Advancing Net Zero Efforts



In 2020, RESPEC has been partnering with government agencies and industry leaders to help mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) projects. Carbon dioxide (CO2), a heat-trapping gas, accounts for most of the world’s GHG emissions. In the CCUS process, CO2 is captured from the air and injected into porous geological formations one to three kilometers underground.
While RESPEC doesn’t capture the carbon, we can work from the wellhead down. Dr. Matt Minnick, RESPEC’s Hydrogeology Manager, models CO2 plume behavior and potential pressure build-up in the reservoir. Our modeling helps clients receive EPA permits for drilling—and leaves them with a great impression.
In 2021, RESPEC began work on six CCUS projects in the U.S. In Canada, we completed a few pre-feasibility studies and started on our first big CCUS project there.
Because the U.S. and Canadian governments encourage carbon capture through tax credits and penalties, Matt foresees the number of CCUS projects that RESPEC has will go up. U.S. companies can receive a tax credit for capturing their carbon and storing it underground or in products. On the other hand, Canadian companies must pull a certain amount of the carbon that they produce or get taxed per ton past the threshold.
“We’re still going to rely on forms of fossil fuel in the future,” says Matt. “So, we need a way to offset the effects. That’s where CCUS projects come in.”
Humans will continue to produce carbon emissions. Such is the way of nature and industry. Yet the goal for these countries and companies is to eventually reach net zero. CCUS projects are vital to decarbonization.
RESPEC knows sustainability is a responsibility. With our work on CCUS projects, we stay committed to ushering in a better world for future generations.
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