Disposal of Carbon Dioxide in Depleted Natural Gas Reservoirs

Abstract

The emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which is one of the causes of the greenhouse effect, could be reduced by the removal of carbon dioxide from stack gases of power plants and subsequent injection of the removed carbon dioxide in depleted gas reservoirs. In The Netherlands there are some 220 gas reservoirs of which 90 are in production. The largest field, Groningen, with initial gas reserves of some 2,500 mrd m3 has a potential for carbon dioxide storage of 8 × 109 ton. The field cannot play an immediate role in the combat against the greenhouse effect, since its presently estimated depletion date is around the middle of the next century. Other Dutch onshore fields have a storage potential of 1.3 × 109 ton of carbon dioxide divided over about 100 reservoirs. These fields will gradually become available starting from about 2000 onwards. The cost of transport and injection of carbon dioxide in onshore reservoirs is estimated at Dfl 7,50/ton of carbon dioxide.