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  • The objective of the EU SiteChar Project was to facilitate the implementation of CO2 geological storage in Europe by developing a methodology for the assessment of potential storage sites and the preparation of storage permit applications. Research was conducted through a strong collaboration of experienced industrial and academic research partners aiming to advance a portfolio of sites to a (near-) completed feasibility stage, ready for detailed front-end engineering and design and produce practical guidelines for site characterisation. SiteChar was a 3 year project supported by the European Commission under the 7th Framework Programme. This report introduces the lay reader to the research and concepts developed in the SiteChar project and can be downloaded from http://www.sitechar-co2.eu/SciPublicationsData.aspx?IdPublication=351&IdType=557.

  • In this study, two strategies, thermal pretreatment and chemical doping, were investigated as a method of improving the residual carrying capacity of Longcliffe and Havelock limestone for calcium looping systems. Four parameters were varied during thermal pretreatment: temperature (900-1100 degrees C), time (3-12 hr), gas composition (0-100 % CO2 balanced in N2) and particle size (90-355 micrometre). After pre-calcination, the sorbents were subjected to 20 carbonation-calcination cycles performed in a thermographic analyser (TGA) to monitor any signs of sorbent improvement. The degradation of sorbent activity was modelled using the decay equation suggested by Grasa and Abanades (2006). Both Longcliffe and Havelock samples showed self-reactivation when pretreated under CO2, however this did not result in a greater carrying capacity after 20 carbonation/calcination cycles compared to the untreated limestone. For chemical doping, Longcliffe doped using 0.167 mol % HBr via quantitative wet impregnation method resulted in an increase in residual carrying capacity of 27.4 % after thermal pre-treatment under CO2 when compared to the untreated but doped limestone, assuming self-reactivation continued as modelled. When Longcliffe was doped and then pretreated under pure N2, the limestone showed self-reactivation, which was not seen in the undoped sorbent when also pretreated under N2. Thus, the success of pretreatment may be dependent on the chemical composition of the limestone. Finally, BET surface area and BJH pore volume analysis was used to understand the changes in the sorbents' morphologies. The closure of the mesopores (dpore<150 nm) after the pretreatment was correlated to the self-reactivation in the subsequent cycles.

  • The data consists of a poster presented at 'The Geology of Geomechanics' conference, held at Burlington House, London by the Geological Society on 28-29 October, 2015. The poster describes an overview of work carried-out on behalf of the 'Fault seal controls on CO2 storage capacity in aquifers' project funded by the UKCCS Research Centre, grant number UKCCSRC-C1-14. The CO2-rich natural gas accumulations of the Fizzy and Oak fields are examined for their fault-seal potential, in particular accounting for the impact of IFT and contact angle on capillary threshold pressures. Results of an in situ stress study for the Inner Moray Firth is also presented, with results being applied to a geomechanical stability analysis of faults affecting the Captain Sandstone saline aquifer formation.

  • Revised full proposal for scientific drilling (852-CPP2) 'GlaciStore: Understanding Pleistocene glaciation and basin processes and their impact on fluid migration pathways (North Sea)', submitted to Integrated Ocean Discovery Programme (IODP) April 2016. The proponent 'GlaciStore' consortium comprises research and industry organisations from the UK, Norway, USA and Canada. The full proposal describes the relationship of the proposed research with the IODP science plan, sets the regional background and describes and illustrates three scientific objectives. The objectives are to: establish a high-resolution depositional and chronological framework defining multiple cycles of glacial advance and retreat over the last 2.6 Ma by investigating the strata preserved in the centre of the NSB by scientific drilling, sampling and detailed analysis; investigate how the temporal variations in depositional environment and geochemistry of the different stratigraphic units have affected the pore fluids (dissolved gases, salts and isotopes) and the microbial community; determine the measurable impact on geomechanical properties of strata (porosity, rock stiffness, in-situ stresses, pore pressure, fractures) caused by cycles of glacial loading and unloading. The drilling and sampling strategy, standard drilling and logging operations and the specialist measurements expected to be taken are described. Related initiatives and wider context of the proposed research also the initial and planned strategy for support from industry and government are outlined. The lead submitter, on behalf to the GlaciStore consortium is Heather Stewart, British Geological Survey (BGS).The 32 proponents from the UK and Norway (BGS, Institute for Energy Technology, Lundin Norway AS, Memorial University of Newfoundland, SINTEF Energy Research, Statoil ASA, University of Bergen, University of Edinburgh University of Oslo, University of Texas at Austin and University of Ottowa) and their expertise are listed and detailed. Site forms for each of the 13 proposed drilling sites are included.The full proposal is a pdf format file. This is restricted to the proponents for publication and to progress to a revised full proposal accepted for drilling by IODP. UKCCSRC Grant UKCCSRC-C1-30.

