Carbon management in general and carbon capture, utilization and storage in particular constitute a huge and growing area of interest in the oil and gas industry, but if the overwhelming and unexpected turnout to the first CCUS Latin America Conference is any indication, it might be bigger than anyone imagined.
“Stronger together” was the resounding theme of the event, held in Rio de Janeiro May 22-23.
Co-owned by AAPG, the Society of Petroleum Engineers and the Society of Exploration Geophysicists and operated by AAPG, the CCUS event started in Houston in 2020 and has experienced exponential growth since its inception.
Claudio Ziglio, CCUS manager at state-owned Petrobras, was inspired by the success of the U.S. event and encouraged by Brazil’s potential, and so volunteered to serve as SPE program co-chair for a Latin America-based event in 2024.
Eleine Vence, low carbon technologies geologist at ConocoPhilips, and Frederico Miranda, exploration, reservoir and low carbon technologies director at Eneva, joined as program co-chairs for SEG and AAPG, respectively, and Natalia Weber, director and co-founder of CCUS Brasil, coordinated the panel sessions and topical luncheons.
Exceeding Expectations
The multidisciplinary, cross-regional program committee built a robust technical program with oral and poster sessions, plenaries, luncheons and short courses. They hoped to attract a multidisciplinary group of professionals interested in honing their skills in a new field. None of them expected such an overwhelming response from attendees.
Addressing a standing room-only audience at the opening ceremony, Miranda acknowledged the overflowing hallways and ballrooms and the fact that the group had outgrown the venue.
“When we started this, we were planning to have a workshop with 50-100 people,” he said, “Now we have 430 registered.”
The number grew to nearly 500 by the second day.
Participants credit CCUS Latin America’s success with three factors: the timing of the event in Brazil and Latin America, the multidisciplinary approach to carbon management, and engagement from a broad sector of societies.
Multisociety Support
In addition to the three sponsoring organizations, SPE, AAPG and SEG, and endorsing organization the Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts, who support the U.S.-based event, the CCUS Latin America received support from three host societies, The Brazilian Association of Petroleum Geologists and Geophysicists, the Brazilian Geophysical Society and the SPE Brazil Section, and two first-time supporting organizations, CCS Brasil and the Society for Low Carbon Technologies.
Society for Low Carbon Technologies representative and technical program committee member Alessandra Simone said she could not be happier with the event’s results.
“The first CCUS Latin America Conference was packed with hope, innovation and a drive to accelerate CCUS deployment as an effective carbon management strategy,” she said. “It exceeded all expectations as it drew more than double the anticipated number of attendees, bringing together a wide spectrum of stakeholders, including government representatives, industry leaders and specialists, academics and a vibrant group of young professionals.”
Attendee and exhibitor Marylena Garcia, head of sustainability at Ryder Scott, described Brazil as an ideal location for the first CCUS Latin America event.
“There is an unmistakable momentum building within Latin America, particularly in Brazil, to advance CCUS technologies. This momentum seems unstoppable and indicates that Brazil, and by extension other parts of Latin America, are poised to pioneer new frontiers in carbon management,” she said.
“Brazil is positioned as a key player in the deployment of CCUS in Latin America, leveraging over a decade of experience in CO2 floods in offshore fields, a very mature renewable sector,” she added.
Garcia noted how the November 2023 special committee approval of Brazil’s Ministry of Mines and Energy Bill 1425/2022, helps Brazil forward in becoming the first South American country with CCUS legislation.
A Cross-Sectoral Path
Speakers from the regional industry and regulatory agencies Petrobras, the National Agency for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP) and the Oil, Natural Gas and Biofuel Studies, Energy Research Office (EPE) addressed the Brazilian context during the opening ceremony, and special sessions dedicated to carbon markets, case studies and regional CCUS deployment complimented the technical sessions covering subsurface storage, injection, risk assessment, monitoring and technological advances and methodologies.
