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, the risks and mitigation measures associated with carbon capture and storage deployment
- 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 1998, 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
December 17, 2024: Alex Bump will be the keynote speaker at The Geoscience Energy Society of Great Britain’s (GESGB’s) CCS4G Symposium, organized by the “Exploring the Energy Transition” Special Interest Group…click to read
December 17, 2024: Carlos Uroza will virtually participate in the SEG EVOLVE Program, and present "CO2 Storage Opportunities in the Gulf Coast area"…click to read
December 9–13, 2024: GCCC representatives, including Ruichang Guo, Hailun Ni, Ramón Treviño, and Hongsheng Wang, will attend AGU in Washington, D.C…click to read
December 6, 2024: The GCCC's graduate students Sawsan Almalki and German Chaves presented their final M.S. Presentations at 11 am in the Main Conference Room at the Bureau of Economic Geology…click to read
December 4–5, 2024: Katherine Romanak was invited to present at the “Workshop CCUS – An Opportunity for Growth and Progress Towards the Energy Transition” hosted by ICPET and EcoPetrol…click to read
December 4, 2024: Alex Bump was invited by Professor Tim Shanahan to provide a talk for a freshman-level environmental course at the Jackson School of Geosciences…click to read
December 2–4, 2024: Several researchers from the Gulf Coast Carbon Center will attend the GCSSEPM 40th Annual Perkins-Rosen Research Conference in Houston, Texas...click to read
November 22, 2024: The GCCC weekly group meeting this week features M.S. presentations and project discussions by Sawsan Almalki and Germán Chaves who are currently wrapping up their M.S…click to read
November 20, 2024: Sue Hovorka attended the Stanford Center for Carbon Storage’s Monitoring, Measurement, and Verification (MMV) Workshop at Stanford University…click to read
November 20, 2024: As part of Katherine Romanak’s activities at COP 29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, she participated in a Caribbean-focused event supporting those interested in Trinidad and Tobago’s CCS progress…click to read
November 19, 2024: At COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, Katherine Romanak participated in an Official UNFCCC Side Event entitled, Is there any Climate Finance for Carbon Capture and Storage, Especially in Emerging Economies?...click to read
November 15, 2024: At the GCCC's weekly group meeting, Professor Jonathan Ajo-Franklin from Rice University provided our group with a virtual presentation…click to read
November 14 – 16, 2024: Sue Hovorka, Angela Luciano, and Linda McCall attended the Science Teachers Association of Texas Conference for the Advancement of Science Teaching (CAST24) in San Antonio, TX...click to read
November 11, 2024: In exciting news, the Jackson School of Geosciences wrote an article about the GCCC’s latest outreach program by the Texas-Louisiana Carbon Management Community…click to read
November 7, 2024: Katherine Romanak gave a keynote presentation at the 9th International VDZ Congress in Dusseldorf Germany…click to read
November 1, 2024: We had a special visit from Franz Hiebert who joined our group to discuss observations and great take-a-ways from GHGT-17 held in Calgary between October 21–25, 2024…click to read
Click here to view 2024 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.
