Dry wells provides an opportunity for CO₂ storage

CLIMIT funding has been crucial

CLIMIT has allocated funding for two projects called SWAP (Strategic Well Acquisition Project) and SWAP2, which is led by Equinor. The aim of the projects has been to collect additional data in two conventional exploration wells that can provide information about the area’s further potential for large-scale CO₂ storage. Now the results show that both wells it has become easy to dry. The wells thus indicates the potential for large-scale CO₂ storage. This has led to a rapid maturation of the bearings on Smeaheia, and now south of Northern Lights. – The support from CLIMIT in SWAP and SWAP2 has been crucial to realize both projects. The results will contribute to a more rapid scale-up of CO₂ storage on the Norwegian continental shelf, says project manager in Equinor Rune Thorsen.

Scaling up opportunities for storage operators

The areas can thus be used as possible back up-or upsizing solution for Northern Lights project, but also for other future storage operators on the Norwegian continental shelf. Access to data and early maturation of areas can be of great value with a view to realizing future projects for Norwegian oil and energy industry. For example, related to the various hydrogen-related initiatives are also proposed in Norway.

The collection of data provides significant savings and reduces uncertainty

Data collection reduces uncertainty to a critical part of the future value chain (CO₂ storage), providing significant savings by dropping a future dedicated verification well for CO₂ storage. The savings can be several hundred million norwegian kroner. The projects have provided an increased geological understanding of a strategically important area.

About the well in SWAP2

The well (31/1-1 S) in PL785S is located in the southern part of the Horda platform and covers the southernmost extent of the reservoirs on the Troll field. The well also revealed well-developed sandstones in the Johansen formation. This is the same reservoir that is planned to be used in the Northern Lights project, which is just north of PL785S. Well 31/1-1 S is approx. 5 km south of the boundary of the exploitation license EL001, and the well can therefore also contribute to de-risk large parts of the southernmost area in EL001. This is an area that can be very important if scaling up beyond the planned infrastructure capacity of Northern Lights, ie beyond 5 Mt / year. Read more about drilling on the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s pages.

Here you can read more about the SWAP and SWAP2 projects.