Deep Injection of Acid Gas in Western Canada

Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter elaborates the understanding of the technology and characteristics of the acid-gas injection operations that will help in expanding its application for safe disposal of acid and greenhouse gases in Western Canada. Acid-gas injection currently takes place in the Alberta basin in western Canada, with most of the operations being located in Alberta and several in Northeastern British Columbia. The acid-gas injection operations constitute a commercial-scale analogue for future large-scale CO 2 geological sequestration efforts to reduce CO 2 emissions into the atmosphere from large CO 2 point sources. The technology and engineering experience is developed at these acid-gas injection operations (i.e., design, materials, leakage prevention, and safety) can be easily adopted for large-scale CO 2 geological sequestration operations, because a CO 2 stream with no H 2 S is less corrosive and hazardous. However, as these operations are scaled-up, the leakage risk moves from the near well to the surrounding area, where the uncertainty in geology and reservoir or aquifer characteristics is greater.