Groundbreaking study will help determine the future of geologic carbon sequestration
Archer Daniels Midland Company (NYSE: ADM) and its research
collaborators today marked a milestone in one of the nation’s first
large-scale projects intended to confirm that carbon dioxide emissions
can be stored permanently in deep underground rock formations.
At a ceremonial groundbreaking celebrating the imminent completion of an
approximately 8,000-foot-deep injection well on ADM’s Decatur, Ill.,
property, officials from ADM, the U.S. Department of Energy’s National
Energy Technology Laboratory, the Midwest Geological Sequestration
Consortium (MGSC), the Illinois State Geological Survey (ISGS) and
Schlumberger Carbon Services noted the significance of the Illinois
Basin-Decatur project.
“The science and technology employed in this project may point the way
to a future in which carbon emissions from manufacturing operations are
commonly stored far below the Earth’s surface, rather than being emitted
into the atmosphere,” said Robert Finley, director, Energy and Earth
Resources Center, Illinois State Geological Survey, University of
Illinois.
The project may also help determine whether geologic carbon
sequestration can further improve the environmental footprint of
alternative fuels such as ethanol by capturing and storing carbon
emissions associated with their production.
In February 2009, Schlumberger Carbon Services began drilling the
approximately 8,000-foot-deep injection well at the 207-acre project
site near ADM’s corn wet mill in Decatur, Ill., which produces starch
for fuel ethanol and a number of other products. Once the injection well
is completed, a carbon dioxide dehydration/compression facility will be
constructed near the corn wet mill and a 3,200-foot-long pipeline will
also be constructed to transport carbon dioxide to the well.
Beginning in early 2010, carbon dioxide emitted during the ethanol
fermentation process at the corn wet mill will be injected into the
Mount Simon Sandstone, a large, saline water-bearing rock formation, at
a rate of 1,000 metric tons per day. By 2013, a total of one million
metric tons of carbon dioxide — roughly the annual emissions of 220,000
automobiles — is expected to be stored within the formation.
“We at Schlumberger are committed to applying our subsurface engineering
expertise to make this project a technological success,” said David
White, president of Schlumberger Carbon Services. “What is learnt here
can be applied throughout the rest of the country, and we feel a real
sense of urgency to validate new technologies to move beyond
demonstration to full implementation where carbon capture and storage
will make a major contribution to meeting the challenges of emissions
reduction in a safe and reliable manner.”
The MGSC is one of seven regional carbon sequestration partnerships
created by the U.S. Department of Energy to research and demonstrate
suitable technologies and infrastructure needs for carbon sequestration
in different regions of the United States and Canada. Of the seven
partnership projects, the Illinois Basin-Decatur project is the first
well permitted and drilled for a one million metric ton saline reservoir
test.
“We at ADM are privileged to be working with the U.S. Department of
Energy, the MGSC, the Illinois State Geological Survey, the University
of Illinois and Schlumberger Carbon Services to advance our collective
understanding of carbon sequestration, and to help lay the groundwork
for a future in which capture and storage may form part of a
comprehensive emissions-reduction strategy,” said ADM Chairman, CEO and
President Patricia Woertz.
The information gained from the Illinois Basin-Decatur project will
further the understanding of carbon sequestration technology around the
world. Other large-scale carbon sequestration demonstration projects are
taking place in Algeria, Canada and Norway.
About ADM
Every day, the 27,000 people of Archer Daniels Midland Company (NYSE:
ADM) turn crops into renewable products that meet the demands of a
growing world. At more than 230 processing plants, we convert corn,
oilseeds, wheat and cocoa into products for food, animal feed, chemical
and energy uses. We operate the world’s premier crop origination and
transportation network, connecting crops and markets in more than 60
countries. Our global headquarters is in Decatur, Illinois, and our net
sales for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2008, were $70 billion. For
more information about our Company and our products, visit www.adm.com.
About the Illinois State Geological Survey
Founded in 1905, the Illinois State Geological Survey provides the
citizens and institutions of Illinois with earth science research and
information that are accurate, objective and relevant to the state’s
environmental quality, economic prosperity and public safety. ISGS is
one of four scientific surveys within the Institute of Natural Resource
Sustainability at the University of Illinois. Together, they form a
unique group of scientific experts in the earth, environmental and
biological sciences that is unmatched in the nation. These agencies
carry out objective, high-quality, multi-disciplinary scientific studies
in service to all the people of Illinois.
About the Midwest Geological Sequestration Consortium
The Midwest Geological Sequestration Consortium is one of seven regional
carbon sequestration partnerships selected by the U.S. Department of
Energy to determine the best approaches for capturing and storing carbon
dioxide that might otherwise contribute to global climate change. The
MGSC is led by the Illinois State Geological Survey, in conjunction with
the Indiana Geological Survey and the Kentucky Geological Survey, and
covers Illinois, southwestern Indiana and western Kentucky. This
partnership was established to assess geological carbon sequestration
options in the 60,000-square-mile geologic feature known as the Illinois
Basin. Within the Basin are deep, noneconomic coal resources, numerous
mature oil fields and deep saline rock formations with potential to
store carbon dioxide. MGSC’s objective is to determine the technical and
economic feasibility of using these geologic formations for long-term
storage.
About the National Energy Technology Laboratory
The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), part of DOE’s national
laboratory system, is owned and operated by the U.S. Department of
Energy (DOE). NETL supports DOE’s mission to advance the national,
economic, and energy security of the United States. NETL implements a
broad spectrum of energy and environmental research and development
(R&D) programs that will return benefits for generations to come while
protecting our environment and enhancing our energy independence.
About Schlumberger Carbon Services
Schlumberger is the world's leading supplier of technology, integrated
project management and information solutions to customers working in the
oil and gas industry worldwide. Employing more than 87,000 people
representing over 140 nationalities and working in approximately 80
countries, Schlumberger provides the industry's widest range of products
and services from exploration to production.
Schlumberger Carbon Services provides technical expertise, project
management and technology for comprehensive carbon dioxide geological
storage solutions, consistent with care for health, safety and the
environment. For more information, visit www.slb.com/carbonservices.
Schlumberger Limited has principal offices in Paris, Houston and The
Hague and reported consolidated revenues of $27.16 billion in 2008.
Editor’s Note: For more information, visit www.adm.com/carbon and www.sequestration.org.
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