Drilling commences at CMC Field Research Station

Yesterday, 25th February 2015, drilling commenced at CMC Research Institute‘s Containment and Monitoring Institute (CaMI) and the University of Calgary’s Field Research Station (FRS#1).

When completed in early 2016 the field research station (FRS) will be the first of its kind in the world with injection of small volumes of CO₂ at an intermediate depth, simulating release into a subcritical geological horizon. The project will help lower the cost of carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects for reducing Western Canadian industrial greenhouse gas emissions, particularly in the energy sector, and to accelerate commercialization opportunities in international markets.

Over the past year, particularly around GHGT-12 in Austin, the UKCCSRC has been in discussions with CMC to explore future collaboration opportunties and access for UK researchers to the FRS#1. The UKCCSRC aims to support this work through an upcoming call of the International Research Collaboration Fund.