The UK’s Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) has awarded Eni a carbon dioxide (CO2) appraisal and storage license that will allow Eni to reuse and repurpose depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs in the Liverpool Bay area of the East Irish Sea to permanently store CO2 captured in northwest England and North Wales. The UK license, the first of its kind for Eni, includes a 6-year appraisal term that allows assessments and planning that may lead to a subsequent application to the OGA for a storage permit and associated approvals required before any storage operations can begin.
The planned storage scheme will reuse reservoirs from the Hamilton, Hamilton North, and Lennox fields and associated infrastructure as part of a collaborative effort with industrial companies to capture and transport CO2 from existing industries and future hydrogen production sites for fuel switching, heating, power, and transportation for UK targets.
The licenses do not convey permission for development activities such as drilling and injection testing. These will require further consents from the OGA.
Commenting on the award, Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi and OGA Chief Executive Andy Samuel emphasized the project’s contribution to the UK’s 2050 net-zero ambitions and both organizations’ strong commitments to creating job opportunities and helping develop the economy of the region while putting the UK at the forefront of energy transition and decarbonization.
The OGA is the licensing authority for offshore carbon dioxide storage in the UK. It approves and issues CO2 storage and appraisal licenses and storage permits and maintains the carbon storage public register.