Our WAPPS technology
A patented, modular system that traps and neutralises pollutants at the well — protecting aquifers, soil and atmosphere.
Protecting precious resources.
WAPPS combats fugitive emissions and water contamination originating from conventional or unconventional energy extraction processes, including operations with fracking. Annsca’s technology protects precious resources and promotes carbon capture.
Decommissioning usually involves remediating the surface around the well pad and plugging and abandoning the well, but structural problems often occur below the surface and below the surface capping. A solution capable of reaching leaks at great depths is required, especially where these occur below the water table (aquifer).
Our WAPPS is a unique modular system. Using nanotechnology, we optimise the contaminant extraction process. A mixture of nano-compositions is specifically designed to trace and capture any pollutant, and to absorb and neutralise it to prevent leakage into the aquifer, soil, ground surface and atmosphere.
To implement WAPPS, we may use reverse circulation drilling to achieve a larger well section that includes a specialised drill string (drill rod pipe, heavy duty stabiliser, heavy duty space pipe, drum stabiliser, drill bit). This is useful for deeper reserves and more difficult to access gas, making it suitable for various underground containment of contaminants.
The drill can achieve a depth of 500 to 600 metres, and then works as follows:
- The water column outside the drill string is pushed down by atmospheric pressure.
- External air pipes provide compressed air that is injected into the drill string above the drill bit. This reduces the density of the fluid.
- The water outside the drill string then flows down past the tip of the drill bit and into the intake pipe.
- The drill spoils, consisting of drilled cuttings, water and air, rise inside the drill string pipe and are discharged into a containment system or through an alternate disposal method.
Each WAPPS-enabled rig includes:
- Specialised drill string
- Water treatment tank
- Proprietary external case and bell collector (with pollutant sensors)
- Captor 2-S6000 (different media for specific wells & geological formations)
- Captor 1-S3000 (dedicated fracking fluid collection)
- Nanotech 1-9000 (different media for specific wells & geological formations)
- Vacuum system (where needed)
Through this engineering process, WAPPS utilises double containment know-how with various nanotech reactors specifically designed to trap pollutants by absorptive processes in-situ.
More effective decommissioning of wells at their end of life will help avoid potential environmental legacy effects and help support our domestic gas industry. It is anticipated that in most cases we will be able to cost-effectively remediate old leaking wells at minimal cost.
System integration
Annsca’s technology does not actively alter the way in which oil/gas or geothermal industries operate. Instead, WAPPS adapts our solution to existing drilling practices to capture pollutants.
Our technology has been designed to work within existing drilling and well head practices, minimising disruption and reducing imposts on existing procedures. Every gas well is unique, and our system will be able to adapt to the environmental challenges that each well presents.
Each well behaves differently, as it depends on the type of well and the quantity of pollutants that leak from it. Our modular approach allows us to customise the absorptive reactor system to optimally extract pollutants from each well to minimise the impact on the environment.
Annsca’s WAPPS is a modular system that is inserted into the well (with modifications on drilling up to a certain depth) and can be adapted to work in any scenario. It can also be configured and adapted to multiple wells.
The WAPPS modules purify collected fluids by concentrating useful minerals such as Lithium, Tungsten, Gadolinium, Thulium and Neodymium, which can also be commercialised to generate additional revenue, as well as minerals such as uranium that may be found in some remote reserves.
Annsca has successfully tested the WAPPS technology in Europe in a pilot plant, and in-situ processing demonstrated that WAPPS is capable of decontaminating extreme levels of impurities and toxic materials caused by leakages from underground activities.
In August 2018, Annsca successfully conducted tests to prove the effectiveness of our unique Water and Air Pollution Prevention System (WAPPS). Independent testing conducted at a much higher rate of pollution than is normally found during regular mining and extraction showed removal of up to 98% of pollutants from the artificially-polluted test well.
WAPPS’ modular structure is great news for existing wells, as Annsca can adapt the WAPPS solution to any situation. It can also be configured so multiple wells can be integrated into a single plant, and each modular plant can be scaled up as required.
Global leadership
Annsca has a practical approach and the best available technology to reduce fugitive emissions from leaking wells and mines — not only to reduce emissions, but to support the expansion and growth of global clean natural gas and critical minerals, as well as providing other resource-based economies with a cost-effective solution to the significant global problem of methane and other gases leaking from new or abandoned wells.
Reducing non-agricultural methane emissions may be one of the best ways that Australia can help the world tackle climate change. Methane is worse than CO2, but it doesn’t stay in the atmosphere as long, making avoidable emissions from leaking wells an effective starting point.
In the United States, more than 3.2 million abandoned oil and gas wells together emitted 281 kilotons of methane in 2018. The US EPA estimates that is the equivalent of about 16 million barrels of crude oil. About 9 million Americans live within one mile of an orphan well.
President Joe Biden’s $2.3 trillion plan to transform America’s infrastructure included $16 billion to plug old oil and gas wells and clean up abandoned mines. This is in addition to the $8 billion already available through the Abandoned Mine Land program.
Other less developed and regulated resource economies could potentially have much bigger problems from incorrectly capped and decommissioned wells, with some estimates of more than 29 million abandoned wells globally emitting up to 2.5 million tonnes of methane per year.
The efficient capping of decommissioned wells could support cost-effective re-extraction from end-of-life mines that may have been shut down due to contamination and pollution concerns, especially if those wells are located close to urban population centres.
The Global Methane Pledge
To reduce global warming, the global community is taking action to reduce methane emissions from the energy sector and transition to alternative energy sources.
The Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association (APPEA) states that gas can find its way from gas reservoirs below the ground to the surface, either naturally or via paths inadvertently created by industry operations, and that this “seeping” can pose an environmental risk and safety risk to workers in the resources industry:
“Minimising fugitive emissions is good oil and gas field practice as it reduces safety risks and captures a valuable resource for sale.”APPEA
At COP26 the Global Methane Pledge committed signatories to collectively reduce global anthropogenic methane emissions across all sectors by at least 30 per cent below 2020 levels by 2030.
More than 100 countries have signed the pledge, representing nearly 50% of global anthropogenic emissions and over two-thirds of global GDP. The United States and the European Union asked all Global Methane Pledge participants to develop or update a national methane reduction action plan by COP27.
The Australian Government has committed to cutting Australia’s emissions by 43% by 2030 – Australia’s target under the Paris Agreement – with a target of net zero by 2050.