New Project Launched to Improve Site Characterisation for CO2 Storage

PARIS, January 20, 2011 - On January 17 and 18, 2011, the launch meeting for the European
SiteChar project (FP7), dedicated to improving the characterization of sites
for the geological storage of CO2, was held at IFP Energies nouvelles. The
project's objective is to provide a methodology for assessing potential
storage sites. By developing a methodology for the preparation of storage
license applications, incorporating all the technical and economic data, as
well as the social dimension, SiteChar will provide a valuable tool for the
roll-out of geological storage on an industrial scale in Europe.

Coordinated by IFP Energies nouvelles, the project brings together
another sixteen partners from research and industry, as well as the
consultancy sector, from ten EU countries: AGH, ECN, ENEL, GEUS, GFZ,
IMPERIAL, NERC, OGS, PGNiG, Statoil, TNO, SINTEF-PR, UniRoma1-CERI, UfU,
Vattenfall and the Scottish Government. The SiteChar project is also
supported by Veolia Environnement. Scheduled to last 3 years, the SiteChar
project has a total budget of EUR5 million, EUR3.7 million of which is a
European Commission grant.

Five potential European storage sites, representative of the various
geological contexts have been selected as test sites for the research work: a
North Sea offshore multistorage site (hydrocarbon field and aquifer) in
Scotland, an onshore aquifer in Denmark, an onshore gas field in Poland, an
offshore aquifer in Norway and, finally, an aquifer in the Southern Adriatic
Sea.

SiteChar will examine the entire site characterization chain,
from the initial feasibility studies through to the final stage of
application for a storage license, on the basis of criteria defined by the
relevant European legislation: storage capacities, modeling of aquifers at
basin or reservoir scale, injection scenarios, risk assessment, development
of the site monitoring plan, technical and economic analysis (assessment of
all the costs related to storage), public awareness, etc.

The objective is to supply a methodological guide adapted to each
of these specific geological contexts for use by storage site operators and
regulatory bodies. These studies will make use of the skills of the various
partners in the fields of geology, geochemistry, flow simulation,
geomechanics, applied mathematics, economics, sociology and communication.
The geological structure of basins and reservoirs will be modeled in order to
optimize injection scenarios and to understand the behavior of the storage
facility over time, using software developed by IFP Energies nouvelles.

At the Danish and Scottish sites the studies will continue right up until
submission of a dry-run license application which will be evaluated by a
group of independent experts. The studies conducted at the other sites will
make it possible to overcome specific barriers related to the site
characterization methodology.

In additional to technical problems, SiteChar will consider the important
aspect of the public awareness and public opinions of these new technologies
. Based on assessments of current public knowledge, perceptions and
information needs regarding the storage of CO2, site-specific public
engagement activities will assessed via the internet and information
meetings.

Press contact : Anne-Laure de Marignan/IFP Energies nouvelles - Tel. : +33-01-47-52-62-07,
- a-laure.de-marignan at ifpenergiesnouvelles.fr