Offshore Gas Storage

1 October 2009 SUT/Metoc London Evening Meeting

Chairman Basit Khan, Associate Director – Oil and Gas, Metoc
Sponsored by Metoc

Flyer

Overview

The UK could face volatile gas prices in the future because of uncertainty over tariff issues between Russia and its Eastern European neighbours, short term fluctuations in demand arising from variable winters, and one of the lowest gas storage capacities in Europe. One of the options to enhance energy security is to develop more gas storage capacity in depleted subsea gas reservoirs or developed offshore salt caverns.

Presentations

The Geology of Underground Gas Storage (UGS), Critical Areas and Examples of Failure

Dr David Evans, British Geological Survey, Nottingham

The talk provided an overview to the geology and technologies of UGS, including of the main types of offshore storage relevant to the UK: namely, pore storage (depleted oil and gas fields and aquifer) and salt cavern facilities. The critical areas of UGS was then reviewed, outlining where the main areas of potential risk lie, with the consequential competition for suitable sites between natural gas and carbon dioxide storage on the UKCS.

Technical and Regulatory Challenges for the Development of Offshore Gas Storage on the UKCS

Paul Dacombe, Consents and Licensing Manager, Centrica

A review was given of the technical issues and regulatory requirements related to the conversion of offshore depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs into natural gas storage facilities. The presentation considered the general technical challenges and the existing and new licensing/consenting frameworks, taking as examples the two offshore projects Centrica is currently working on, namely, Baird in the southern North Sea and Bains in the East Irish Sea.

Shallow Engineering Geological and Environment Surveys and Their Use in Offshore Gas Storage Schemes

Mick Cook, Independent Consultant

Future offshore gas storage schemes will require metocean, environmental, geophysical and geotechnical surveys to provide detailed characterisation for design and operation of the installations and pipelines. This presentation provided a whistle-stop tour of the shallow engineering survey industry, covering: survey contactors and their vessels; survey techniques and equipment used; and existing industry guidelines for such surveys. Finally, significant shallow geological and environmental issues likely to impact gas storage schemes were highlighted.