The CO2CRC Otway pilot project is the world’s largest research and geosequestration demonstration project. It aims to demonstrate the safety and security of the transport, injection and storage of carbon dioxide – the world’s most common greenhouse gas – in the deep subsurface.

Process Group developed the overall method for the geosequestration (carbon capture) facility and supplied the gas processing equipment for the project, which exploits a novel technology that prevents the formation of solids and allows the re-injection of carbon dioxide in its super critical state.

Process Group Managing Director Dugan believes that this is the first time the specific technology has been used anywhere in the world. “This process could substantially reduce the cost of future geosequestration projects, thereby improving the competitiveness of carbon capture,” he said.

Since April 2008 CO2 rich gas from a natural well has been processed and compressed to a fluid-like state, piped, injected and stored two kilometres underground in a depleted natural gas field, where the rocks had previously held natural gas, possibly for millions of years.

The site is subject to what international and national scientists believe to be one of the most comprehensive monitoring programs of its type. Via the monitoring well, adjacent to the injection well, researchers track the behaviour of carbon dioxide in the storage reservoir using sophisticated geophysical and geochemical techniques. Soil, groundwater, and atmospheric monitoring complement the subsurface activities.

Mr Dugan said the company has been working on CCS technologies for a number of years in collaboration with major industry and research organisations.

“Process Group is proud to be part of the first ever injection and storage of carbon dioxide into deep geological structures in Australia that is currently taking place in south western Victoria”.

For the past 30 years Process Group has supplied packaged process systems and complete process trains to a number of industries throughout Australia, Asia and the Middle East including oil and gas, petrochemical, and power generation.