The CSIRO In-Situ Laboratory in South Western Australia: a field laboratory for de-risking carbon storage

2020 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 732
Author(s):  
Karsten Michael ◽  
Ludovic Ricard ◽  
Linda Stalker ◽  
Allison Hortle ◽  
Arsham Avijegon
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Storage ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Technology Development ◽  
Ground Surface ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
Research Field ◽  
Field Site ◽  
Monitoring Technologies

The oil and gas industry in Western Australia will need to address their carbon emissions in response to the state government’s aspiration of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The geological storage of carbon dioxide is a proven technology and an option for reducing emissions. Storage operations would need to provide adequate monitoring systems in compliance with yet to be defined regulations and to assure the public that potential leakage could be confidently detected, managed and remediated. The In-Situ Laboratory in the south-west of Western Australia was established as a research field site to support low emissions technology development and provides a unique field site for controlled CO2 release experiments in a fault zone and testing of monitoring technologies between 400 m depth and the ground surface. A first test injection of 38 tonnes of food-grade gaseous CO2 in 2019 demonstrated the ability to detect less than 10 tonnes of CO2 with fibre optic sensing and borehole seismic testing. Results from the previous test and future experiments will help to improve the sensitivity of monitoring technologies and could contribute to defining adequate monitoring requirements for carbon storage regulations.

The CSIRO In-Situ Laboratory: a field laboratory for derisking underground gas storage

2021 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 438
Author(s):  
Karsten Michael ◽  
Ludovic Ricard ◽  
Linda Stalker ◽  
Allison Hortle
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Natural Gas ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Water Injection ◽  
Research Field ◽  
Fluid Injection ◽  
Field Site ◽  
Fibre Optics ◽  
Monitoring Technologies

The industry in western Australia has committed to addressing their carbon emissions in response to the governments aspiration of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Natural gas will play an important role in the transition to a fully renewable energy market but will require the geological storage of carbon dioxide to limit emissions and enable the production of blue hydrogen. Underground storage of energy in general (e.g. natural gas, hydrogen, compressed air) will be needed increasingly for providing options for temporary storage of energy from renewable resources and for energy export. Storage operations would need to provide adequate monitoring systems in compliance with yet to be defined regulations and to assure the public that potential leakage or induced seismicity could be confidently detected, managed and remediated. The In-Situ Laboratory in the southwest of western Australia was established in 2019 as a research field site to support low emissions technologies development and provides a unique field site for fluid injection experiments in a fault zone and testing of monitoring technologies between 400m depth and the ground surface. The site currently consists of three wells instrumented with fibre optics, pressure, temperature and electric resistivity sensors as well as downhole geophones. A controlled release of CO2 and various water injection tests have demonstrated the ability to detect pressure and temperature effects associated with fluid injection. Future experiments planned at the site will help in improving the sensitivity of monitoring technologies and could contribute to defining adequate monitoring requirements for carbon dioxide, hydrogen and other energy storage operations.

Innovation policy-making in the upstream oil and gas industry as a large technical system under economic transition

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-128
Author(s):  
S. Sepehr Ghazinoory ◽  
Shiva Tatina ◽  
Mehdi Goodarzi
Keyword(s):  
Policy Making ◽  
Q Methodology ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Technology Development ◽  
Economic Transition ◽  
Innovation Policy ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
Technical System ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Innovation And Technology

Purpose Innovation and technology development policy-making naturally encounters numerous uncertainties and complexities, especially in developing countries, for the sake of the prevailing prospect of decision makers focusing on hard evidences, and neglecting key and effective social ones; in this research, a context-based method by means of Q-methodology was designed to facilitate policy-making for complex systems by bridging between policy and practices (latent in viewpoints) through providing context-based evidences. Design/methodology/approach Due to the nature of knowledge-based systems, the performance of Innovation and Technology Development (ITD) systems is highly dependent on the standpoints of key players/stakeholders of the system. In consideration of Iran’s economy characteristics, Upstream Oil and Gas (UOG) Industry, which is one of the complex Large Technical Systems (LTS), was selected as a case study. Regarding the features of LTSs, the designed model was completed by adding hierarchical clustering method, as well as using the framework of innovation and technology learning transition model to analyze the results. Findings The results showed the capability of the model in providing credible evidences to inform policy-making processes. Originality/value This study is one of the first real experiences which used Q-method for providing evidence-based policy-making model in a complex Large Technical System, namely, Upstream Oil and Gas (UOG) Industry.

