Spirit Energy is maturing plans for the conversion of its Morecambe Bay gas hub into a net zero cluster of national scale and importance. To support those plans, Quintessa has conducted a preliminary subsurface risk and hazard assessment contributing to Spirit Energy’s application for a Carbon Dioxide Appraisal and Storage (CS) Licence for the Morecambe Bay area.
The theoretical capacity of the depleted Morecambe gas fields has been estimated at 1 Gt of CO2 and the hub infrastructure includes offshore platforms, pipelines, and an onshore terminal and associated connection to the National Transmission System – all of which have reuse potential in a net zero future. Spirit Energy is therefore aiming to create an investable and sustainable net zero cluster centred around Barrow-in-Furness and the Morecambe Bay gas fields in the East Irish Sea. In order to explore and use the Morecambe Bay for the long-term CO2 storage, Spirit Energy must apply for and hold a CS licence, issued by the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA).
Aligned with the current Guidance on the application for a CS Licence, Quintessa supported Spirit Energy in conducting a preliminary subsurface risk and hazard assessment which included analysis of primary and secondary containment and injection risks for the South Morecambe field. This also included a discussion of potential studies and monitoring that may be required to mitigate any risks identified and reduce the inherent uncertainties. The assessment involved making judgements based on multiple lines of evidence and provides confidence that planned volumes of CO2 to be injected at the planned rate can be permanently contained in the South Morecambe field. Some residual uncertainties remain and these will be reduced in future stages of the containment risk assessment (CRA) upon completion of the work programme aimed at gathering new data, performing additional modelling studies, and developing mitigation plans.
Using the information provided by Quintessa and combining it with other key information required by the Guidance, Spirit Energy applied for a CS licence as part of the first ever carbon storage licensing round issued by NSTA. Spirit Energy was offered the licence for award earlier in 2023, and Quintessa is committed to support Spirit Energy in fulfilling the requirements set out in the CS licence, which will involve assessing all the risks pertinent to injection, capacity and containment, and identifying the preventions and mitigations for each event in order to finalise the CRA. This will allow Spirit Energy to apply for a storage permit and support its strategy to explore strategic energy transition opportunities from existing assets.