Carbon Capture, Utilization & Storage History
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CCUS technologies are not new. In fact, they are as old as the first personal computer.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEAGHG, “Information Sheets for CCS, 2013/16, November 2013”), CO₂ capture technology has been used since the 1920s to separate CO₂ found in natural gas reservoirs from the saleable methane gas. In the early 1970s, CO₂ captured using this method from a gas processing facility in Texas was piped to a nearby oil field and injected to boost oil recovery. This process, known as Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR), has proven very successful. Millions of tons of CO₂ are now piped to and injected into oil fields in the U.S. and elsewhere every year.
This decades-long history demonstrates a successful track record for safe and permanent CO₂ storage. The same technologies are being applied to capture CO₂ from industrial facilities, transport it to storage sites and safely and permanently contain it deep underground. According to the International Energy Agency, there are currently around 35 commercial facilities applying CCUS to industrial processes, fuel transformation and power generation.
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Potential CO₂ storage sites are carefully selected only after undergoing rigorous analysis to ensure they are geologically suitable. This analysis helps mitigate the risk of the CO₂ migrating to other formations or into the atmosphere.
The CO₂ is stored thousands of feet underground, far below groundwater sources, which are typically only 150-500 feet deep. The CO₂ is held in place by thick, impermeable seal rocks, which are similar to rock formations that have kept oil, natural gas and naturally occurring CO₂ underground for millions of years.
Once active, seismic monitoring, groundwater analysis and chemical tracers continuously monitor the area to ensure the CO₂ stays safely and securely underground.
The potential risks associated with geological storage of CO₂ – such as seismicity and storage security – have proven to be minimal if properly regulated and managed.