scholarly journals Forecasting of Technology Development of the Arctic Hydrocarbon Resources’ Extraction

2020 ◽  
Vol 162 ◽  
pp. 01008
Author(s):  
Tatiana Chvileva
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Technology Development ◽  
Arctic Region ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Gas Industry ◽  
Industrial Systems ◽  
Technological Forecasting ◽  
Energy Needs

The Arctic region has a great potential in development of hydrocarbon resources and can play an important role in meeting future global energy needs. In the presented work the specific features of the Arctic hydrocarbon projects are identified. Key needs of oil and gas industry in technology development within the framework of projects of extraction of hydrocarbon resources in the Arctic are revealed. A critical analysis of technological forecasting methods is presented. Problems and prospects of their use in the conditions of the Arctic zones are established. The need for an integrated approach to forecasting the development of industrial systems of the Arctic zone is justified.

OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA

1999 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 30
Author(s):  
M. Meaton
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
The State ◽  
Full Potential ◽  
Gas Industry ◽  
Oil And Gas Production ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Petroleum Companies

The oil and gas production sector in Western Australia has grown dramatically in recent years and now represents the largest resource sector in the State economy. The industry has a very promising future but it faces a number of challenges if it is to achieve its full potential. Its production location in remote parts of the State confers both advantages and disadvantages. Chief among the disadvantages is the challenge of convincing the community and government of the benefits from the industry when many of those benefits are not apparent to the majority of the population. The emphasis in this paper is on economic impacts, social benefits and community attitudes.WA has produced about 820 million barrels of oil and 2000 million barrels of natural gas when gas is calculated in energy equivalent terms. Petroleum energy production has increased dramatically over the last 15 years and the State is now a substantial energy exporter. Petroleum sources provide the energy for over 85% of the final energy used in the State. Total industry investment over the last 18 years has been nearly $21,000 million for an average of $3.2 million each day. Direct employment by petroleum companies is around 2,500 people with flow-on employment in the services sector estimated at over 17,000 people. Petroleum companies have been major contributors to government revenue and to the development of remote regions in WA.

scholarly journals Discussion on ‘Borehole temperature log from the Glasgow Geothermal Energy Research Field Site: a record of past changes to ground surface temperature caused by urban development’ : Scottish Journal of Geology, 56, 134-152, https://doi.org/10.1144/sjg2019-033

2020 ◽  
pp. sjg2020-014
Author(s):  
Alison A. Monaghan ◽  
David A.C. Manning ◽  
Zoe K. Shipton
Keyword(s):  
Geothermal Energy ◽  
Ground Surface ◽  
Research Field ◽  
Site Location ◽  
Field Site ◽  
Multidisciplinary Research ◽  
Research Facility ◽  
Energy Research ◽  
Borehole Temperature ◽  
The Uk

In their analysis of temperature data, Watson and Westaway (2020) make substantial use of initial open information provided by the UK Geoenergy Observatory: Glasgow Geothermal Energy Research Field Site. They also offer criticisms on site location, heat resource size, design and costs, however these criticisms appear to be based on a misunderstanding of the purpose of the Glasgow Observatory. In order to mitigate misapprehensions for future Observatory users, we write in reply. The Glasgow Observatory has been developed as a multidisciplinary research facility; it is not a demonstrator of maximum mine water heat resource, which is by implication what Watson and Westaway (2020) would deem a success.

Canadian Operator Works To Transform an Oil Field Into a Hydrogen Factory

2021 ◽  
Vol 73 (03) ◽  
pp. 38-40
Author(s):  
Trent Jacobs
Keyword(s):  
Hydrogen Production ◽  
Heavy Oil ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Hydrogen Generation ◽  
Combustion Process ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
Oil Field ◽  
In Situ Combustion ◽  
Associated Gas

