Richard Metcalfe attended the conference and gave a presentation on the importance of using multiple lines of evidence in the containment risk assessment (CRA) for underground storage of CO₂. Such an assessment involves making judgements about risks based on multiple lines of evidence, and presenting the outcomes to a range of stakeholders, including regulators.

A structured approach was presented, based on a combination of scenarios, decision trees, bowties and risk matrices. See Figure 1. Using real-world examples, the approach was illustrated by showing how it has been used previously to assess the risk of CO₂ leakage from wells, including those that are part of a CCUS project or legacy wells unrelated to the project.

There is a growing international consensus that CCUS will be necessary to expedite a cost-effective transition to a net zero carbon emitting economy and it will require an effective and transparent CRA for any proposed CO₂ storage site.

Quintessa is committed in continually building its existing expertise and knowledge in the sustainable utilisation of the subsurface by providing a leading-edge scientific input and consultancy to facilitate a low carbon future.

Figure 1: A structured approach to a Containment Risk Assessment for Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage