In Salah CO₂ Storage

Location: Krechba, Algeria

Proponent: BP (operator), StatoilHydro and Sonatrach

Technical aspects

• Natural gas with a carbon dioxide (CO₂) content of approximately 3-10% is imported by pipeline from the Teguentour and Reg gas fields and mixed with gas from the Krechba field.
• Approximately 1 million tonnes per annum of CO₂ is separated chemically from the methane gas at the In Salah central gas processing facility.
• The CO₂ captured at the plant is condensed and transported 14 km by pipeline for injection into the Krechba Carboniferous C 10.2 Sandstone.
• The CO₂ is injectedat about 2km depth through three horizontal injection wells for storage in a deep saline formation adjacent to the gas producing reservoir.

Key Deliverables

• The fully integrated facility became operational in 2004.
• A wide range of characterisation and monitoring technologies have been deployed and tested at the site.
• Extensive knowledge sharing and research continue to take place.
• Project proponents BP, StatoilHydro, and Sonatrach, seek to:
• Provide assurance that secure geological storage of CO₂ can be verified as being cost effective and that long-term assurance can be provided by shorter term monitoring.
• Demonstrate to stakeholders that industrial-scale geological storage of CO₂ is a viable greenhouse gas mitigation option.
• Set precedents for the regulation and verification of the geological storage of CO₂, allowing eligibility for greenhouse credits.

In November 2012, BP announced that CO₂ injection at In Salah had been temporarily suspended pending a business decision on whether to continue the commercial operation of the storage program at the site.