As the oil and gas industry scans the known universe for ways to diversify its portfolio with alternative forms of energy, it might want to look under its own feet, too. For inside every oil reservoir, there may be a hydrogen reservoir just waiting to get out. The concept comes courtesy of Calgary-based Proton Technologies. Founded in 2015, the young firm is the operator of an aging heavy oil field in Saskatchewan. There, on a small patch of flat farm-land, Proton has been producing oil to pay the bills. At the same time, it has been experimenting with injecting oxygen into its reservoir in a bid to produce exclusively hydrogen. Proton says its process is built on a technical foundation that includes years of research and works at the demonstration scale. Soon, the firm hopes to prove it is also profitable. While it produces its own hydrogen, Proton is licensing out the technology to others. In January, fellow Canadian operator Whitecap Resources secured a hydrogen production license of up to 500 metric tons/day from Proton. Whitecap produces about 48,000 B/D, and thanks to carbon sequestration, the operator has claimed a net negative emissions status since 2018. Proton says it has struck similar licensing deals with other Canadian operators but that these companies have not yet made public announcements. Where these projects go from here may end up representing the ultimate test for Proton’s innovative twist on the in-situ combustion process known so well to the heavy-oil sector. “In-situ combustion has been used in more than 500 projects worldwide over the last century. And, they have all produced hydrogen,” said Grant Strem, a cofounder and the CEO of Proton. Strem is a petroleum geologist by back-ground who spent the majority of his career working on heavy-oil projects for Canadian producers and research analysis with the banks that fund the upstream sector. While his new venture remains registered as an oil company, the self-described explorationist has come to look at oil fields very differently than he used to. “In an oil field, you have oil—hydrocarbons, which are made of hydrogen and carbon. The other fluid down there is H2O. So, an oil field is really a giant hydrogen-rich, energy-dense system that’s all conveniently accessible by wells,” Strem explained. But, in those past examples, the hundreds of other in-situ combustion projects, hydrogen production was merely a byproduct, an associated gas of sorts. It was the result of several reactions generated by air injections that producers use an oxidizer to heat up the heavy oil and get it flowing. What Proton wants to do is to super-charge the hydrogen-generating reactions by using the oil as fuel while leaving the carbon where it is. That ambition includes doing so at a price point that is roughly five times below that of Canadian natural gas prices and an even smaller fraction of what other hydrogen-generation methods cost.

Seismic field data displaying azimuthal anisotropy, 1986–2020

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. SP135-SP156
Author(s):  
Heloise Lynn
Keyword(s):  
Field Data ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
In Situ Stress ◽  
Azimuthal Anisotropy ◽  
Amplitude Variation ◽  
Gas Industry ◽  
The Past ◽  
Vertically Aligned

The azimuthal (az’l) processing of 3D full-azimuth full-offset P-P reflection seismic data can enable better imaging, thus yielding improved estimates of structure, lithology, porosity, pore fluids, in situ stress, and aligned porosity that flows fluids (macrofracture porosity). In the past 34 years, the oil and gas industry has significantly advanced in the use of seismic azimuthal anisotropy, in particular, to gain information concerning unequal horizontal stresses and/or vertically aligned fractures, and possibly more importantly, to improve the prestack imaging especially in complex structure. The important development stages during the past 40 years were enabled by industry advancements in acquisition, processing, theory, and interpretation. The typical important techniques became evident in PP amplitude variation with angle and azimuth (AVAaz) and orthorhombic imaging. These techniques addressed the complications due to wave propagation in birefringent media. PP AVAaz, now industry standard for vertically aligned fracture characterization, is accompanied by a near-angle azimuthal amplitude variation when aligned connected porosity that flows fluids is present. Birefringence is present with unequal horizontal stresses and/or vertically aligned fractures that flow fluids. I have focused on the field-data documentation of the relationships among azimuthal P-P reflection data, S-wave birefringence, and hydrocarbon production. With increases and improvements in acquisition and processing, plus today’s powerful versatile interpretation platforms, continual advances beyond orthorhombic (ORT) into monoclinic and triclinic symmetries are to be expected. The use of 3D azimuthal seismic for time-lapse changes of the in situ stress field, fracture populations, and pore fluids, as rocks undergo production processes (oil and gas reservoir production processes, wastewater disposal, etc.) and at plate boundaries where stresses change, offers great potential to benefit not just the oil and gas industry but all of humanity.

scholarly journals Inspection and monitoring systems subsea pipelines: A review paper

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 606-645 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Ho ◽  
Sami El-Borgi ◽  
Devendra Patil ◽  
Gangbing Song
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
Hazardous Substances ◽  
Gas Industry ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Massive Scale ◽  
Monitoring Technologies ◽  
Energy Products ◽  
Subsea Pipelines

