Research, Technology, and Education for the Geological Storage of Carbon Dioxide (CO₂)
Industrial processes such as the production of cement, iron and steel, and petrochemicals, as well as burning fossil fuels (e.g., gas, oil, and coal) has measurably increased CO₂ in Earth’s atmosphere. The long-term consequences of increased concentrations of CO₂ gas in Earth’s atmosphere will have negative impacts to oceans and climate.
One possible response is to capture CO₂ in industrial settings and reinject it into deep geological reservoirs where it will be retained for long periods of time. This process is called geological sequestration, or carbon capture and storage (CCS).
The Gulf Coast Carbon Center (GCCC) seeks to impact global levels of atmospheric CO₂ by
- Conducting studies, often focusing on the Gulf of Mexico, in regard to geological storage, retention and monitoring of CO₂ in the deep subsurface;
- Educating the public about the process of geological CO₂ storage; and
- Enabling the private sector to develop an economically viable industry to store CO₂ in the Gulf of Mexico, across the U.S., and globally
Since 1999, the GCCC has been a global leader in research that facilitates a proactive response by energy-related businesses to reduce atmospheric release of CO₂. The GCCC has led or is in the process of conducting several major field research projects onshore and offshore to develop effective technologies to monitor retention of CO₂ in the subsurface. In addition, the GCCC has led a number of diverse projects including estimation of storage capacity, enhanced oil recovery (EOR) screening and economic assessments, risk and monitoring of leakage to water and surface resources, assessment of pressure, and whole-system integration.
The GCCC is a multidisciplinary group that includes experts in geology, hydrology, petroleum engineering, chemistry, economics, and computer modeling. For more information about the researchers, post-docs, and students who comprise the Carbon Center, please see our staff page.
Recent News
March 30 – April 1, 2026: Members of the Gulf Coast Carbon Center will attend the SPE-AAPG-SEG CCUS conference…click to read
February 23, 2026: Congratulations to the GCCC’s Ph.D. Student, Romal Ramadhan, and his advisor, Seyyed Hosseini, for publishing a manuscript in Advances in Water Resources…click to read
February 10, 2026: Thanks to Alex Bump for participating in a roundtable discussion hosted by the International Conservation Caucus Foundation (ICCF) in Washington, D.C…click to read
January 29, 2026: Sue Hovorka and Vanessa Nuñez-López attended a Powerhouse Texas meeting…click to read
January 28, 2026: At UTCCS-8, the Gulf Coast Carbon Center was surprised by the Bureau of Economic Geology’s directorate with a celebratory cake…click to read
January 27–28, 2026: The Gulf Coast Carbon Center hosted UTCCS-8, which is the eighth organized conference offered every other year that highlights both carbon capture and carbon storage research at The University of Texas at Austin…click to read
January 14, 2026: The GCCC’s Principal Investigator, Susan Hovorka, participated as a speaker at a forum hosted by United States Energy Association (USEA)…click to read
January 7, 2026: The GCCC’s Sue Hovorka and Tip Meckel contributed to a "roadmap" for carbon management in Texas, prepared by the Great Plains Institute, which is officially released today: View the Texas Carbon Management Roadmap and Factsheet…click to read
January 1, 2026: Click here to meet our scientist, Katherine Romanak, who is the GCCC’s Environmental Geochemist at The State Geologic Survey of Texas, known as the Bureau of Economic Geology…click to read
Click here to view 2026 news and events.
En español: la información de almacenamiento geológico de carbono
The University of Texas at Austin is proud to be associated with BP’s sponsorship of the GCCC, an activity accredited by BP’s Advancing Low Carbon program.
