Plains CO₂ Reduction Carbon Sequestration Partnership – Validation Phase
Project # 42592

Primary Performing Organization:
University of North Dakota Energy & Environmental Research Center

The Plains CO₂ Reduction Carbon Sequestration Partnership (PCOR) is one of seven Regional Partnerships created by DOE in 2003 to advance the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions. After two years of fact finding across the United States, the Partnerships are now engaged in individual carbon sequestration validation projects.  Each Partnership project is distinct in its geology, land use, and population base.  PCOR is managed by the Energy & Environmental Research Center at the University of North Dakota, and covers the central interior of North America.  PCOR’s validation project is a four-year effort devoted to providing a comprehensive assessment of the sources and potential sinks for CO₂ in the Great Plains.  See Map.

The PCOR Partnership estimates that over 1.4 billion barrels of additional oil recovery are available through regional CO₂ enhanced oil recovery (EOR), with a value of approximately $100 billion at $50 per barrel.  Sequestration in coal fields also may yield increased commercial quality methane.  Subject to verification, the PCOR region has the capacity to sequester 97 billion metric tons of CO₂ in saline formations, 19.6 billion metric tons in depleted oil and natural gas fields, and 8 billion metric tons in unmineable coal seams.

PCOR also contains many terrestrial sequestration opportunities in agricultural lands (e.g., croplands, grasslands, and range lands), forest lands, wetlands, and peat bogs all totaling almost 841 million acres.  PCOR’s wetland restoration activities in the Prairie Pothole Region, for example, will help determine carbon offsets, develop verification protocols and standards, and provide a market-based terrestrial sequestration strategy.

The objectives of the PCOR project are to advance the knowledge gained to date by:

• Continuing to assess regional carbon sequestration opportunities.
• Developing field tests.
• Evaluating selected commercial-scale carbon sequestration technologies.
• Assessing CO₂ storage capacity, economics, and public benefits.
• Providing outreach and education about CO₂ sequestration.

Contact:
Project Manager:  Darin Damiani, darin.damiani@netl.doe.gov

Related Papers and Publications:

• PCOR Validation Phase Fact Sheet (pdf)