carbon capture and storage (CCS)

Greenhouse gases escape from human activity and accumulate in the atmosphere. But what if we could capture them before they escape — and store them instead? It’s a simple idea. And, if we can turn it into practical application, worldwide, it has the potential to reduce carbon dioxide emissions on a very large scale.

CCS technology is used to separate carbon dioxide from a gas stream, compress it, transport it by pipeline and inject it underground for safe storage.

ExxonMobil is a global leader in the use of these technologies. We have developed and used them for many years at industrial scale, in operations that capture CO₂ from oil and gas production, transport it and inject it as part of enhanced oil recovery and other operations. We are also a partner in one of the longest-running CCS projects in the world: the Sleipner field, off the coast of Norway, where over 1 million tonnes of CO₂ have been reinjected each year since 1998.

However, as a tool to address greenhouse gas emissions, CCS technology is costly. It also needs further assessment to confirm its potential in applications like power production, and to satisfy regulators and the public that CO₂ can be stored safely for hundreds of years or more. We have long conducted our own research in this area and we continue to support external research and development efforts to advance understanding of this technology.

long-term potential
The prize could be very significant in the long term, because CCS has the potential to be used in a range of large industrial emissions sources.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), such sources — especially coal-fired power stations, as well as refineries, smelters and chemical plants, among others — produce nearly 60% of the world’s man-made CO₂ emissions. A number of studies cited by the IPCC indicate that Carbon Capture and Storage could be a major contributor to reducing CO₂ emissions over this century.