Subsurface maturation in a saline aquifer CCS project development. Experience from the Northern Lights project, offshore Norway

The Northern Lights full-scale commercial CO 2 transport and storage project is open to multi-industry capture plants, in a business still under development. The geological sequestration concept of a sloping saline aquifer raised several subsurface challenges related to timeline, data availability and development constrains, which all affected the decision process. The subsurface focus on storage security required the different disciplines to perform adjustments to the established workflows available from the hydrocarbon industry. A risk management-focused approach, front-end loading and early emphasis on containment were paramount. Here we share the experience from the Northern Lights subsurface maturation process and highlight the crucial contribution from the different disciplines in a challenging new industry.