One of the largest movers of the world economy is the oil and gas industry. The industry generates billions of barrels of oil to match more than half the world’s energy demands. Production of energy products at such a massive scale is supported by the equally massive oil and gas infrastructure sprawling around the globe. Especially characteristic of the industry are vast networks of pipelines that traverse tens of thousands of miles of land and sea to carry oil and gas from the deepest parts of the earth to faraway destinations. With such lengths come increased chances for damage, which can have disastrous consequences owing to the hazardous substances typically carried by pipelines. Subsea pipelines in particular face increased risk due to the typically harsher environments, the difficulty of accessing deepwater pipelines, and the possibility of sea currents spreading leaked oil across a wide area. The opportunity for research and engineering to overcome the challenge of subsea inspection and monitoring is tremendous and the progress in this area is continuously generating exciting new developments that may have far reaching benefits far outside of subsea pipeline inspection and monitoring. Thus, this review covers the most often used subsea inspection and monitoring technologies as well as their most recent developments and future trends.

scholarly journals REPOSITIONING PTDF AS A SOURCE OF CUTTING-EDGE RESEARCH IN THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY: A COLLABORATIVE AND INNOVATIVE STRATEGIES FOR KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT.

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Industrial Development ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Technology Development ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
Policy Formulation ◽  
Cutting Edge ◽  
Research Development ◽  
Research Information ◽  
Gas Industry ◽  
Development Fund

The mandate of an organization is fundamental to achieving its objectives in society and the Petroleum Technology Development Fund is not an exception. Research Development and Innovation is one of the Key mandates of the PTDF and repositioning it for the desired purposes in the industry is in high demand and of necessity. In this paper, strategic approaches developed to reposition the research focus of the Fund is examined. Challenges and opportunities are highlighted for possible frontier expansion and restructuring at optimal levels. Oil and Gas industry is highly technical and competitive, requiring the use of the best technologies in solving problems and research development and innovations is the bedrock in achieving and sustaining such goals. The primary purpose of the PTDF as a technology development agency of government must be redirected with state-of-the-act policy to drive research as a cutting-edge tool for national economic development. Secondly, this paper identified key knowledge enablers and inhibitors to the use of research information for industrial development. Accordingly, this paper is useful for research design, policy formulation and structural reform in research development and innovative cycle for the energy industry and other sectors of the economy. Finally, this paper will serve as a source document for the expansion project on research restructuring in Oil and Gas in Nigeria. Keywords: Research Development and Innovation, Strategic Knowledge Enablers and Inhibitors, Frontier Basins, Collaboration and Linkages.

Decommissioning – the next Australian oil and gas boom?

2017 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 421 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernadette Cullinane ◽  
Susan Gourvenec
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Geographic Location ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
Complete Removal ◽  
Gas Industry ◽  
Innovative Thinking ◽  
Fit For Purpose

In the Oil and Gas Competitiveness Assessment recently published by National Energy Resources Australia (NERA), Australia ranked at the bottom of the group of 30 oil and gas producing nations in abandonment and decommissioning (NERA 2016). With the recent focus on the massive investment in liquefied natural gas (LNG), it is easy to forget that the Australian oil and gas industry is nearly 100 years old and many assets are reaching the end of their producing life. Liabilities are estimated at more than US$21billion over the next 50 years (Wood Mackenzie 2016a). With nearly 70% of producing assets located offshore, this problem is complex and costly. The industry must develop strategies to address this looming challenge, however Australia has completed few large-scale decommissioning projects and currently lacks the required experience. This paper explores how Australia must: evaluate a range of approaches from complete removal to allowing assets to remain in situ; develop multi- and interdisciplinary solutions based on the collaborative input of all stakeholders and ocean users to develop a framework suited to our geographic location and environment; develop fit-for-purpose policies and regulations to support the most appropriate decommissioning framework for Australia, by learning from other countries, while recognising local uniqueness; and build workforce capability and capacity to support efficient and economical decommissioning activities and stimulate economic growth, which is more challenging than in other regions given our remoteness and high cost structure. The upcoming decommissioning wave represents a perfect ‘greenfield’ opportunity to apply innovative thinking, new technologies and collaborative approaches as well as an opportunity for Australia to demonstrate global leadership in this inevitable final stage of the lifecycle.

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