Identifying Opportunities for Storing Carbon Dioxide in North America
By Chantal Hunter
December 2012
The North American Carbon Storage Atlas provides the first comprehensive picture of available carbon storage opportunities and capacity for the continent.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a key component in the global climate equation. While it does occur naturally, human activity significantly increases CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere. Most experts believe this contributes to climate change.
In order to reduce the emissions of CO2 into the atmosphere, scientists are developing ways to remove CO2 at the source. An example of this would be capturing the CO2 released during the generation of electricity from coal. Once captured, the CO2 can be transported and stored in geological formations deep below the surface.
To assist this process, the North American Carbon Storage Atlas was created. It provides a broad assessment of potentially suitable geological storage formations in Canada, Mexico and the United States. The Atlas marks the first time that the potential for CO2 storage has been documented in a wide geographic area that crosses national borders.
Produced jointly by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), the U.S. Department of Energy, the Mexican Federal Electricity Commission and the Mexican Ministry of Energy, the Atlas includes contributions from numerous experts and research organizations.
The Atlas provides the best available estimates of potential CO2 storage resources in North America as determined by each respective country.
Conditions for Storing CO2
Only certain geological settings have favourable conditions for the long-term safe and secure containment of CO2. Storage reservoirs must have sufficient capacity to accept the required annual quantities. Additionally, a seal or caprock must be present to prevent the CO2 from leaking out of the storage “container”.
Three types of geological formations are generally considered potentially suitable for geological carbon storage: depleted oil and gas reservoirs, unmineable coal beds and deep saline formations.
The assessments of suitable storage formations in close proximity to major stationary sources of CO2 emissions indicate that there are hundreds, possibly thousands, of years of geological storage resources available in North America. Based on current emission rates, at least 200 years of storage is available in Canada. These estimates are based on common methodologies agreed to and applied by the three countries.
Carbon Capture and Storage in Canada
Canada is demonstrating the potential of carbon capture and storage technology (CCS) through a number of initiatives. For instance, since CO2 was first injected at Weyburn, Saskatchewan in 2000, commercial CO2-enhanced oil recovery (EOR) facilities at Weyburn and Midale, Saskatchewan have safely injected and stored more than 21 million tonnes of CO2.
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Geological formations with storage capacity / Types of sedimentary storage
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In addition, NRCan has invested in three major CCS projects that are currently under construction and slated to be operational by 2015. These are the SaskPower Boundary Dam project, a coal-fired electricity generation project in Saskatchewan; Enhance Energy’s Alberta Carbon Trunk Line, a CO2 pipeline project in central Alberta; and Shell’s Quest project, an initiative to reduce CO2 emissions from Shell’s Alberta oil sands operations.
Future CO2 capture and storage projects may benefit from information now available in the Atlas. By identifying geological formations with large CO2 storage potential across the continent, the atlas can help fossil-fuel powered industries reduce their carbon footprint.
For further information, visit the North America Carbon Storage Atlas website.
To read about related articles, see Climate Change.
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