The DRISCO2Well Project
De-Risking CO2 storage Wells
Cement shear failure simulation results for a CO2 storage well
The DRISCO2Well project focuses on the development of advanced simulation tools to de-risk subsurface wells for CO2 geological storage. This project is led by Net-Zero Geosystems and funded by the UK Government’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
DRISCO2Well develops and validates technologies to accurately predict the integrity loss of wells over their lifetime. Resilient subsurface wells are essential to ensure the injected CO2 reaches the target geological reservoir safely and remains sealed indefinitely.
The comprehensive suite of tools developed by DRISCO2Well will enable the optimisation of new well designs for cost and safety and the assessment of existing wells for CO2 storage repurposing. By utilising these tools, stakeholders will access vital information to minimise the risk of integrity loss, protect against aquifer contamination, avoid injection pressure loss, and prevent potential well leaks into the atmosphere.
Well integrity interface for risk analysis (Joulin et al. 2021)
Well integrity experiments used for the validation of the DRISCO2Well simulation tools (Joulin et al. 2022)
Net-Zero Geosystems’ transparent and evidence-based approach will instil confidence in the safety of CO2 storage projects for regulatory bodies, the industry and the general public. The widespread use of the tools will lead to significant cost reduction, increase public acceptance and accelerate the deployment of commercial CO2 storage.
About the UK Government’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero provides dedicated leadership focused on delivering security of energy supply, ensuring properly functioning markets, greater energy efficiency and seizing the opportunities of net zero to lead the world in new green industries. The funding from the CCUS Innovation 2.0 programme awarded to Net-Zero Geosystems comes from the department’s £1 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio which provides funding for low-carbon technologies and systems and aims to decrease the costs of decarbonisation helping enable the UK to end its contribution to climate change.