A petroleum engineer who has worked on carbon storage projects for two decades, Simone said she appreciated how the importance of cross-sectoral paths for decarbonization was central to conference themes.
“Discussions leveraged on the most advanced CCUS technology, policy and regulatory knowledge, but more importantly, the conference was tailored to the region, offering a unique cross-sectoral outlook with an emphasis in biofuels, social license and community contribution,” she said.
“The program and resulting discussions gave this conference a unique flavor that represents the culture and governance in Latin America.”
Lessons from Unconventionals
As with most conferences, many CCUS Latin America attendees benefitted from informal discussions as much as they did from attending the sessions.
Robert Patterson, who spent three decades working on subsurface characterization for conventional and unconventional reservoirs throughout the Americas, had multiple conversations with colleagues who, like him, have transitioned from the unconventional sector to the CCUS sector and are determined to avoid repeating past mistakes.
“The desire to transfer best practices from not just CCUS, but also the management of unconventionals as a specific industry sector, draws analogue lessons that would accelerate the learning curve,” he said.
Patterson provided several examples of how the unconventional resources experience informs work with CCUS:
- Risk mitigation in CCUS has a much higher priority need than historical unconventional development.
- Managing uncertainty and proper calibration through data acquisition and measurements is key. Sparse suitable analogue data may be sufficient for initial subsurface injection assessment, but in-situ demonstration is an absolute requirement for the permanence of projects. “We will be held to higher standards that will require time-lapse measurements and models that integrate the UI system,” he said.
- Completion and injection management understanding requires an extension of traditional skillsets. Developing the right standards is key to ensure success with the recognition that CCUS must leverage on two decades of specific CO2 disposal injection experience.
- Regulation alignment must be proactive, not reactive.
Preparing Future Generations
The CCUS Latin America event provided multiple opportunities for experienced professionals to interact with the next generation of energy industry leaders.
Steve Walkinshaw, vice president of geoscience at Strategic Biofuels, said he enjoyed interacting with students and young professionals at the event in Rio.
In addition to participating in a plenary panel session and giving a technical presentation, Walkinshaw was also one of a group of mentors who spoke at the CCUS Student and Young Professionals “Future Forward” forum, a session open not only to conference participants but also to students and young professionals in the Rio area.
“As CCUS veterans and subject matter experts, we were provided the opportunity to share our career stories, experience and wisdom with a large group of young and aspiring professionals whose career paths focus on CCUS projects,” he said. “We discussed the CCUS value chain, with a strong emphasis on professional integrity and ethics. I appreciated the opportunity to meet personally with many of the students, answer questions, and learn about each attendee’s career aspirations.”
Future Events
Before the event in Rio concluded, many attendees approached organizers to request information about future events. Descriptions of CCUS Latin America 2024 evolved from “event” or “workshop” to “inaugural conference.”
Ziglio, who attended with 120 colleagues from Petrobras, described the turnout as a “a wonderful surprise” and said he has been asked by many people about the next edition.
Miranda said he was thankful for an “amazing two days of technical presentations and networking.”
“This was an amazing start, with undeniable interest from the whole industry, government, industry and academia,” he said.
Vence, a two-year member of the United States CCUS Committee and witness to the event’s success in Houston, said “The CCUS Latin America event will only grow from here.”
Simone said the overwhelming turnout demonstrated the growing interest, readiness level and commitment to advancing CCUS initiatives in Latin America.
“The conference served as an energetic platform for networking and forging new partnerships, fostering a spirit of collaboration essential for driving progress with a valuable exchange of insights and best practices,” she said. “The success of the inaugural conference has set a promising precedent for future gatherings, signaling a bright future for CCUS in the region.”
Ziglio said connections made during the conference will help to build the future of carbon management in Latin America and beyond.
“I believe a good conference doesn’t end with the last presentation; it continues through the formation of new networks, partnerships, and business opportunities. I am confident that CCUS Latin America achieved this goal,” he said. “I congratulate the organizing committee for their dedication and belief in making this event a success and fostering key discussions on this crucial technology.”