Geological CO₂ Storage
Store captured CO₂ permanently in deep underground rock formations
Your Progress
Section 4 of 5Permanent Carbon Sequestration
Geological storage is the only proven method to permanently remove gigatonnes of CO₂ from the atmosphere. Captured CO₂ is compressed to supercritical state (liquid-like density, gas-like mobility) and injected 800-3000m underground into porous rock formations sealed by impermeable caprock. Nature has trapped oil, gas, and CO₂ in these formations for millions of years—we're using the same physics. Three main options: Deep saline aquifers (10,000+ Gt capacity—largest), depleted oil/gas fields (1,000 Gt, proven seals, existing infrastructure), and basalt formations (100,000+ Gt, rapid mineralization). Over time, multiple trapping mechanisms kick in: structural (caprock barrier), residual (pore-scale trapping), solubility (dissolves in water), and mineral (reacts with rock to form carbonates). Current global storage: 40 Mt CO₂/year. IEA Net Zero needs 7,600 Mt/year by 2050—190x scale-up. The geology exists; challenge is project pipelines, regulation, and business models.
Interactive Storage Simulator
Explore different geological formations and watch CO₂ injection in action
Select Storage Formation Type
💧Deep Saline Aquifers
Depth: 800-3000m • Capacity: 10,000+ Gt
Cross-Section View
Storage Mechanism
Dissolved in brine + mineralization — CO₂ is injected as supercritical fluid (liquid-like density, gas-like flow). Over time: 1) Structural trapping under caprock, 2) Residual trapping in pore spaces, 3) Dissolution into brine, 4) Slow mineralization with rock (1000+ years). Each mechanism increases permanence.
✓ Safety & Permanence
- •Natural analogs: CO₂ trapped for millions of years
- •Leakage risk: <0.01%/year (less than nuclear, chemical storage)
- •Monitoring: Seismic, pressure, geochemical, satellite
- •Regulation: 30+ years of safe operations worldwide
📊 Commercial Projects
- •Sleipner (Norway): 1 Mt/year since 1996, 27+ years proven
- •Gorgon (Australia): 4 Mt/year, world's largest
- •Quest (Canada): 1 Mt/year, saline aquifer, 99%+ containment
- •Carbfix (Iceland): Basalt mineralization, permanent in 2 years
💡 Key Insight
Storage capacity is NOT the bottleneck—Earth can store 10,000+ Gt CO₂ (250+ years of current emissions). The challenges are infrastructure (pipelines, injection sites), economics (storage costs $5-25/t but CO₂ has no value), and policy (long-term liability, carbon pricing, cross-border transport).
CCUS Project Economics
Calculate costs, revenues, and carbon price breakeven for CCUS projects