South West Hub Project: appraising a carbon storage resource in Western Australia
Linda Stalker A , Dominique Van Gent B , Sandeep Sharma C and Martin Burke BA CSIRO.
B Department of Mines and Petroleum, Government of Western Australia.
C Carbon Projects Pty Ltd.
The APPEA Journal 55(2) 472-472 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ14107
Published: 2015
Abstract
The South West Hub Carbon Capture and Storage Project (SWH), managed by the WA Department of Mines and Petroleum (WA DMP), is evaluating the potential for a commercial-scale carbon storage site near major emissions sites in southwest WA. The area under investigation is in the southern Perth Basin, focusing on a 150 km2 area in the shires of Harvey and Waroona. WA DMP is conducting a major feasibility study and collecting pre-competitive data in partnership with the local community. The activities are done in a stage-gate model to obtain relevant information on the potential storage capacity, containment security and injectivity of the geology.
Following a smaller 2D seismic survey and the drilling of the Harvey–1 stratigraphic well, a more complex 3D seismic survey was undertaken in February to March, 2014. These activities have confirmed the potential for commercial-scale CO2 storage. A new work package has been initiated with the drilling of three wells (Harvey–2, –3 and –4) underway and plans to drill a fifth well in the next 12 months. The stage-gate approach has been cost-effective, resulting in a carefully planned data acquisition and research program. The approach allows new results, information and potential future activities to be rolled out to stakeholders and the community in the area.
Linda Stalker has a BSc (first class hons) in applied geology from the University of Strathclyde and a PhD in organic geochemistry from University of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. She held a postdoctoral research position at the University of Oklahoma before joining Statoil A.S. in Norway as a senior geochemist. Since 2000, she has worked in various roles in CSIRO and has been the science director for the National Geosquestration Laboratory (NGL) for more than three years. The NGL is a partnership between CSIRO, the University of Western Australia and Curtin University. Linda is on the editorial boards of the journals Chemical Geology and Petroleum Exploration and Development. |
Dominique Van Gent is the coordinator of carbon strategy with the Department of Mines and Petroleum in WA. He has a master's in literature and communication and an MBA. Dominique worked in regional development, assisting the resources industry on major projects, including the development of industrial areas and infrastructure issues. He played a key role in establishing local content strategies that maximised opportunities for regional firms on the construction of the Collie power station and other projects. He has a long-term interest in industrial development and is a former chair of the Small Business Centre in Bunbury. Dominique has worked closely with industry on low emissions technology that has now developed into the South West Hub carbon capture and storage project. |
Sandeep Sharma has been involved with carbon capture and storage (CCS) for more than a decade. He has been program manager of the Otway CCS Program with the Cooperative Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Technologies (CO2CRC) on secondment from Schlumberger and being the regional manager (Australasia) for Schlumberger Carbon Services. At Schlumberger (1981–2013), he worked internationally and held several senior positions in operations management, marketing and new product development. Since 2013, Sandeep has worked as an independent consultant in CCS and is engaged with the Australian Flagship South West Hub Project as program advisor. He is a member of the CO2CRC Operations Committee and is an embedded technology manager for ANLEC R&D. He has a bachelors in electrical engineering (India), has a post-graduate diploma in business management (UK), has been a visiting fellow of the Sloan School, MIT (US), and has a master's in sustainability management (Australia). Sandeep has been awarded two patents and has authored/co-authored several technical papers. Member: SPE and SPWLA. |
Martin Burke has an Arts degree (politics and international relations) and a master's in politics and public policy from Macquarie University. He is the project manager for the South West Hub carbon capture and storage (CCS) project which is managed by the Western Australian Department of Mines and Petroleum. He started work on CCS in 2007 while working in coal policy for the Australian Government. As part of the National Low Emissions Coal Initiative, Martin was the government representative on a working group formed to establish the National Research Program and ANLEC R&D. He also assisted in the formation and running of the National Low Emissions Coal Council and establishment of the Global CCS Institute. He led the process that established the international definition of CCS Ready and contributed to the Institute’s policy and regulatory work program. |
References
Australian National Low Emissions Coal Research and Development (ANLEC R&D), 2013—Research project drills down for results. Media release. Accessed 10 December 2014. <http://www.anlecrd.com.au/announcements/media-release-research-project-drills-down-for-results>.Burke, M., and Van Gent, D., 2015—South West Hub CCS Project: Lessons to be learned from the 2014 3D seismic survey. APPEA 2015 Proceedings. Extended Abstract.
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