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

The document examines the rapid scaling of offshore carbon capture and storage (CCS), highlighting that at least 38 new proposals worldwide aim to store over 165 million tonnes of CO2 annually by 2030. It argues that the technology is unproven, citing issues with Norway's flagship projects, and warns of severe risks including groundwater contamination, induced earthquakes, and CO2 leaks. A primary concern is the use of legacy oil and gas wellbores in areas like the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and the North Sea, which provide pathways for leakage. The brief further contends that offshore CCS relies on leak-prone infrastructure, creates monitoring challenges for regulators, and threatens marine ecosystems through acidification. Economically, it asserts that these projects depend on public subsidies, diverting funds from renewable energy. Finally, it claims CCS fails to deliver promised emissions reductions and often facilitates enhanced oil recovery (EOR), thereby prolonging fossil fuel reliance.

• Offshore CCS is scaling rapidly, with at least 38 new global proposals, most planned for operation before 2030, aiming to store over 165 million tonnes of CO2 per year.
• The feasibility of large-scale offshore CCS is questioned by the performance of existing projects in Norway, where injected CO2 behaved in unpredicted ways and required unplanned interventions.
• Offshore CCS carries significant risks, including the potential for groundwater contamination, earthquakes, and CO2 leaks; a leakage rate of just 0.1% could result in up to 25 gigatonnes of additional CO2 emissions in the 21st century.
• Legacy oil and gas wellbores represent the single greatest risk for containment failure, particularly in targeted areas like the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and the European North Sea.
• Monitoring and regulating offshore CCS is challenging due to a history of systematic failures in overseeing offshore oil and gas pipelines and wells.
• The deployment of offshore CCS threatens marine environments through the disturbance of coastal ecosystems and the risk of sudden CO2 releases that increase seawater acidity.
• Offshore CCS is economically unviable without public subsidies, which the document argues diverts essential funding from renewable energy and energy demand reduction.
• CCS often fails to meet promised capture rates and is frequently used for enhanced oil recovery (EOR), which extracts more oil for combustion and delays the energy transition.

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} }