CRC starts first CO2 injection at state’s inaugural CCS project
California Resources Corp. (CRC) has begun carbon dioxide (CO2) injection at Carbon TerraVault I (CTV I), a carbon capture and storage (CCS) project at the company’s Elk Hills field in Kern County, Calif.
Next phase of CTV I development
The project is California’s first operational CCS development and establishes a commercial pathway for storing CO2 from industrial sources, CRC said in a release May 26. CTV I sources CO2 from CRC’s cryogenic gas plant and uses existing infrastructure in a depleted oil and gas reservoir to permanently store CO2 more than a mile underground.
“First injection at CTV I demonstrates that California can lead on climate solutions that are practical, scalable and cost-effective,” said CRC president and chief executive officer Francisco Leon.
CTV I comprises two depleted reservoirs—26R and A1-A2. At full capacity, CTV I–26R will be capable of storing as much as 1.46 million tonnes/year of CO2, equivalent to removing nearly 350,000 cars from the road per year, the company said. Total storage potential is 38 million tonnes.
CTV I–26R is the first reservoir in California to receive final Class VI permits from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The reservoir is part of the Carbon TerraVault joint venture (CTV JV) between CRC and Brookfield, focused on developing infrastructure and storage assets for CCS projects in the state. CRC holds 51% of the venture. Brookfield owns the remaining 49%.
Expansion plans
CRC has submitted eight additional CTV storage reservoirs for EPA Class VI permitting, representing about 352 million tonnes of potential CO2 storage capacity planned for development across California in the coming years. In an early May update, the company said it expects to receive at least two additional draft Class VI permits this year.
In that same update, CRC said it would be one of two US oil and gas companies with final EPA‑issued Class VI geologic sequestration permits, the other being ExxonMobil, which has received three final Class VI permits for its CO2 storage project in Jefferson County, Tex., according to EPA. All other oil‑ and gas‑linked applications remain in earlier stages of EPA review.
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Mikaila Adams
Managing Editor, Content Strategist
Mikaila Adams has 20 years of experience as an editor, most of which has been centered on the oil and gas industry. She enjoyed 12 years focused on the business/finance side of the industry as an editor for Oil & Gas Journal's sister publication, Oil & Gas Financial Journal (OGFJ). After OGFJ ceased publication in 2017, she joined Oil & Gas Journal and was later named Managing Editor - News. Her role has expanded into content strategy. She holds a degree from Texas Tech University.