Comparison of two candidate hydrocarbon fields for a CO2 storage pilot in the Czech Republic

Summary Realisation of CO2 storage pilot projects is one of the necessary and logical steps towards the deployment of the CCS technology in Europe, especially in onshore locations. This paper provides an overview of the initial activities performed in this direction in the Czech Republic, focusing on the issue of site selection. Two candidate sites assessed so far for this purpose are compared – the LBr-1 abandoned oil and gas field in the Vienna basin and a nearly depleted but still producing Zar-3 field on the south–eastern slopes of the Bohemian Massif. The analysis of differences between the two structures considers the geological settings, reservoir lithology, status of technical facilities including abandoned and active wells, as well as possible conflicts of interests with nature and groundwater protection and regulatory issues. Pros and cons of each of the sites from the perspective of their suitability for CO2 storage are described.