oil and gas industry, and other industries, particularly the coal and power sectors. CO (sub 2) -enhanced oil recovery, depleted oil and gas fields and saline formations are considered the most important geological storage options. Experience with geological storage is being gained at the In Salao project in Algeria. Operating since 2004, it is the world's first industrial-scale project storing CO (sub 2) in the water leg of a gas reservoir. A key challenge for wider deployment is for geological storage to be accepted as a safe and effective option, providing long-term CO (sub 2) containment, with high integrity. This has several associated technical and regulatory challenges, including site characterization and selection, geological and well integrity rise assessment, performance prediction, the design of appropriate monitoring schemes and handling the closure and post-closure phases. The petroleum industry has the capabilities and know-how to deploy CCS and to manage the associated rises. This lends confidence that CCS will be a viable option and that deployment with help enable a low-carbon future.