CCS 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, has proven very successful. Millions of tons of CO₂ are now successfully 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 CCS to industrial processes, fuel transformation and power generation.

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, well below any sources of drinking water, and is held in place by thick, impermeable seal rocks thousands of feet underground, which are similar to the rocks that have kept oil, natural gas and naturally occurring CO₂ underground for millions of years.

Once active, storage sites are constantly monitored for any potential geologic changes. A three-tier system of technologies is engaged to monitor sites for any potential leaks at the atmospheric, near-surface and deep sub-surface levels. Examples include optical laser sensors, pressure-monitoring transponders and 4D seismicity technology.

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.