Geological Data and Tools for Basin-Scale Screening of CO2 Storage Potential - Northern North Sea

Abstract

Summary Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is an important component helping nations meet their commitments with regards to CO2 emission reductions in line with the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. Sequestering sufficient volumes of CO2 requires large numbers of suitable storage reservoirs to be identified. Here we present a novel multidisciplinary CO2 storage screening tool called the Storage Play Quality Index (SPQI). The SPQI methodology allows reservoir play intervals across entire basins to be screened in a short timeframe for potential CO2 storage sites based on a range of discipline-specific data, including geology, geochemistry, petrophysics, geomechanics and reservoir engineering. A unique workflow is implemented so these data are converted into a series of index maps which are combined to form a single SPQI map. It has been successfully applied to the Northern North Sea Basin where an extensive well database exists, combined with abundant experience and published research. This approach highlights specific areas for further detailed analysis where additional data (e.g. seismic) can be integrated to characterize specific storage sites with capacity estimations and modelling of CO2 injection. The SPQI methodology can be applied, adapted and upscaled to any geographic region as a first stage for CO2 storage sites screening.