New York Looks to Old Natural Gas Wells for Sequestration
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 01.17.08
Under the auspices of a new $4 million, 3-year program organized by New York's Energy Research and Development Authority and several energy companies, geologists from the State Museum will spend the upcoming summer studying old natural gas wells and other features in the Southern Tier and in western N.Y. as potential sites for carbon sequestration. The energy companies - which include AES Eastern Energy and Nornew - will contribute $2.3 million towards the effort.
The geologists will study sandstone, limestone and shale formations, which provide the best storage potential for carbon dioxide, using seismic equipment; their target will be "from 2,500 feet to 10,000 feet underground," according to John Martin, a senior project manager. They hope to identify areas of fractured limestone or sandstone - ideal sites for holding carbon dioxide - in the process of constructing a 3-D underground map of the regions. According to the DOE's latest estimates, the country's underground saline formations may be able to store up to 500 billion tons of CO2; it hopes to lower the cost of storage to less than $10 per ton by 2015.
Via ::The Times Union: State seeks deep sites to hold greenhouse gas (newspaper)
See also: ::Carbon Sequestration Financials Look Weak, ::Southern Illinois To Sequester Wisconsin's C02
it would be even more interesting if they put the same amount of money 2.3 mil in to solar energy as well they wouldn't have to pay for storing co2 at all or even invest in buying land just put solar panels on buildings and homes
Sounds cool. I hope it works out.
Wow, a $5 trillion dollar industry where you can breath money. I need to become part of that. "Yes, I bought a Hummer and took off the exhaust system, I need to support the CO2 storage industry!" This has all the sounds of 'coal cleaning' attached to it.
What about the environmental issues? Children suffering nose pain after laughing from drinking the carbonated ground water? Or on a more serious note, the toxification of micro organisms.
So lets all sit back, think about filling up the earth like a balloon, and listen to "Pop Goes The World" by Men Without Hats.
-Lego