Research: Geosequestration or carbon capture & storage
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is the process of capturing carbon dioxide that would otherwise be emitted to the atmosphere, compressing it, transporting it to a suitable site, and injecting it in liquid form into deep geological formations where it is to be trapped for thousands or millions of years. This technology enables the use of fossil fuels to create energy without significant emissions of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.
Diagram giving an overview of the carbon capture and storage process
Source: CO2CRC
It is estimated that Australian geological formations have the capacity to store over 1600 years of CO2 emissions. The NSW Government has invested large amounts of money through its 'Exploration NSW' and 'New Frontiers' initiatives in investigating potential sites such as coal seams, sandstones and organic-rich shales for geosequestration.
There are four identified options for the storage of CO2:
- storage in depleted petroleum and gas reservoirs;
- injection into deep, coal seams that are unable to be mined;
- mineral carbonation;
- injection into deep saline aquifers (deep saline water-saturated reservoir rocks).
Research has found that there are at least three regions in NSW considered to have the greatest potential for coal seam geosequestration of carbon dioxide. Initial results have shown that the Darling Basin in central NSW has significant potential for the large-scale storage of CO2 into deep saline aquifers. There are also areas identified in the Sydney Basin for further work which may have potential rock formations suitable for CO2 storage. More exploration is required before the commencement of any pilot geosequestration program in NSW.
Otway Basin Pilot Project in Victoria
View the animated diagram of the
Otway Basin Pilot Project (158kb SWF file).
Source: CO2CRC
Australia's first geosequestration project is currently underway in south-western Victoria. The Otway Basin Pilot Project will extract a CO2 and methane gas mixture from an existing well, separate the gases, then compress the CO2 and inject it into a depleted natural gas reservoir for storage.
An estimated 100 000 tonnes of CO2 will be injected over a two-year period. The project will be subjected to extensive soil, water and air monitoring, as well as tracking the movement of CO2 underground. This knowledge will allow researchers to evaluate the effectiveness of the technology's performance in Australian conditions.
Return to Research
Return to Climate change research in the minerals industries