SINTEF launches CO2 storage open data-sharing portal

SINTEF has launched a web-based digital portal for sharing reference datasets from pioneering CO2 storage projects.

The new portal, CO2 DataShare, was unveiled on 4 February and will enable researchers and engineers to improve their understanding, reduce costs and minimise uncertainties associated with CO2 storage.

CO2 capture, transport, and storage (CCS) is a process whereby CO2 emissions are captured from large industrial plants, transported in pipelines or ships, and stored in rocks deep beneath the surface so they will not enter the atmosphere.

The International Energy Agency has estimated that 3,400 CCS plants will be needed by 2050 if we are to mitigate the impact of climate change by meeting the critical target of no more than a two-degree rise above pre-industrial levels.

Grethe Tangen, Project Manager for CO2 DataShare, said: “We hope that many data-owners within the CCS community will share their data on this new portal. Sharing of reference datasets from pioneering CO2 storage projects is essential to accelerate improved understanding, build capacity, reduce costs and minimise uncertainties associated with CO2 storage in deep geological formations.”

Lack of relevant data has been a barrier for CCS research and deployment, a barrier that can be overcome by access to open data. The CO2 DataShare project was established in 2018 to accelerate the deployment of CCS by providing open access to CO2 storage data.

Sallie Greenberg, Associate Director – Energy & Minerals at Illinois State Geological Survey, said: “We are very excited to see the CO2 DataShare Portal launch. This international collaborative effort has been several years in the making. Availability of data will allow for refinement of models, development of new methods for plume detection, and potentially help drive commercialisation of this important technology.”

CO2 DataShare aims to share curated datasets from pilot and industry-scale projects to drive research and development. This is essential for building confidence in CO2 storage as a greenhouse gas control strategy. The portal offers a simple, standard, and low-cost solution for making high-quality data available to the CCS community worldwide.

James Craig, Technical Programme Manager, IEAGHG, said: “Interchange of data from established CO2 storage sites will help in regions of the world where CCS is less well developed, especially for stakeholders including investors and operators who have limited experience in CCS. As data acquisition grows there is the positive prospect of greater international comparison, collaboration and enhanced experience.”

The two first datasets to be shared are provided by the Sleipner Group consisting of Equinor Energy AS (operator), ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Norway AS, LOTOS Exploration and Production Norge AS and KUFPEC Norway AS. They include:

  • The Sleipner 2019 Benchmark model, containing a simulation grid with associated data, suited to advance modelling tools and the understanding of CO2 flow dynamics.
  • The Sleipner 4D seismic data entailing 14 years of injection and a total of 6 repeated seismic sets gathered. The base line data gathered before the CO2 injection started will also be released.

More details and contact information on the SINTEF website

SINTEF is a member of the CCUS Projects Network Secretariat. This story is based on content first published by SINTEF on 4 February 2020. Graphic: Equinor and SINTEF