Perenco advances to test phase following first CO2 injections offshore UK

Perenco UK has injected the first tonnes of CO₂ into a depleted reservoir as part of Poseidon, a carbon storage project in the Perenco-operated Leman gas field. 

This is the first time a CO₂ injection test, in support of carbon storage, has been conducted in UK waters, according to the North Sea Transition Authority.

Reaching first injection is a major operational, technical, and logistical achievement, Perenco said on its official LinkedIn account Feb. 11. 

The Poseidon joint venture will now advance the test phase to provide insights under varying CO₂ injection conditions. Results will inform development of the project, which could start permanently storing CO₂ from 2029, subject to regulatory consents.

The carbon storage license was awarded as part of UK’s first-ever carbon storage licensing round in 2023, allowing progression of the Poseidon project in the Southern North Sea sector of the UK Continental Shelf (OGJ Online, Aug. 14, 2023).

Leman offers a mixture of depleted gas reservoirs and saline aquifers in which to permanently store recovered CO₂. The project has the potential to significantly decarbonize East Anglia, Greater London, and the wider southeast UK. Initial CO₂ injection rates will be about 1.5 million tonnes/year (tpy), ramping up to 10 million tpy by 2030, and peaking at 40 million tpy by 2040.

The field is connected to the Perenco-operated Bacton Terminal, which will receive and process CO₂ offshore.

A final investment decision is expected in 2026.