CO2 sequestration in North Sea analogue for geological carbon storage

Niklas Heinemann and colleagues examine a natural rock that has held carbon dioxide for millions of years, and discover that only 11% plus or minus 8% of the total carbon dioxide has reacted with the host rock.

As only a low percentage has reacted after millions of years, then it is likely that very little reaction will occur in the thousands of years of storage which are needed for reduce anthropogenic climate change.

This lack of reaction is not a problem for geological carbon storage, but means that such reaction cannot necessarily be relied upon to trap the carbon dioxide as solid mineral phases.

Niklas Heinemann et al., Ikon GeoPressure, DOI: 10.1130/G33835.1