The Design Characterization of Offshore Carbon Sequestration Marine Units

Large-scale carbon capture and sequestration is confronted by a multitude of factors, both technical and financial in nature. Of these issues, the challenge of long-term storage solutions remains at the forefront – and especially when an economically viable solution is desired. Subsea depleted reservoirs and saline aquifers have been proposed as potential solutions for this problem. This paper details the development of a design space characterization for the offshore carbon sequestration (OCS) problem, where the trade-offs between potential solution parameters are examined and significant variables to the decision-making process are identified. This has been completed without the constraint of geographical location, and identifies the data required to analyze a specific region of interest. A case study is presented where the characterization is applied to a proposed floating storage and injection unit (FSIU) which has been carried through a preliminary design. Through the case study, the benefits of developing a design space characterization for complex problems are clearly shown – as the design was executed on schedule, with limited prior experience, and with no emergent design failures.