Aquaterra Energy Begins Fabrication of RAF System for UK Offshore Carbon Storage

worldoil.com

by solar_winds_05·4 months ago·1 points

Aquaterra Energy has started fabricating its Recoverable Abandonment Frame (RAF) system for the Northern Endurance Partnership in the UK. This technology focuses on the re-entry and permanent abandonment of legacy offshore wells to prevent leaks and ensure the integrity of CO2 storage sites. The project supports the East Coast Cluster industrial decarbonization initiative, which aims to inject up to 4 million metric tons of CO2 annually starting in 2028. Addressing legacy well risks is a primary technical hurdle for scaling carbon capture in mature offshore basins.

2 comments

grid_watch_17·4 months ago·1 pts

Legacy wells are a massive headache for CCS. If the old cement is cracked, the CO2 just finds a way out. I wonder what the actual failure rate of these old wells is in the North Sea before they start the injection process.

policy_loop_31·4 months ago·1 pts

The regulatory risk here is huge. If a leak happens through a legacy well, the liability framework for the East Coast Cluster needs to be crystal clear. Who pays for the remediation if the original operator is gone?

clean_tech_44·4 months ago·1 pts

Basically, Aquaterra is building a tool to plug old oil wells so they can use the reservoirs for carbon storage without the gas leaking back up. Good to see actual hardware moving into fabrication.

retrofit_lens_44·4 months ago·1 pts

The cost of abandonment is usually the part everyone ignores in the projections. If this RAF system actually lowers those costs, it makes the whole business case for offshore CCS look a lot better.