CO2CRC Otway storage Project

Facts:

Storage:

The CO2CRC Otway Project is the most advanced storage project in Australia and the world’s largest research and geo-sequestration demonstration project. The project has so far injected 65 000 tonnes of CO2-rich gas (containing some methane) over 2 years. The injection started in April 2008 at a rate of 150 tonnes per day. The injected gas is a mixture of 80% CO2 and 20% methane from the Buttress production well, and is stored in the depleted natural gas field Waarre C Formation at approximately 2100m below the surface.

The Otway Project features a major monitoring and verification program, which international and national scientists believe to be the most comprehensive of its type in the world. A wide range of monitoring and verification technologies have been installed including down-hole geochemical and geophysical techniques for monitoring the CO2 migrating plume via the existing observation Naylor-1 well. Verification monitoring includes atmospheric, groundwater, soil gas, and geochemical sampling, as well as comprehensive seismic surveys.

An extension of the Otway Project (Stage 2), building on knowledge and facilities established for Stage 1, is currently underway with drilling of a second injection well (CRC-2) completed in February 2010. Further injection and monitoring of CO2 in a saline aquifer is planned for 2010 in order to validate CO2 storage capability in a saline aquifer. Additional monitoring activities will also be put in place to enhance the capability and optimize monitoring of a saline aquifer.

The project involves researchers from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Korea and the USA and has been financially supported by the Australian Federal Government, the Victorian State Government and the US Department of Energy, as well as CO2CRC members.

CO2CRC, a non-profit research collaboration, includes partners AngloAmerican, BHP Billiton, BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, INPEX, Mitsui, Origin, Sasol, Schlumberger, Shell, Total, RioTinto, Solid Energy, Woodside and Xstrata.

• Tony Steeper, (CO2CRC, Communications and Media Adviser)