Preparations are currently underway for a CO2 injection test at a carbon capture and storage (CCS) license in the North Sea that encompasses the “UK’s largest depleted gas field” .
Perenco UK and Carbon Catalyst Limited secured a license to progress their Poseidon CCS project at the Leman gas fields in the UK southern North Sea in August 2023. In November, Wintershall Dea came on board the project by buying a 10% interest from Carbon Catalyst, marking the company’s entry into a second UK CCS project, including the Camelot license .
Petrodec, member of Dixstone group, is setting up a full support package for the CO2 injection test, including a 1,000 m2 deck space rig support for the injection package, support for operational procedures and permits, yard base support in flushing, and management of offshore logistics during the test.
“Preparation is underway for the Leman CO2 injection test! Last week, the Perenco CCS team went on a site visit to the ERDA jackup rig with several contractors, the objective was to review deck arrangements and interfaces for the various equipment packages to be fitted,” Perenco CCS reported. “We look forward to sharing further progress as the operation develops.”
Leman is said to be the largest reservoir complex in the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS), offering a mixture of depleted gas reservoirs and saline aquifers in which to permanently store recovered CO2. The ultimate storage capacity is around 1,000 Mt. The field is connected to the PUK Bacton Terminal, which will receive and process CO2 offshore.
The project is due to come online by 2029. Initial CO2 injection rates will be circa 1.5 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa), ramping up to ~10 Mtpa by 2034, and with further geological potential to peak up to ~40 Mtpa, over a 40-year period.
Perenco UK and Carbon Catalyst are also partners on the Orion CCS project which encompasses both the decommissioned Amethyst field and the producing West Sole field, using depleted gas reservoirs for the permanent storage within geological formations of captured carbon dioxide.