Sleipnerprojekti

Sleipnerprojekti, or the Sleipner CO2 Storage Project, is a pioneering carbon capture and storage (CCS) operation in the Norwegian North Sea, offshore Norway, at the Sleipner gas field. Initiated in 1996, CO2 separated from natural gas processed at the Sleipner A platform is injected into the deep saline Utsira Formation, roughly 1,000 meters below the seabed. The project is operated by Statoil—now Equinor—with participation from research institutions and government partners, and it serves as a demonstration of permanent CO2 storage as a climate-change mitigation technology.

The CO2 is injected through subsea wells and remains trapped by the regional geologic structure, with long-term containment supported by ongoing monitoring. Monitoring techniques include seismic surveys, well logging, and pressure data to track the CO2 plume and ensure containment. The Sleipner project is widely cited as the world’s first commercial CCS project and remains one of the longest-running CCS operations.

In impact terms, the project has provided extensive operational experience and scientific data that have informed CCS development, policy discussions, and other storage initiatives worldwide. It represents an early, enduring demonstration of storing anthropogenic CO2 in a deep saline aquifer and has influenced Norway’s climate and energy strategy as well as international CCS research and deployment efforts.