Carbon capture and sequestration is the process of capturing waste carbon dioxide (CO2) from large sources, such as power plants, and then storing and depositing it underground where it will not enter the atmosphere. As the largest of its kind in the Middle East, our first carbon capture and enhanced oil recovery pilot project demonstrates our commitment to proactively address environmental issues.

Led by our EXPEC Advanced Research Center, this pilot will capture 40 million standard cubic feet per day of CO2 at the Hawiyah gas recovery plant and then pipe it 85 km to the ‘Uthmaniyah field. At ‘Uthmaniyah, we plan to inject 800,000 tons of CO2 every year into flooded oil reservoirs under high pressure to enhance oil recovery. Two observation wells will then measure how much of the injected CO2 will remain sequestered in the reservoir.

Near the ‘Uthmaniyah field, a new stand-alone high-pressure production trap, a new compressor and associated facilities for handling highly concentrated CO2 production streams have been built. At this gas-oil separation plant, called GOSP, our engineers will monitor the produced fluids and ensure that as much of the CO2 as possible remains sequestered. This is examined through various methods, including seismic monitoring, electromagnetic surveys, borehole and surface gravity. It is estimated that 40% of the CO2 will remain permanently sequestered.

This pilot is part of our Carbon Management Technology Road Map, which was developed with the main objective to reduce the company’s CO2 emissions.