Note in the Mercado Aberto column alerts to the need of finding a use for pre-salt natural gas
This Tuesday, May 22, journalist Maria Cristina Frias published a note on natural gas in her Mercado Aberto column, on the UOL site. She states that the extraction of petroleum from the pre-salt fields could slow down, if the large quantities of natural gas associated with the wells are not made useful. According to the note, projections by the petroleum industry indicate that the problem could become more serious as of 2023, making it necessary to establish a plan for using or storing pre-salt natural gas. See the full note here: https://bit.ly/2KHQJZ2
The Scientific Director of the FAPESP Shell Research Centre for Gas Innovation (RCGI), Júlio Meneghini, reminds that among the 46 projects of the RCGI portfolio (see them here) there are several that have the potential for resolving the dilemma pointed out by the journalist. “Using salt caves for storing and separating CO2 and CH4 was conceived and patented within the RCGI framework and can be a solution for the problem presented by the newspaper, for example,” he stated.
He is referring to a technology that has been studied by the RCGI and consists of excavating huge caves in the salt layer that comes just before the pre-salt reservoirs, for storing CO2, as well as CH4 (the main component of natural gas). Cave technology is already in use by other countries, like the U.S., to store natural gas and petroleum.
The RCGI was founded some two years ago as a research center financed by the Foundation for Research Support of the State of São Paulo (FAPESP) and by Shell. It currently has a portfolio of 45 research projects, divided into four programs: Engineering; Physicochemical; Energy and Economy Policies; and CO2 abatement. It is one of the main research centers supported by Shell, worldwide.