Technical Aspects of CO₂ Injection

Abstract

The almost depleted Altmark gas field was chosen by the owner and operator GDF SUEZ E&P Deutschland GmbH (GDF SUEZ) for an Enhanced Gas Recovery (EGR) project. GDF SUEZ took part in the joint research project CLEAN providing this site as a basis for the scientific work of the partners from academia and industry. In November 2007, GDF SUEZ filed the application for injection of up to 100,000 t of CO₂ with the State Office for Geology and Mining of Saxony Anhalt. The permitting process came to a halt towards the end of 2008, because the responsible mining authority considered a national CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) law to be the only legal basis for approval. The national CCS law still has not been enacted in Germany. In January 2009, the erection of the interim CO₂ storage and conditioning unit in Maxdorf was completed. New flow lines between the Maxdorf and the potential injection wells were fully planned but never build. Corrosion resistant re-completion of the injection wells did not take place either. Within the funding period of the CLEAN project (2008–2011), there was no injection of CO₂.