Qatar boost for climate research

The new laboratories form part of the Qatar Carbonates and Carbon Storage Research Centre at Imperial College London Shell, Qatar Petroleum (QP) and Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP) have opened the world’s largest suite of laboratories to research the storage of the greenhouse gas CO2 in carbonate rock formations. The new laboratories form part of the Qatar Carbonates and Carbon Storage Research Centre (QCCSRC ) at Imperial College London and are part of a $70mn, 10-year  partnership between  Shell, QP, QSTP and Imperial. The laboratories represent a significant step forward in the development of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) as a solution to climate change, by helping to build knowledge that can be used to unlock the vast CO2 storage potential of carbonate reservoirs.  Researchers at the laboratory will also analyse how liquids and gases move through carbonate rock to optimise oil and gas production. The research in the new laboratories will be the first in the world to utilise multi-scale X-Ray CT technology -  commonly used in hospitals to visualise internal structures of the body - alongside other state-of-the-art measurement and modelling techniques, to understand the way CO2 interacts with, and flows in, carbonate rock formations. With more than 50 researchers, including PhD students from Qatar, the new venture will create one of the largest university-based CCS research teams in the world. Currently in its fourth year of activity, QCCSRC conducts research in a range of science and engineering disciplines relevant to CCS. This involves experimental, theoretical and modelling activities working in close harmony and includes an unrivalled combination of experimentally validated models for thermo-physical fluid properties, multi-scale porous media flow and reaction experiments linked with pore/core-scale modelling and field scale reservoir simulation. The programme will operate internationally in both Qatar and the UK over the coming years with the main site ultimately located in Qatar and hosted at QSTP, which will provide state-of-the-art equipment and facilities. HE the Minister of Energy and Industry Dr Mohamed bin Saleh al-Sada said: “This is a proud moment for Qatar. Championing this significant research is a translation of the vision of HH the Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, to promote scientific research through partnerships with leading players in academia and industry. The creation of the lab is the outcome of a journey that started in 2008 and it is timely to see it bearing fruits today when climate change is coming under greater scrutiny.” From GT