Cost-Efficient Solution Separates Gas and Captures CO2 Offshore
Chris Carpenter_
This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper OTC 36132, “AquaCCUS: A Cost‑Efficient Gas‑Separation and CO2‑Capture Solution,” by Ying Guo, SPE, NORCE; Mark Davidson, The Tech Toybox; and Torbjoern Groenn, NORCE, et al. The paper has not been peer‑reviewed. Copyright 2026 Offshore Technology Conference.
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Gas separation and emission reduction in offshore environments poses a challenge because of limited platform space and access to renewable power, marine conditions, and safety considerations. A cost-effective solution is presented in this paper using an aqueous gas-separation system that uses a patented capture system, and which constitutes an entire carbon-capture value chain, in two offshore case studies.
Introduction
The capture system is simulated using a combination of industry-standard chemical-process models to design the flow system and to obtain high-level system efficiencies and a proprietary mass-transfer model that has been validated against empirical and experimental data.
Case 1 of this study focuses on CO2 capture from low-CO2-concentration flue gas from gas turbines on an offshore platform, combined with the option for carbonated-water (CW) injection back to the local reservoir, or to other nearby reservoirs, depending on the available water-injection system. The value chain can be established for a standalone field or in a cluster of fields with tie-ins where CW can be used for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) or for permanent storage, or both.
Case 2 explores the concept of using the highlighted aqueous gas-separation system to separate CO2 (or hydrogen sulfide) from oil or gas fields in natural gas production. Further cost savings are possible in this case because the gas is already pressurized in the subsurface reservoir. This is a cost-efficient and lower-risk solution for offshore (and onshore) gas separation.
The use of water as a solvent and the ability to suspend the entire system from a platform offers unique benefits in offshore capture scenarios. This study builds on earlier and recent research using CW for both EOR and permanent CO2 storage while also minimizing CO2 breakthrough to oil-production wells.
Case 1 Overview: CO2 Capture From Combined-Cycle Gas Turbines With Optional CW Injection
Many oil fields on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS) apply water injection to support reservoir energy preservation. Some fields have also applied gas and water-alternating-gas (WAG) injection. Reduction of greenhouse-gas emissions in oil and gas production is challenging in offshore settings because of limited platform space and the cost, safety, and environmental risks of adding chemical or membrane capture plants to offshore platforms. The case studies presented demonstrate an improved value chain for offshore emission reduction.