Wabamun Area CO2 Sequestration Project (WASP)

A University of Calgary-led project funded by an NSERC Strategic Grant and AERI with additional funding from industry partners.

Overview
The study will perform a comprehensive characterization of large-scale CO2 storage opportunities in the Wabamun area and analyze any potential risks. As a benchmark, the project will examine the feasibility of storing 20 million tonnes (Mt)-CO2/year for 50 years within 60 km by 90 km area extending south of the Wabamun area. This gigaton-scale storage project is one to two orders of magnitude larger than the commercial projects now under study. This research will fill a gap between the province-wide capacity estimates (which do not involve site-specific studies of flow and geomechanics etc.) and the detailed commercial studies of small CO2 storage projects currently underway. Unlike the commercial projects, this project is planned as a public non-confidential project led by the University of Calgary (U of C). The WASP Core Team is soley responsible for conducting the study and for its results.

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Press Release [click here]

Study Overview Poster - presented at the 9th International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies, November 2008 [click here]

FAQ's [click here]

Final Report (48M) [click here] / Individual Reports[click here]

Project Sponsors: Alberta Energy Research Institute (AERI), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), TransAlta Utilities Corporation, TransCanada Pipelines, ARC Energy Trust, Penn West Energy Trust, Capital Power Corporation, Enbridge Inc., ConocoPhillips Canada Resources Corp., Encana, StatOilHydro Canada Ltd., Total E&P Canada Ltd., Computer Modelling Group and Golder Associates.

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Kick off meeting, February 22, 2008

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Chris Eisinger, Research Associate (photo credit, Ken Bendiktsen, UofC)

Core Team

Stefan Bachu
Distinguished Scientist, CO2 Storage
Alberta Innovates - Technology Futures

Nigel Bankes
Professor of Law, University of Calgary
Nigel Bankes' web page

Jerry Jensen
Schulich Chair in Geostatistics; Professor Chemical and Petroleum Engineering; Adjunct Professor Geoscience
Jerry Jensen's web page

David Keith
Director, ISEEE Energy and Environmental Systems Group
Canada Research Chair and Professor Chemical and Petroleum Engineering
Professor Chemical and Petroleum Engineering
David Keith's website

Rob Lavoie
P. Eng. CalPetra Research and Consulting Inc.
Rob Lavoie's website

Don Lawton
Professor of Geophysics and Chair in Exploration Geophysics, Faculty of Science, Geoscience
Don Lawton's website

Yuri Leonenko
Assistant Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Waterloo

Bernhard Mayer
Professor of Isotope Geochemistry and Head of Applied Geochemistry group, Faculty of Science, Department of Geoscience
Bernhard Mayer's website

Runar Nygaard
Assistant Professor and Lester Birbeck Chair in Petroleum Engineering, Geological Sciences and Engineering, Missouri University of Science & Technology
Runar Nygaard's website

Tony Settari
PanCanadian/Petroleum Society Chair in Petroleum Engineering, Chemical & Petroleum Engineering; President Taurus reservoir solutions
Tony Settari's web page

Frank Stoakes
P. Geol., PhD., President - Stoakes Consulting Group Ltd.
Frank Stoakes' website