  • Revised full proposal cover sheet for scientific drilling (852-CPP2) 'GlaciStore: Understanding Pleistocene glaciation and basin processes and their impact on fluid migration pathways (North Sea)', submitted to Integrated Ocean Discovery Programme (IODP) April 2016. The full proposal cover sheet document is publicly available from IODP; the submitted full proposal document is restricted to the proponents for publication and for review and response from IODP. The proposal is a revision of full proposal 852-CPP in response to review by IODP. The lead submitter, on behalf to the GlaciStore consortium is Heather Stewart, British Geological Survey (BGS).The 32 proponents are from research and industry organisations in the UK, Norway, USA and Canada (BGS, Institute for Energy Technology, Lundin Norway AS, Memorial University of Newfoundland, SINTEF Energy Research, Statoil ASA, University of Bergen, University of Edinburgh, University of Oslo and University of Ottawa University of Texas at Austin). The revised full proposal cover sheet states the names of proponents of the 'GlaciStore' consortium and details for the lead submitter of the bid. The full proposal cover sheet comprises: an abstract of the submitted full proposal including description of project funding support as a Complementary Project Proposal: describes and states the scientific research objectives; summarises proposed non-standard measurements; tabulates details of the 13 proposed drill sites (revised from full proposal CPP-852) to address the scientific objectives. The objectives are to investigate: glacial history and sedimentary architecture; fluid flow and microbial processes in shallow sediments; and the stress history and geomechanical models for strata that have experienced multiple glacial and interglacial cycles. The table of revised proposed drilling sites includes designation of primary or alternate sites, the co-ordinates of the position and water depth at each proposed site, the objective for drilling and sampling and the depth to achieve the objective. The proponents, their affiliation, expertise and role for the submission are listed. UKCCSRC Grant UKCCSRC-C1-30.

  • This poster on the UKCCSRC Call 2 project The Development and Demonstration of Best Practice Guidelines for the Safe Start-up Injection of CO2 into Depleted Gas Fields was presented at the CSLF Call project poster reception, London, 27.06.16. Grant number: UKCCSRC-C2-183. Highly-depleted gas fields represent prime potential targets for large-scale storage of captured CO2 emitted from industrial sources and fossil-fuel power plants. Given the potentially low reservoir pressures as well as the unique thermodynamic properties of CO2, especially in the presence of the various stream impurities, the injection process presents significant safety and operational challenges. In particular, the start-up injection leads to the following risks: &bullet; blockage due to hydrate and ice formation following the contact of the cold CO2 with the interstitial water around the wellbore; &bullet; thermal stress shocking of the wellbore casing steel, leading to its fracture and ultimately escape of CO2; &bullet; over-pressurisation accompanied by CO2 backflow into the injection system due to the violent evaporation of the superheated liquid CO2 upon entry into the wellbore.

  • The data consists of an extended abstract submitted to the '8th Trondheim Conference on CO2 Capture, Transport and Storage', Trondheim, Norway, 16-18th June 2015. The abstract describes work carried-out on behalf of the 'Fault seal controls on CO2 storage capacity in aquifers' project funded by the UKCCS Research Centre, grant number UKCCSRC-C1-14. The Captain Sandstone saline aquifer has a potential to store large volumes of CO2 as part of greenhouse gas mitigation strategies, however it is known to be affected by regional faults, some of which extend to the seabed. An in situ stress analysis is performed in order to deduce the stresses affecting these faults and to assess their geomechanical stability.

  • The data consists of an extended abstract submitted to 'The Fourth International Conference on Fault and Top Seals', Almeria, Spain, 20-24th September 2015. The abstract describes work carried-out on behalf of the 'Fault seal controls on CO2 storage capacity in aquifers' project funded by the UKCCS Research Centre, grant number UKCCSRC-C1-14. The CO2-rich St. Johns Dome reservoir in Arizona provides a useful analogue for leaking CO2 storage sites, and the abstract describes an analysis of the fault-seal behaviour at the site. http://earthdoc.eage.org/publication/publicationdetails/?publication=82673.

  • This data contains the output from the first Flexible CCS Network Development (FleCCSnet) workshop of stakeholders discussing the development of CO2 networks in the UK. The first was held on the 30 April 2014 at the University of Edinburgh, UK. The purpose of Workshop 1 was to identify and confirm the key questions to be considered in order to understand the most likely impacts of variability in the CO2 sources and variability in CO2 sinks on CO2 transport system design and operation. There were a total of 21 attendees including 7 representatives from PSE, Scottish Power, BP, SCCS, Parsons Brinckerhoff, Element Energy, and AMEC. The dataset consists of two reports. The first report, 'Developing CO2 networks: Key lessons learnt from the first Flexible CCS Network Development (FleCCSnet) project workshop', summarises the workshop findings, which have been used to create a series of scenarios that were investigated by transient simulation. The scenarios developed are described in the second report, 'Developing CO2 networks: Scenarios building on the first Flexible CCS Network Development (FleCCSnet) project workshop'.

  • Peer reviewed paper published in the journal Petroleum Geoscience - the paper describes work carried-out on behalf of the 'Fault seal controls on CO2 storage capacity in aquifers' project funded by the UKCCS Research Centre, grant number UKCCSRC-C1-14. The geomechanical stability of faults affecting the Captain Sandstone and its overburden in the Inner Moray Firth region is investigated in terms of the ability of the faulted reservoir to safely store CO2. Also available online at http://pg.lyellcollection.org/content/22/3/211.full.