Happy Wednesday!
Well, we had to let you know the Department of Interior’s
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is in the news again for the Gulf of
Mexico, and its future carbon capture program is now in the spotlight!
Did anyone see The Houston
Chronicle’s Business Section on May 8, 2024, their article
titled, “Gulf carbon storage plans await feds – Biden administration already 18
months past congressional deadline for leases and permits”? This article is in regard to the U.S. Department
of Interior’s (DOI) future offshore carbon capture storage (CCS) program, and in
particular the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). The
future of offshore carbon capture storage projects destined for exhausted oil
and gas fields; their structured regulatory program for permitting and leases
as well as rules for monitoring the wells and making sure they are contained
under the sea floor is a year and a half behind schedule. The DOI was given a deadline by Congress in
their 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to develop a structured system for permitting
and leasing of carbon capture storage in federal waters; the task has proven to
be more complex than originally expected.
The DOI has referred to the established CCS industry and other countries
offshore programs to develop its own offshore CCS program as well as formed
a team of experts to dive into this important task. The GOM with its exhausted offshore wells
seem to be the ideal location because they will not have to take into
consideration aquifers and property easements, nonetheless orphan wells or badly
plugged wells could exist in this ideal location. The DOI doesn’t want the problems which have
been discovered in established CCS offshore projects overseas, and they are
trying to address them in this program’s development. The DOI in time will develop a structured regulatory
program which will get the offshore CCS industry moving. If you would like to read more of the article
from The Houston Chronicle, please click the link: Exxon's Gulf carbon storage plan: Biden's permitting causes delay (houstonchronicle.com).
If you would like to learn more information on Offshore Carbon Sequestration from
the U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management,
please click the link: Carbon Sequestration | Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (boem.gov).
If you would like help in looking into how to transport your liquid
product from your terminal and reduce your emissions to spearhead your company’s
goal of becoming carbon neutral, contact us via the email in the blog and check
out our ESC's website!
We hope you have a great and productive week!
**Disclaimer – The Houston Chronicle may charge a fee
to read this article. **