Historic Data Suggest Geosequestration of CO2 Safe

Alpha Galileo reports that a new study has revealed that storing carbon dioxide beneath the earth may be a safer and longer term method of reducing emissions in the atmosphere than previously thought. Researchers at the University of Manchester found that carbon dioxide (CO2) has been naturally stored for up to 40 million years in CO2 gas fields in the Colorado Plateau and Rocky Mountains of the USA. The researchers took CO2 samples from five natural gas fields and measured their noble gases. Their findings allowed them to ‘fingerprint’ the Colorado CO2 for the first time. “The results show that the gas in the fields has been released from molten magma within the Earth’s crust. In all of these fields, the last time the magma melted and CO2 was released was more than eight thousand years ago. In three of the fields, it last occurred over a million years ago, and in one it was at least 40 million years ago. This proves that the CO2 has been stored naturally and safely in the earth for periods between eight thousand years and 40 million years. We hope this study will pave the way for selection of similar safe sites for storage of CO2 from power plants in both the UK and abroad. Underground CO2 storage, in the correct place, should be a safe option to help us cope with emissions until we can develop cleaner energy sources. A suitable storage place for the UK could be in the North Sea, where similar rocks to those in the gas fields can be found.” Dr. Stuart Gilfillan, the researcher running the project

Comments

[Al Fin]

Is CO2 geosequestration safe? Of course it is safe!!! What did you expect, that the world would split into a hundred pieces? It is not really a question of safety, though, is it?

The real question is: will the CO2 apologize for being a bad gas, and promise to stay underground and never come out again?

[David B. Benson]

Actually, safety is an issue. If a large amount of CO2 was suddenly released at ground level, people (and all other animals) nearby would die. This has occured naturally, at least once, from a volcano cone lake in Africa.

[Paul F. Dietz]

This has occured naturally, at least once, from a volcano cone lake in Africa.

The problem at the lake is not that a large amount of CO2 escaped from underground in a short time, but that the lake itself released a large amount of dissolved CO2. This is because water can dissolve more CO2 when under pressure, so the deep water in the lake had more CO2 than the surface water. If the lake water starts to overturn, CO2 can bubble out, stirring the lake still more, in a potentially catastrophic positive feedback.

[Al Fin]

The African volcanic lake served naturally as a "CO2 accumulator and concentrator", as Paul describes. It is analogous to the "steam accumulator" used in industry, and the many supercritical fluid processes used in second and third generation biofuel projects.

The African lake was not a climate-control CO2 sequestration project as David seems to suggest, but rather an altogether natural phenomenon. Therefore the one cannot infer or imbue human CO2 sequestration with any particular danger by using the African lake as an analogy.

[David B. Benson]

I only used the African lake as an illustration of the seriousness of the safety issue.

My understanding of various assessments is that sequestration of CO2 in deep saline formations is likely to be judged very safe. I already know that sequestration in unworkable coal seams is very safe, although one has to capture the supplanted methane. (This is an excellant trade-off, by the way. Two to three molecules of CO2 per molecule of methane released. The methane can be captured and entered into the natural gas pipelines or burnt on the site for power.)

It is only that the safety issue must be addressed, and in a way that calms the people living over the sequestration site.

[auto scanner]

I only used the African lake as an illustration of the seriousness of the safety issue.

[Filipino Car Lease Broker Los Angeles]

So have they actually tried doing this? I'm curious if it worked or not.

[parking sensors]

Hmm, not sure if I feel comfortable storing carbon dioxide beneath the earth. Yes it'd be nice to not release so much into the atmosphere but we don't know what long term effects putting CO2 under the
ground have!

[Rug Cleaning Los Angeles]

Yes they have taken studies and samples of natural CO2 in gas fields, but what about man-made C02??

[Furniture Stores in Los Angeles]

I guess if they put it in the 'correct place' like Dr. Gilfillan said it could prove useful, but who's to really say what the right place is.

[Dentist West Hollywood]

This is great research but is it safe?