Chapter 2 GEOLOGIC CO_2 STORAGE--CAN THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY HELP SAVE THE PLANET?

摘要

Mitigating the effect of anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide will require multiple technologies, including storage of carbon dioxide in subsurface geologic formations. An important advantage of geologic storage is that know-how and hardware needed for large-scale storage are available "off-the-shelf in the oil and gas industry. The economics of emission reduction, however, differ from the economics of resource extraction. Moreover, geologic storage involves intrinsic technical uncertainties. Thus, geologic storage will require new modes of interaction between technology, risk assessment, and regulation. Managing these interactions will demand a notable, perhaps unprecedented, degree of collaboration and communication among engineers, geoscientists, and lawyers. Indeed, the greatest challenge for mitigating carbon dioxide emissions will be developing a regulatory environment that helps, rather than hinders, the cause.