The Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) has awarded a carbon dioxide (CO2) appraisal and storage licence (CS licence) to Harbour Energy, boosting the drive to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
The licence will cover an area in the southern North Sea off the coast of Immingham in North East Lincolnshire. Harbour's proposal is to use the depleted Rotliegend gas fields, Viking and Victor, c.140km from the Lincolnshire coast to securely store the CO2 in deep geological formations c.9,000ft below seabed, and potentially utilise the Bunter Formation aquifer which could offer additional options to increase the future storage capacity of the project.
"The OGA’s decision to grant Harbour Energy a carbon storage licence is great news for the Humber and for the V Net Zero Humber Cluster. It is an essential milestone which comes at an exciting time for the project as we seek to remove more than 50% of existing industrial emissions in the Humber region," says Phil Kirk, President and Chief Executive Officer (Europe), Harbour Energy.