oa Carbon Storage Screening Study of Southeast Asia: A Case Study from Offshore Sarawak

Southeast Asia has become well-positioned as an emerging hotspot for Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). Recent regulatory initiatives and public funding incentives are helping to kickstart CCS activity in the region. However, one of the biggest barriers facing CCS rollout in this region is the lack of information on the total availability of carbon storage resources, both onshore and offshore, and covering both depleted oil and gas fields and saline aquifers.

CGG’s Southeast Asia carbon storage screening study has evaluated 58 basins across Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Brunei. For this, a 3-phase approach is used to exclude unsuitable basins, rank the remaining basins and finally, the highest scoring basins have their plays inventorized, mapped and ranked. To demonstrate the successful application of this methodology, a case study of one of the key basins analyzed will be presented (Offshore Sarawak Basin, Malaysia). Comparisons drawn between the Offshore Sarawak Basin, and other basins in the area, will also be discussed.

This screening study will help Southeast Asia realize its carbon storage potential in the near term and help accelerate the region’s CCS activities. In a transitional landscape where time is pressing, this will allow CO2 emissions pledges to be met sooner.