Centre to boost oil output opens in Capital

A CENTRE to develop expertise in North Sea oil recovery and carbon capture and storage has been opened in the Capital.

The Centre for North Sea Enhanced Oil Recovery with CO2 will aim to strengthen understanding of enhanced oil recovery technology which creates a commercial use for carbon dioxide captured from power plants and industry.

Launched by the First Minister at the All-Energy conference in Aberdeen, it is the result of a collaboration between Edinburgh University, Heriot-Watt University and the British Geological Survey.

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The technology could increase the amount of oil removed from North Sea reservoirs by between 5 per cent and 25 per cent. The centre will be funded by a variety of resources.

First Minister Alex Salmond said: “The central North Sea is the key European location for the storing of CO2 captured from fossil-fuel power stations and industrial emissions, and Scotland will be responsible for licensing potentially up to 50 per cent of all of Europe’s offshore geological storage.”