Background

There are a significant number CO2 injection sites around the world of varying size, all of which could provide useful learning experiences for anyone attempting their first test injection. Many projects will have gone through project planning, risk assessment, permitting processing etc; the learnings of which may be useful for future projects.

The purpose of this study is to document experience of the development of CO2 injection projects in order for countries looking to embark on their first CO2 test injection to refer to. This first test injection is considered to be in the order of 10,000 t CO2 per year. They will then be able to refer to the experience and lessons learned through the development and operation of CO2 test injection projects elsewhere in the world.

The initial stages of any injection project will be a desk based assessment and initial site selection, followed by exploration and detailed site characterisation, obtaining permitting for injections and setting out a monitoring plan.

Every storage site will have gone through various stages and processes before injection can start. These will differ depending on the size, location, local regulations and the geology of the site. However, the processes, if not the details may be common amongst all sites, including site characterisation and license permitting (though regulations will vary throughout regions). Many CO2 demonstration sites have been the first of their kind and regulations and permitting have developed alongside the project. For a country hoping to start their first injection it would be useful to be able to access one document that outlined the whole process with a timeline and pointed to relevant sources of information.

There are several best practice documents and guidelines available; these vary in scope and technical detail. A number of non-site specific best practice guides have been produced, such as NETL’s risk assessment and site selection manuals and WRI’s CCS guidelines that outline

the entire process. There are also best practice guidelines considering learnings taken from particular projects, such as the SACS, best practice for the storage of CO2 in saline aquifers, which uses, amongst others, learnings from the Sleipner storage site in the North Sea. Other examples of best practice guides are the QUALSTORE best practice guide and the EU Guidance documents. There are several documents outlining issues regarding public communication including guidelines from NETL and WRI. The Global CCS Institute recently commissioned CO2CRC to produce a summary of best practice guides, including a summary of the varying areas of coverage and technical detail. The document is publically available on their website: http://www.globalccsinstitute.com/publications/review-existing-best-practice-manuals-carbon-dioxide-storage-and-regulation.

CO2CRC, a consortium based in Australia was commissioned by IEAGHG to undertake a study compiling learnings from test injections.

Key Messages

• Data from 45 small scale projects and 43 large scale projects have been compiled in order to extract learnings and best practice guidelines were reviewed.

• No project is the same, and there is not a perfect template, however lessons learnt from previous projects can be applied to new projects.

• There needs to be an agreed and well defined workflow with clear decision points.

• At a very early stage, there needs to be very clear protocols for data collection, use of samples, input into databases, publication and dissemination of scientific outcomes.

• Key performance indicators