Feasibility Study of Conversion of Old Production Facility in Depleted Gas Field to CCS Facility Through International Joint Research with the Netherlands - Case Study

Abstract The objective of this study is to ascertain the capital expenditure (CAPEX) and operating expenditure (OPEX) associated with the reuse of existing facilities. To this end, a joint research initiative has been launched with the Netherlands, which is engaged in a comparable Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS) project in the East Sea. The aim is to identify potential cost savings for the CCS project currently being prepared in South Korea. Among the numerous CCS projects currently underway globally, the Netherlands' CCS initiatives and the South Korean East Sea CCS project exhibit notable similarities. Both employ depleted gas fields submerged in the seabed as storage reservoirs and repurpose existing gas production facilities for CCS applications. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of a range of CCS project scenarios, including the potential for new installations, the reuse of existing gas production facilities, the suitability of different storage reservoirs (such as depleted gas fields or saline aquifers), the distance to injection wells, and the most appropriate transportation methods (such as pipelines or ships). In conclusion, it was demonstrated that the cost of recycling existing facilities could be reduced by more than 20% in comparison to the cost of new installations. Furthermore, it was established that pipeline transportation is more economically viable than shipping. Ultimately, a strategy for CCS projects utilizing depleted gas fields was developed through economic evaluation and comparative analysis. Given that all gas fields are ultimately depleted, this paper can provide variables, information, and cost-effective feasibility studies for engineers who intend to undertake follow-up projects involving the storage of carbon dioxide using old production facilities in depleted gas fields.