A risk-based framework for measurement, monitoring and verification of the Quest CCS Project, Alberta, Canada

Abstract

The Quest Carbon Capture and Storage Project will make an early contribution to reducing CO2 emissions generated by upgrading bitumen from the Alberta oil sands by injecting up to 1.08milliontonnes of CO2 per year for 25 years into a deep saline aquifer located north-east of Edmonton, Alberta. Regulatory approvals and societal acceptance for this project are contingent on gaining and maintaining confidence in the safety and long-term security of the storage site. Site selection, characterisation and engineering designs are the prime means of ensuring CO2 storage risks are as low as reasonably practicable. As a further precaution, a comprehensive programme of Measurement, Monitoring and Verification (MMV) will evaluate storage performance.The purpose of MMV is to monitor conformance and containment. Conformance monitoring is designed to track the build-up of pressure and CO2 inside the storage complex to demonstrate the long-term security of storage. Containment monitoring is designed to demonstrate containment and, if necessary, to trigger timely control measures to mitigate any unexpected leak pathways and to protect the environment. To achieve this, the MMV programme is designed according to a systematic site-specific risk assessment, diversified to avoid dependence on single technologies and will be adapted through time according to observed performance.