Earthquakes And Blowouts Undermine
Case For Carbon Storage In Texas 
Valerie Volcovici and Leah Douglas / Reuters

(December 13, 2024) — “Texas has seen surging interest from companies hoping to bury carbon dioxide in its oilfields, putting the state at the vanguard of a government-subsidized program to fight climate change.

But pumping CO2 into the ground could exacerbate earthquakes and well blowouts already happening in the Permian Basin as Texas struggles to manage wastewater disposal, potentially undermining public support.

“Without legitimate oversight of underground injection in Texas, we expect more geyser-like well blowouts, sinkholes, leaks from plugged and unplugged wells, and injection-induced earthquakes,” said Virginia Palacios, executive director of Commission Shift, a Texas watchdog group pushing for tougher oversight of the oil and gas industry.

Such consequences have rarely happened as a result of CO2 injection over the decades the technology has been deployed. The unprecedented vast volume of carbon now proposed for burial, however, worries activists and researchers.”

Carbon sequestration is vital to U.S. government goals to reduce emissions that cause global warming. The Biden administration’s 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, landmark climate-change legislation, includes billions of dollars worth of subsidies for CCS projects.

While President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to gut the IRA, energy experts say CCS subsidies will likely survive due to bipartisan support.

Trump’s transition team did not provide comment.

Several companies, including Occidental Petroleum, plan to take advantage of IRA subsidies. The projects are concentrated in Texas, where CCS proponents argue underground geology is ideal for storing liquid and gaseous waste.

Permit Applications Jump
Over the last 12 months, the number of applications filed with the Environmental Protection Agency for carbon injection permits in Texas has jumped by 63% to 43, according to the agency, making it a national leader.

But Texas is dogged by problems linked to disposal of drilling wastewater underground. The Texas Railroad Commission (RRC) regulator has grappled with leaks and blowouts from orphan wells, as well as earthquakes, triggered by higher pressure underground from water injection.