In a distant age, when the earth was still young, a powerful goddess named Gaia ruled. Gaia was the guardian of the earth's innermost secret - the oil, the living blood of the earth itself. She ensured that its sources deep in the womb of the earth were well preserved. One day, however, curious Titans ventured into the depths of the earth to discover the secret of the oil.
They dug deep into the earth and disturbed the ancient layers that Gaia had so carefully nurtured. When the Titans reached the living blood of the earth, it burst forth like a mighty torrent. Gaia, enraged by this act, punished the Titans by imprisoning the oil in underground reservoirs. The sources of the oil were no longer to flow freely, but to wait patiently for the earth and its inhabitants to utilise them respectfully.
And here we are: The world's reserves of oil and gas have not dried up, even millennia later. Today we know that burning them produces a lot of greenhouse gas. If global warming is to remain within limits, the energy industry must therefore do without fossil fuels. However, green energies are not yet sufficient to ensure a global supply.
The capture and storage of carbon dioxide, summarised under the abbreviation CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage), is regarded as a crucial transitional technology on the path to climate neutrality. The technology aims to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) during oil and gas production and from industrial processes and store it safely in underground geological formations to prevent its release into the atmosphere. Empty oil and gas fields, deep layers of rock and former underground salt domes are used for this purpose.
During oil and gas production, however,CO2 injection can not only store unwanted carbon dioxide, but also contribute to an increased production volume of the oil-gas mixture. This is becauseCO2 acts as a propellant that can maintain the pressure in the reservoir.
BUTTING products forCO2 transport and storage
The Brazilian presalt reservoirs in the Atlantic Ocean are rich in oil and deep rock layers. In the course of its recent projects, BUTTING has already supplied clad pipes that are used for the purpose ofCO2 injection. These pipes must meet the specific requirements forCO2 transport, namely high corrosion resistance to carbon dioxide as well as high pressure and temperature resistance.
According to market studies, 40.8 million tonnes ofCO2 could already be safely returned to the ground by 2022 as part of the development of Brazil's oil reserves. By 2025, this amount is expected to have doubled to 80 million tonnes.
Marc Brauße, Head of the Clad Pipes business unit: "With our mechanically clad BuBi® and GluBi® pipes as well as our metallurgically clad products, we are the recognised market leader in the production of high-quality clad pipes for the transport of corrosive media, particularly for offshore applications. Our team is also strongly positioned in the area of innovation and is able to develop customised solutions in accordance with the latest standards and for new applications. Applications in the field of renewable energies or forCO2 storage are no exception."
So is undergroundCO2 storage a key technology for curbing climate change? Opinions are divided on this. Marc Brauße: "We seeCO2 injection into old oil and gas fields, for example, as a bridging technology during the transformation to a more climate-friendly society, which is available thanks to existing technologies and underground storage capacities for the safe storage of carbon dioxide. The industry is very experienced when it comes to highly technologised work under difficult conditions for challenging applications. We at BUTTING then guarantee to manufacture and deliver our products under sustainable conditions."
BUTTING - more than pipes - for a better quality of life
