Monday 9 September 2024

New technology to seal 100,000 methane leaks

New technology developed by Heriot-Watt University, with £75,000 in funding from advisory body Scottish Enterprise, can help seal 100,000 methane-leaking wells within the next decade.

The technology uses a fast and efficient chemical injection method that transforms permeable rocks into a solid, permanent seal of insoluble minerals.

It could prevent millions of tonnes of harmful greenhouse gas emissions being released into the atmosphere every year.

Existing methods of sealing leaks have the potential to miss small cracks. This new methods, however, can infiltrate even the smallest pores and cracks offering a more effective sealing method for both shallow onshore and deeper offshore wells.

Dr Oleg Ishkov, Lead Researcher at Heriot-Watt University’s School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society said: 'Using existing methods, research suggests it would take over 300 years to plug millions of at-risk wells on the planet. Our technology offers a radical new solution by transforming porous rocks into impermeable barriers, locking harmful gases underground for millennia.

'With Scottish Enterprise's funding, we're now poised to advance our research. It has also allowed us to add two commercial champions to the team in the form of expert advisors.'

The technology could also have some broader applications, including enabling safe carbon and large scale hydrogen storage.