The purpose of the Phase 1 pilot project is to identify a suitable saline aquifer near Longyearbyen where CO2 can be stored. Key activities include the drilling of 1000 meters deep wells and regional and local seismic assessments of the reservoir level.

In the autumn of 2007, the first two wells were drilled in the vicinity of Longyearbyen airport. They cored the cap rock and upper reservoir, reaching a depth of 860 meters. A third well was drilled in August-October 2008, a few kilometers into the Advent Valley, approximately 5 km from Longyearbyen.

The core samples of the three wells have been analyzed and the quality of the sealing cap rock verified. 400 meters of sealing offshore shale and a near-surface impermeable roof of permafrost have been detected. The existence of sandstone below the cap rock has also been verified, at approx. 850-1150 meters. A fourth well was drilled in the fall of 2009 to verify the injectivty.

Seismic assessments of the reservoir level have been completed. An extended reservoir description of the entire Adventdalen region is also in the process.