Northern Lights project

NORTHERN LIGHTS PROJECT

The Northern Lights project is a multi-partner and government effort aiming to develop the first large scale industrial Carbon Capture & Storage project in Europe.

DIEGO'S ROLE

Only Subsurface Shell representative and coordinator seconded into the Subsurface team.

Project representative before Norwegian authorities.

Successfully shaped the selection, appraisal and maturation of a suitable geological CO2 storage site, which was instrumental in enabling a quality Final Investment Decision by the 3 partners Shell, Total and Equinor, only weeks after an Exploratory well was drilled.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Integrated hands-on technical skills in geology and geophysics with subsurface workflows to appraise and develop CO2 storage resources from prospective to marketable volumes.

Assessment of geological storage safety and containment risks, leading to a risk-based and cost-effective Measure, Monitoring and Validation (MMV) plan.

Demonstrated influencing skills by steering the multi-partner subsurface team, whenever required, to meet subsurface maturation standards and process safety requirements.

Demonstrated influence on the venture to recognize the initially selected storage site did not fit with the business objective to build a scalable CCS business for Europe.

Demonstrated influence on the venture to recognize the need for an Exploratory well (300+m water depth) in the newly selected storage site and decision to mature it.

Actively engaged Norwegian government representatives (NPD) to impact key decisions on authorities policies and requirements to grant permits to operate.

Championed exchange of knowledge between all partners, incl. governmental authorities.

Shel International Development Conference - NOV influencers of the year award 2019.

Without formal authority, influenced decisions in complex multi-partners / authorities engagements resulting in a successful FID endorsed by the 3 partners.

As the only Shell subsurface secondee in the Northern Lights project team (NBD – NOV setting), I directly contributed to reshape the project by influencing and ensuring alignment with partners and other stakeholders, including the Norwegian authorities.

Implementing Agile techniques, coordinated subsurface input to submission to authorities of the Northern Lights Permit to Develop and Operate (PDO). Ensured clarity on how authorities’ requirements were honored by the technical work carried out.

Implementation of an Equinor proprietary semi-automated ‘’Fast Modelling Update (FMU)’’ workflow to build Static and Dynamic reservoir models in an iterative manner to build probabilistic analyses of storage capacity, injectivity and CO2 plume migration.