NETL's CARBONSTORAGE NEWSLETTER:ANNUAL INDEX
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Carbon Storage Newsletter Annual Index Highlights (Sep 2015 – Sep 2016) NETL’s CARBON STORAGE NEWSLETTER: ANNUAL INDEX SEPTEMBER 2015 – SEPTEMBER 2016 This is a compilation of the National Energy Technology Laboratory’s (NETL) monthly Carbon Storage Newsletters published over the last 13 months. The newsletter is produced by NETL to provide information on activities and publications related to carbon storage. It covers domestic, international, public sector, and private sector news. This Annual Index covers newsletters issued from September 2015 to September 2016. Outdated Information (e.g., conference dates, paper submittals, etc.) has been removed. For more information on the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Carbon Storage Program, click here. HIGHLIGHTS ............................................................................................................................................ 1 CARBON STORAGE IN THE NEWS ........................................................................................................... 6 SCIENCE ................................................................................................................................................. 15 POLICY .................................................................................................................................................. 23 GEOLOGY .............................................................................................................................................. 33 TECHNOLOGY ....................................................................................................................................... 45 TERRESTRIAL ........................................................................................................................................ 59 TRADING ............................................................................................................................................... 67 RECENT PUBLICATIONS ........................................................................................................................ 75 LEGISLATIVE .......................................................................................................................................... 91 ANNOUNCEMENTS ................................................................................................................................ 95 Carbon Storage Newsletter Annual Index Highlights (Sep 2015 – Sep 2016) Highlights September 2015 “DOE Selects Nine Projects to Receive Funding for Carbon Storage Intelligent Monitoring and Well Integrity and Mitigation Research.” Nine projects have been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) to receive funding through DOE's Carbon Storage Program to research new carbon dioxide (CO2) storage technologies devoted to intelligent monitoring systems and advanced well integrity and mitigation approaches. The selected projects focus on the following three research priorities: (1) carbon capture and storage (CCS)-specific intelligent systems for monitoring, controlling, and optimizing CO2 injection operations; (2) diagnostic tools and methods capable of characterizing borehole release pathways or fluid flow in existing wells; and (3) next-generation materials and methods for mitigating wellbore release. From energy.gov on August 17, 2015. October 2015 “NETL’s 2015 Carbon Storage Atlas Shows Increase in U.S. CO2 Storage Potential.” The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) released the fifth edition of the Carbon Storage Atlas (Atlas V), which shows prospective carbon dioxide (CO2) storage resources of at least 2,600 billion metric tons – an increase over the findings of the 2012 Atlas. Atlas V highlights potential CO2 storage resources in saline formations, oil and natural gas reservoirs, and unmineable coal seams. This edition also presents a detailed look at the Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (RCSP) Initiative’s large-scale field projects, which are uniquely tailored to address technical and non- technical challenges within their respective regions. For each large-scale field project, Atlas V provides a summary of approaches taken, technologies validated, and lessons learned in carrying out key aspects of a carbon capture and storage (CCS) project: site characterization; risk assessment; simulation and modeling; monitoring, verification, accounting, and assessment; site operations; and public outreach. These efforts collectively contribute to the development of regional carbon management plans, aid in regulatory development, and help determine appropriate infrastructure for CCS commercialization in each region. From NETL News Release on September 28, 2015. “Energy Department Selects Five Projects in First Step to Produce Fresh Water from CO2 Storage Sites.” DOE/NETL selected five projects to develop and validate strategies to manage pressure and the flow of CO2 in saline formations through a Brine Extraction Storage Test (BEST). The projects will be managed by DOE/NETL under the Carbon Storage Program. In addition, the selected projects will also support the clean energy and climate goals announced by the U.S. and Chinese governments in November 2014. Following the feasibility and design phase, one of the recipients will be selected for a pilot project to validate brine/water injection and treatment technology. From energy.gov on September 16, 2015. November 2015 “Secretary Moniz Announces New CO2 Storage Network at Multinational Carbon Sequestration Forum.” The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the formation of an international initiative to facilitate collaborative testing of advanced carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies in a real- world, saline storage environment. The Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum’s (CSLF) Large-Scale Saline Storage Project Network will form a global network of large-scale carbon dioxide (CO2) injection sites that can share best practices, operational experience, and key lessons to advance the deployment of CCS. The collaboration builds on the CO2 Capture Test Center Network, which has been chaired by 1 Carbon Storage Newsletter Annual Index Highlights (Sep 2015 – Sep 2016) Norway since 2013; the United States will chair the capture center in 2016. From energy.gov on November 4, 2015. “Underground CO2 Storage, Natural Gas Recovery Targeted by Virginia Tech/NETL Researchers.” Researchers from DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) are investigating the feasibility of permanently and safely storing CO2 underground while simultaneously recovering natural gas. The research is testing the use of CO2 captured from power plants and industrial facilities to force natural gas out of the pores of organic- rich sedimentary rocks where the natural gas becomes trapped over time. In the process, the injected CO2 would remain safely and permanently stored. Virginia Tech’s Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research (VCCER) initiated the injection of up to 20,000 tons of CO2 into a coalbed methane field in Buchanan County, Virginia, USA, in July 2015. Researchers will use a state-of-the-art monitoring, verification, and accounting (MVA) program to monitor and collect data as the CO2 is injected into the coal seams. The NETL-VCCER project was initiated in 2011 and builds upon earlier carbon storage tests conducted by the Southeast Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (SECARB), one of DOE’s Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnerships (RCSPs). From energy.gov on October 20, 2015. February 2016 “President’s FY 2017 Budget Includes $878 Million for Fossil Energy Programs.” The FY 2017 Budget includes a request for $90.9 million for carbon storage research and development (R&D). The funding request supports: (1) storage field management projects, including the Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnerships (RCSPs), and other field characterization and injection projects; (2) risk and integration tool development; and (3) advanced storage R&D efforts, as part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Subsurface crosscut, to develop laboratory- and bench-scale technologies for identifying and obtaining new subsurface signals, ensuring wellbore integrity, and increasing understanding of the stress state and induced seismicity. From energy.gov on February 9, 2016. “NETL Carbon Capture Technologies to be Used in Commercial Biomass-to-Biofuel Conversion Process with Power Generation.” Two patented sorbent technologies that capture carbon dioxide (CO2) from streams of mixed gases have been granted a license by DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL). CogniTek Management Systems will incorporate the technologies into its integrated biomass-to-biofuels conversion process with power generation. The process will have naturally low CO2 emissions, as the plants used as feedstock consume CO2 from the atmosphere as part of their growth process. The technologies are expected to result in a “near 100 percent carbon negative” process. To learn more about NETL’s role, visit their Technology Transfer webpage. From NETL News Release on January 20, 2016. March 2016 “New Tools to Monitor Carbon Storage Risks Released for Testing.” Simulation tools developed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)-led National Risk Assessment Partnership (NRAP) are under review by members of industry, regulatory agencies, universities, and other organizations, such as the