The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Magnus platform could be geothermal powered
EnQuest’s Magnus platform has potential to be powered by geothermal energy if converted for carbon capture and storage (CCS), a study has found.
The project, launched in 2022 as a geothermal test by EnQuest, Ceraphi Energy and the Net Zero Technology Centre (NZTC) has published its findings.
The document also confirmed that EnQuest (LON: ENQ) is considering repurposing the Magnus platform for CCS as a “hub”, having won licences for CCS last year – one of which being for the namesake field.
It said the 40-year-old platform has “the most significant potential for decarbonising all of the platform power demands assuming Magnus would be reconfigured as a CCS hub as indicated during discussions with EnQuest”.
It added however that further evaluation and study would be needed on specific details of the change of use, namely “on the potential to utilise the produced water, reconfigured wells or a cross-reservoir system”.
The study also recommend scoping out other potential candidates offshore for using oil and gas for geothermal.
“Based on the potential for Magnus and considering the wider potential for carbon free power from geothermal sources within the UKCS it is felt studies would be worthwhile.
“Many of the characteristics found within Magnus that have limited the scope for increasing geothermal power on that platform may not be the case with others.
“The key characteristics would be high well temperatures, larger diameter well tubulars, availability of suspended wells or free well slots and less congested topsides.”
Geothermal energy is heat taken from the earth’s subsurface, contained within rocks and fluids.