Dioxide

Researchers from Virginia Tech and the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) made progress over the summer on a more than $14 million project to develop safer carbon storage methods that could also help recover more natural gas from shale and coalbeds.

North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory signed a bill into law designed to help Duke Energy convert one of its coal-fired power plants in the state to natural gas, as the power giant moves forward with plans to excavate coal ash from 24 sites across the Carolinas.

North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory signed a bill into law designed to help Duke Energy convert one of its coal-fired power plants in the state to natural gas…

Energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions last year were the lowest in the United States since 1994 at 5.3 billion metric tons due to the increasing reliance on lower-priced natural gas to fuel power generation, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). With the exception of 2010, carbon emissions have declined every year since 2007.

Global support for natural gas use, as well as the technology to trap and store carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from burning fuel, would curb greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in this century, but it will take cooperation between government and the industry, according to Royal Dutch Shell plc.

Global support for natural gas use, as well as the technology to trap and store carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from burning fuel, would curb greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in this century, but it will take cooperation between government and the industry, according to Royal Dutch Shell plc.

In the headline of a story published Jan. 2, “DOE Identifies 2.4B Metric Tons of CO2 Storage Capacity” (see Daily GPI, Jan. 2), the amount of possible carbon dioxide (CO2) storage capacity in U.S. saline formations, oil and gas reservoirs and unmineable coal seams was incorrectly stated. The Department of Energy report actually identified 2.4 trillion metric tons of CO2 storage capacity. NGI regrets the error.

The United States has at least 2,400 billion metric tons of possible carbon dioxide (CO2) storage capacity in saline formations, oil and gas reservoirs and unmineable coal seams, enough to potentially store “hundreds of years’ worth of industrial greenhouse emissions,” according to a report from the Department of Energy (DOE).

Linde North America has upgraded its carbon dioxide (CO2) plants in Corpus Christi, TX, and Woodward, OK, to better serve the Midcontinent and Eagle Ford Shale regions with expanded CO2 availability. “Linde has brought these plants on stream to supply the surging demand for CO2 in the oil and gas industry,” said Lauren Porambo, CO2 product manager. “The use of CO2 in fracturing completions displaces the use of water, reduces formational damage and enhances well production.” CO2 is injected in a liquid state and converts to a gaseous state down-hole, mitigating formational damage and fluid on formation, while enhancing well clean-up and flow-back, Linde said. Conventional liquid pumps are used, so service companies require no specialized equipment.