Test of CO2 Sequestration Is Successful on Large Scale in Canada

Engineers have successfully sequestered 11 million tons of carbon dioxide — equivalent to the annual CO2 releases from five medium-sized coal-fired power plants — in an underground limestone formation in Canada. The Geological Survey of Canada says that the CO2 has been pumped more than a mile underground at the site of two former oilfields in Saskatchewan. Using seismic technology, scientists have been able to trace the subterranean spread of CO2 as it seeped into limestone formations over an area of 8-square-miles. (See image to the left.) The seismic technology has enabled them to ensure that the CO2 is not leaking back into the atmosphere, which would not only defeat the purpose of locking away greenhouse gases underground but could also pose a danger to humans.