Sasol Integrated Report 2024 - Book - Page 81
INTRODUCTION
ABOUT SASOL
STRATEGIC OVERVIEW
BUSINESSES
ESG
REMUNERATION REPORT
DATA AND ASSURANCE / ADMINISTRATION
ENVIRONMENT continued
CLIMATE CHANGE
continued
Carbon capture and storage
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is an important technology
for reducing global GHG emissions, especially in industries
with significant hard-to-abate emissions. The South African
Council for Geosciences (CGS) previously identified substantial
CO2 storage potential in geological sites in Mpumalanga,
where most of the country’s emissions originate.
PANDE-4 UPDATE
The Pande-4 site remains under close
supervision, ensuring security, community
engagement and thorough data collection.
Current findings affirm the site’s stability,
with a slight decrease in the volumes of fluids
released at Pande-4.
In 2023, R&T partnered with CGS to develop the first CCS pilot
injection at the Leandra site, adjacent to Secunda Operations.
The initial phase (2016 to 2024) involved site investigations,
environmental permits, geological assessments and an
engineering evaluation of CO2 storage potential. Results
revealed two separate storage formations with a geological
capacity of approximately 1 gigaton of CO2.
Satellite surveillance, conducted bi-monthly
through GHGSat, totalled 49 sessions up to
June 2024, revealing a modest dip in methane
emissions to approximately 36 tons per day –
equivalent to 310 ktpa CO2e, consistent with
2023’s disclosures. The precision of these
measurements has been enhanced by a newly
installed local weather station.
Sasol is collaborating closely with CGS to create a roadmap
for the pilot plant programme (phase 2), aiming to confirm
sequestration potential and the establishment of a funding
strategy. Additionally, we are advocating for favourable
national regulatory changes to facilitate CCS development.
Surface deformation monitoring through
satellite data has not raised any significant
concerns for Pande-4.
Expected regional subsidence is occurring at a
rate of 4 mm/year, typical for active reservoirs.
Environmental assessments, including air, soil
vapour and water testing, have been conducted
bi-annually, presenting varied results without
discernible patterns or specific emission
sources.
A subsurface model, integrating key gas-bearing
strata, has been developed to investigate
potential pathways for gas surfacing postblowout.
Preliminary insights suggest the blowout may
have forged connections between reservoirs,
leading to leaks into the uppermost layers and
eventually the surface. The model indicates that
extracting from higher-pressure reservoirs
might reduce emissions. Nonetheless, the effect
of the aquifer, reservoir compartmentalisation
and other shallow gas-charged zones is not yet
fully understood. Further work continues on
these aspects.
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