Evaluation of risk assessment methodologies using the In Salah CO2 storage project as a case history

AbstractRisk assessment and management represent critical elements of developing a CO2 storage site and assuring its viability throughout the project lifetime. Risk assessment and management informs the selection of an appropriate storage site, establishing the requirements for project viability in the initial phases, and subsequently as part of the development process to mitigate possible events, and to plan appropriate surveillance with considered intervention options. It needs to be an effective communication tool that captures the complexities and uncertainties of the site to the satisfication of regulator and the public. We have used the In Salah CCS Project, a Joint Venture of BP, Sonatrach and Statoil, in providing a means of evaluating and benchmarking three Risk assessment methodologies to understand their strengths and to illustrate their power to elucidate the risks and the viability of the project. We hope to extend the use of the comprehensive In Salah dataset to benchmark other risk assessment methodologies.The three methods applied to the In Salah CCS Project are: the RISQUE QRA (Quantitative Risk Assessment) process, developed for CO2CRC (Bowden et al 2001, Bowden & Rigg, 2004); the Certification Framework developed for the CO2 Capture Project (CCP) (Oldenburg, Bryant and Nicot, 2009), and the Quantitative Risk Through Time Analysis (QRTT), a new approach to risk assessment developed within BP. Although the three methods have common elements, they also differ by philosophy and application in ways that provide insights to the whole storage process