Carbon Dioxide Storage

Capturing Carbon Dioxide from the Atmosphere to store it safely:

Carbon dioxide storage in depleted reservoirs or un-mineable coal seams:
The site that is created by the National Mining Association shows us a few strategies that have been created in order to store and safely put away the carbon dioxide that is being emitted from factories around the US and the world. First, a carbon dioxide capturing facility is necessary, which will do exactly what its names implies—take CO2 from the atmosphere and capture it. Second, using pipelines or trucks for transportations to its storage are for safe holding. The storage area is key for this strategy. The NMA suggests storing CO2 in oil and gas reservoirs that have been depleted. This will not only allow for the carbon dioxide to be trapped within the porous rock layers that are topped by non-porous rock layers, but also will allow for the carbon dioxide to dissolve into the oil that still remains in these porous rocks. This process will decrease the viscosity of the oil, which will allow an increase of approximately 15% more oil recovery. Another location of storage that they provide is soaking carbon dioxide in coal seams, where methane is usually naturally stored. A range of three to thirteen carbon dioxide molecules has the potential to be stored by displacing every methane molecule. The NMA said that the methane could be used for other energy applications.

Carbon dioxide storage in deep saline aquifers:
Since 1996 Norway has been using this method of storing carbon dioxide, and it has been adding approximately 20,000 tons of CO2 a week. This method allows for CO2 to be pumped into limestone and sandstone that are located deep under the ocean floor. Over a period of time, the carbon dioxide can react with the mineral rocks that will form carbonate solids, which will further trap the CO2 out of the atmosphere’s reach.

Gaz de France, Sonatrach, BP, Statoil,EnCana and the International Energy Agency (IEA) are some of the companies involved in the capturing of CO2. The countries involved in the demonstration projects so far are: Canada, Norway, Netherlands, and Algeria. Countries that have pilot programs that are initiating in the near future are: US, UK, China, Australia, and Germany.

Continuing off the carbon dioxide emissions, I found the following website: http://www.nma.org/ccs/carbonstorage.asp