ciel_brief_deep-trouble-the-risks-of-offshore-carbon-capture-and-storage_june2023-12245f6fc55d6793.pdf

This policy brief by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) argues that offshore carbon capture and storage (CCS) is an unproven and risky strategy that delays the transition from fossil fuels. It highlights that proposed projects in areas like the Gulf of Mexico and North Sea face significant leakage risks due to legacy oil and gas wellbores and a history of poor offshore infrastructure monitoring. The document asserts that CCS often fails to meet emission reduction targets, frequently serves enhanced oil recovery, and relies on public subsidies that divert funds from renewable energy.

• Offshore CCS is being proposed on an unprecedented scale, with at least 38 new proposals worldwide, most planned for operation before 2030. These projects aim to store over 165 million tonnes of COʂ annually in seabed geological repositories, which is nearly 100 times the current injection rate. This expansion is concentrated in historical oil and gas drilling areas, including the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and the European North Sea.
• The feasibility of large-scale offshore CCS is questioned by the performance of existing projects. Only two dedicated offshore storage sites exist, both in Norway, and a report indicates that COʂ in these flagship projects behaved in unpredicted ways and required unplanned interventions, suggesting a lack of technical know-how and regulatory strength to manage the technology safely.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (n.d.). ciel_brief_deep-trouble-the-risks-of-offshore-carbon-capture-and-storage_june2023-12245f6fc55d6793.pdf. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/CIEL_brief_Deep-Trouble-The-Risks-of-Offshore-Carbon-Capture-and-Storage_June2023.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. ciel_brief_deep-trouble-the-risks-of-offshore-carbon-capture-and-storage_june2023-12245f6fc55d6793.pdf. n.d. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/CIEL_brief_Deep-Trouble-The-Risks-of-Offshore-Carbon-Capture-and-Storage_June2023.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=ciel_brief_deep-trouble-the-risks-of-offshore-carbon-capture-and-storage_june2023-12245f6fc55d6793.pdf |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/CIEL_brief_Deep-Trouble-The-Risks-of-Offshore-Carbon-Capture-and-Storage_June2023.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallawndcielbriefdeeptroubletherisksofoffshorecarboncaptureandstoragejune202312245f6fc55d6793pdf, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{ciel\_brief\_deep-trouble-the-risks-of-offshore-carbon-capture-and-storage\_june2023-12245f6fc55d6793.pdf}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/CIEL_brief_Deep-Trouble-The-Risks-of-Offshore-Carbon-Capture-and-Storage_June2023.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }