ExxonMobil sanctions Wyoming CCS expansion
US major ExxonMobil said February 25 it had taken a final investment decision to expand its LaBarge carbon capture and storage (CCS) operation in Wyoming, a $400mn investment to capture an additional 1.2mn mt/yr of CO2 from the LaBarge gas field.
“Carbon capture and storage is a readily available technology that can play a critical role in helping society reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Joe Blommaert, president of ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions. “By expanding carbon capture and storage at LaBarge, we can reduce emissions from our operations and continue to demonstrate the large-scale capability for carbon capture and storage to address emissions from vital sectors of the global economy, including industrial manufacturing.”
ExxonMobil has been capturing carbon at LaBarge – a CO2-rich gas field – since 1986, largely to support enhanced oil recovery, and is now capturing up to 7mn mt/yr – about 20% of human-made CO2 captured world-wide each year.
Front-end engineering and design work was completed in December 2021, ExxonMobil said, adding it expects to issue an engineering, procurement and construction contract in March. Pending regulatory approvals, the expansion is expected to be operational in 2025.