Page 18 - Euroil Week 43 2020

EurOil POLICY EurOil

European majors team up for

North Sea carbon storage

EUROPE’S five biggest oil and gas producers finance this infrastructure’s development. Ear-
UK have banded together in a scheme to transport lier BP, Eni and National grid secured an offshore
and store CO2 from the UK’s largest industrial licence for carbon storage.
Driving the recovery clusters in the North Sea. “The partnership and our joint bid demon-
was BP’s upstream BP, Italy’s Eni, Norway’s Equinor, Royal strate the industry’s willingness to come together
segment. Dutch Shell and France’s Total, alongside UK and collaborate wherever possible to accelerate
gas system operator National Grid, have together making CCUS a reality in the UK, helping to
formed the Northern Endurance Partnership decarbonise the local economy and contributing
(NEF), with BP serving as operator. Their aim is to the UK’s climate goals,” BP said.
to develop infrastructure to transport and store The five oil producers behind NEF are also
CO2 from the Net Zero Teeside (NZT) and Zero involved in NZT, led by the Oil and Gas Climate
Carbon Humber (ZCH) projects. Initiative. Meanwhile, ZCH is led by Drax and
Both NZT and ZCH are due to go live also supported by Equinor and National Grid.
in 2026, helping the Teesside and Humber The schemes are among a number of carbon
clusters achieve net-zero emissions by 2030 capture utilisation and storage (CCUS) projects
through a combination of carbon capture, underway in the UK. These projects will also
hydrogen and fuel-switching. If NEP is a suc- produce blue hydrogen from North Sea gas,
cess, BP says it will decarbonise nearly half of helping to decarbonise energy systems.
the UK’s emissions. The other projects include HyNet in Mer-
CO2 emissions will be shipped from NZT seyside, led by Progressive Energy and Acorn in
and ZCH via an offshore pipeline network and Scotland led by Pale Blue Dot. National Grid is
offloaded in geological storage reservoirs under also advancing two CCUS projects at the Isle of
the UK North Sea. NEP has already filed a bid Grain LNG terminal in southern England and in
for funding through Phase 2 of the government’s South Wales, but these are still at an early stage
Industrial Decarbonisation Challenge fund to of planning. ™

NEWS IN BRIEF
Ascent Resources talks ECT. battery limit to the top of the riser.
Ascent entered a joint venture with a
The primary pipe configuration is a 16
directly with Slovenian state-owned Slovenian company Geonergo inch nominal diameter, MLPP anti corrosion
to extract gas from Petisovci field in
as well as thermal insulation coating with a
government to resolve northeastern Slovenia in 2007.. concrete weight coating on top of the MLPP.
Gasunie has set the application deadline
dispute for November 30 2020.

London-listed oil and gas company Ascent Gasunie seeks contractor
Resources said on October 22 it was entering for offshore CO2 pipe Lundin gets approval for
into direct negotiations with the Slovenian
government to settle their dispute amicably in Dutch natural gas infrastructure and North Sea well
the short-term. transportation company Gasunie is seeking
In September, the company said it filed a a contactor for CO2 offshore pipeline The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD)
lawsuit against Slovenia seeking €50mn in installation from Port of Rotterdam to the has issued a drilling permit to Lundin Energy
damages caused by the authorities’ refusal riser of the offshore platform as part of the Norway for a well located in the North Sea
to grant a permit for the use of hydraulic Porthos CCS project. offshore Norway.
fracturing, needed to boost production at The Porthos project centres on the capture The well 16/4-12 will be drilled from
its Petisovci gas field. The legal action was and storage of CO2 in the North Sea floor. the West Bollsta drilling rig after it
taken based on the UK-Slovenia bilateral It is a joint venture between the Port of concludes the drilling of wildcat well
investment treaty (BIN) and the multilateral Rotterdam Authority, Gasunie and EBN. 7221/4-1 for Lundin Energy Norway in
Energy Charter Treaty (ECT). The scope of the assignment includes: production licence 609.
“All such negotiations will be carried out Installation of the aproximately 20-kilometre The drilling programme for well 16/4-
on a strictly confidential, without prejudice offshore pipeline section; The execution 12 relates to the drilling of a wildcat well in
and privileged basis,” the company said in a of the shore crossing by pipe pull through production licence 981.
filing with the London Stock Exchange. a pre-installed HDPE carrier pipe; The Lundin Energy Norway is the operator
The company further confirmed the fabrication and installation of the subsea with an ownership interest of 60% and
negotiations with the Slovenian government spool pieces and also the related tie-in to the Aker BP is its partner with a 40% interest.
will not prejudice its rights to pursue its riser; Trenching and backfilling; And also The area in this licence consists of the
investment treaty claim under the BIT and pre-commissioning activities from onshore northern part of block 16/4. The well will

P18 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 43 29•October•2020