Subsurface Evaluation of CCS and Unconventional Risks (SECURe) has gathered unbiased, impartial scientific evidence for risk mitigation and monitoring for environmental protection to underpin subsurface geoenergy development. The research outputs of SECURe have been distilled into a set of recommendations for good practice for unconventional hydrocarbon production and geological CO2 storage; and some of these are applicable to other novel energy technologies (e.g. geothermal exploitation; subsurface energy storage). The project was active between 2018 and 2021.
The project has developed monitoring and mitigation strategies for the full geoenergy project lifecycle; an important foundation to the project was a bow-tie risk assessment of Unconventional Hydrocarbon exploitation and CCS, which assessed plausible hazards and environmental monitoring strategies. An associated program of experimental research and advanced technology development was completed, partly demonstrated at commercial and research facilities; this has advanced innovative techniques (e.g. down-hole samplers and analytical method and model development), and the dataset underpins good practice recommendations. There has been close interaction with stakeholder groups throughout the project; this has been important in the development of monitoring and mitigation strategies relevant to operators and regulators, and in the development of communication strategies to provide a greater level of understanding of the potential impacts.
The SECURe partnership comprised major research and commercial organisations from countries that host shale gas and CCS industries at different stages of operation (from permitted to closed). A major outcome of the project was the establishment of the International Platform for Environmental Monitoring, a forum for research groups and others with an interest in the sustainable and environmentally sensitive development associated with subsurface energy exploitation.
Project objectives have been met by:
1. Formulation and development of a bowtie risk-assessment framework and monitoring and mitigation strategies for the full geo-energy project lifecycle
2. Generation of a technical research base, from which main pieces of disseminated output were developed and built upon as a series of ‘good practice’ guidelines
3. 10 research methods and new technologies within the project have been identified to have potential for innovation
4. New methods for remediation of potential environmental impacts of geo-energy projects to reduce leakage from wells or naturally occurring permeable pathways have been developed
5. The project has developed good practice guidelines in environmental baseline assessment and monitoring
6. We have progressed the development of tailor-made strategies for stakeholder engagement through participatory monitoring and established European and world-wide networks for growing and supporting expertise in environmental monitoring for subsurface monitoring for subsurface geo-energy projects
7. We have formed a durable international partnership with non-European groups; providing international access to study sites, creating links between projects and increasing our collective capability through exchange of scientific staff (e.g. instigation of the International Platform for Environmental Monitoring).
