Article Nov. 8, 2023

We’ve broken ground on CO₂ storage for customers

In southeast Texas, in a clearing surrounded by farmland, there’s a rig drilling a well for ExxonMobil. Nothing out of the ordinary in an area accustomed to oil and gas operations. But this well is anything but ordinary. And it isn’t for oil or gas operations.

Article Nov. 8, 2023

The rig is actually gathering information about an underground site that could store carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions captured from area industries. Think deposits, not withdrawals.

It’s also a milestone for ExxonMobil: While we’ve captured CO₂in our own operations for more than 30 years, this is the first well we’ve drilled to advance CO₂storage for customers.

“Everyone’s excited about this appraisal well because we’re literally breaking ground on a new chapter of our work to help reduce industrial emissions,”

said Joe Colletti, who oversees carbon capture and storage (CCS) development along the U.S. Gulf Coast for our Low Carbon Solutions business.

Our rig in southeast Texas stands 225 foot tall and extends more than 8,000 feet below the ground (nearly the length of 30 Statues of Liberty) to gather information about the subsurface – and confirm the site can be used to safely store CO₂.

And that’s just one site.

Soon, the rig will move to other sites in the U.S. Gulf Coast, helping our Low Carbon Solutions business deliver on its mission to create a lower-emission future by helping our customers decarbonize their operations. These customers include CF Industries, the world’s largest manufacturer of ammonia, Linde, a maker of medical-grade oxygen and other industrial gases and Nucor, the largest U.S. steel producer.

Click here to learn more about carbon capture and storage, and click here to learn more about our Low Carbon Solutions business.