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(Sharecast News) - Block Energy reported positive initial results from its phase one carbon capture and storage pilot in Georgia on Monday, with post-injection analysis confirming rapid and permanent mineralisation of injected carbon dioxide within the reservoir.
The AIM-traded company said third-party laboratory analysis and post-injection sampling showed that between 70% and 100% of the carbon dioxide injected during the pilot had mineralised into solid carbonate minerals within three months of injection, materially de-risking the storage mechanism.
It said the pilot injection took place in August at the PAT-49 well in the Patardzeuli field, where 13.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide and a tracer compound were injected into a Middle Eocene reservoir.
Monitoring involved four connected wells and was conducted in line with international carbon and mineralisation standards.
Block said no gaseous carbon dioxide was detected at surface, while independently analysed formation water samples showed tracer concentrations increasing as expected and dissolved carbon dioxide levels remaining low, indicating that the injected carbon dioxide had precipitated into solid minerals in situ, enabling permanent storage.
OPC, Block's technical adviser on the project, concluded that the monitoring data demonstrated between 70% and 100% mineralisation within three months post-injection, following geochemical interpretation of the results.
Block said the outcome provided a strong technical foundation for field-wide scale-up and the development of a commercialisation strategy.
Early-stage assessments suggest the Middle Eocene reservoir at Patardzeuli could store up to 151.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide through mineralisation on a mid-case basis.
The company said results from the pilot had exceeded expectations and significantly reduced technical risk.
It said the next phase would focus on refining storage capacity estimates, determining annual injection potential and seeking independent certification of permanent storage.
Block said it planned to review the phase one results with its joint venture partner, Rustavi Azot, a subsidiary of Indorama Corporation, to define the scope and sequencing of phase two activity, subject to further approvals.
The company said it also intended to progress independent validation and certification of the storage and to evaluate potential commercialisation pathways, including third-party storage solutions and possible integration opportunities with Rustavi Azot.
"These results are a major technical milestone for Block. Post-injection sampling and third-party laboratory analysis has confirmed rapid and permanent mineralisation of carbon dioxide in the reservoir, materially de-risking the project and enabling us to take the next steps toward development and commercialisation," said Paul Haywood, chief executive of Block Energy.
"Mineralisation provides a fundamentally different and higher-integrity form of storage as compared with conventional CCS and delivers permanent storage without the reliance on long-term trapping mechanisms.
"Our field is very well located for commercialisation, being within Georgia's industrial heartland and having a significant brownfield surface and subsurface infrastructure, which can be repurposed.
"We're therefore very excited to begin work on phase two and what could become a material asset for the company."
At 1111 GMT, shares in Block Energy were down 6.24% at 0.75p.
Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com.