To date, there are three main ways CO2 has shown to be permanently stored underground. The first is in saline formations covered by a caprock where supercritical carbon dioxide can either dissolve into the salty water or chemically react and mineralize. The second is through enhanced oil recovery (EOR) where the carbon is injected allowing more oil to be produced. The third is injecting CO2 in supercritical phase into depleted oil and gas fields or other subsurface pore space that does not contain underground sources of drinking water (USDW).
"The phase we are currently in is educating both the community and government officials about carbon capture & storage and finding realistic storage potential which requires rigorous delineation and geologic / reservoir modeling," Mannon continues. "While there are already regulations in place to ensure the success, safety, and permanency of carbon capture & storage, education is vital as new regulations are drafted and become increasingly complex. Effectively executing CCS while following these regulations requires extensive engineering expertise."
It's clear the question isn't, "Do companies know how to store the CO2?". The question is, "Can companies keep up with ever-developing CCS legislation framework?"
This requires substantial experience with disposal wells and meticulous monitoring of legislation.
"Those involved with CCS understand the risks and know how critical the regulations are to mitigating them. Regulators work hard to protect the environment and communities," Mannon later shares, "There's no doubt that policy will continue to be priority. I know it is for us, our partners, and I'd hope for our competitors."
Mannon's overall message was legislation begins with education. He invited everyone to educate themselves, their communities, and government officials.