As residents of North Dakota, your feedback is invaluable in shaping the State’s ongoing efforts to safely and effectively capture, use, and store CO2. We invite you to share your thoughts, experiences, and questions related to carbon capture in North Dakota by completing this form.
North Dakota is known for, and extremely proud of its agriculture and energy production. As federal regulations continue to impose stricter standards on the oil, gas, biofuel, and coal industries, the state has seen a drastic increase in demand across all energy sectors for capturing, using, and permanently storing carbon dioxide (CO2) deep underground.
CO2, not to be confused with carbon monoxide (CO), is a non-flammable, non-explosive, naturally occurring gas. It is exhaled by humans every time you breathe, and is used in hundreds of products including soda, dry ice and fire extinguishers; and is a necessary component in plant growth.
North Dakota’s unique geology – the same underground rock formations that make oil and gas production so successful – is perfectly suited for the permanent, safe storage of CO2 nearly a mile or more below the surface in deep, deep rock layers. Learn more about the science of CO2</sub >.
CO2 also has the potential to help exponentially extend the life of North Dakota oil fields through enhanced oil recovery (EOR). Learn more about the North Dakota Advantage
CO2 pipelines have been operating safely in the United States for more than 50 years – with more than 50 operating pipelines spanning over 5,000 miles today. These pipelines transport millions of metric tons of CO2 annually across entire regions of the country.
Unlike natural gas and liquid petroleum – which are transported through millions of miles of pipelines across the U.S. – CO2 is not flammable or explosive. These pipelines have stringent regulations, monitoring, and mitigation requirements.
Pipelines are also designed to safely operate under the pressures required to effectively transport CO2. For example, the Dakota Gas/Souris Valley CO2 Pipeline, which has been in operation in North Dakota for nearly 25 years, transports CO2 at over 2000 PSI. That pipeline is built for a maximum operating pressure of up to 2700 PSI. Before any CO2 is transported via pipeline, the pipes are hydrostatically tested, which means they are filled with fresh water or an inert gas at a pressure 125% of the maximum operating pressure to ensure their structural integrity.
While prolonged exposure to high concentrations of CO2 can be hazardous, the gas typically quickly evaporates into the air. In the unlikely event of a leak, pipeline systems are designed to automatically shutdown, ceasing all operations until the cause is determined and repaired, and a reporting process through North Dakota’s Unified Spill Reporting System is triggered.
Safety of CO2 transport and storage is ensured through rigorous site selection, extensive monitoring, and regulatory oversight. North Dakota requires extensive review and approval of plans to operate pipeline and storage facilities and inject CO2. All CO2 storage projects must include:
CO₂ storage facility operators must have the proper financial instruments and ability in place to cover the cost of any necessary corrective action, injection well plugging, post-injection site care/facility closure, and emergency and remedial response. These instruments must remain in place until the CO₂ storage facility is approved for closure.
In February 2020, a CO2 pipeline near the community of Satartia, Mississippi was severed by a landslide, releasing high concentrations of CO2 into the atmosphere. This incident resulted in a thorough investigation by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). PHMSA identified several factors that led to this pipeline rupture, and ultimately cited the pipeline operator for violating multiple existing regulations. Thankfully, there were no fatalities as a result of this incident.
Contributing factors to this failure included:
One misconception about the Satartia pipeline incident is that the pipeline “exploded.” CO2 is non-flammable, and non-explosive, so no explosion occurred. Rather, the pipeline rupture (caused by a landslide) resulted in a phenomenon known as “explosive decompression.” Explosive decompression in pipelines happens when a pipe that carries gas or liquid breaks very quickly. Think about blowing up a balloon and then popping it with a pin. The air rushes out quickly and makes loud noise from the change in pressure. When a pressurized pipeline suddenly breaks, the gas or liquid inside escapes just as quickly, causing a powerful rush disturbing the ground immediately around the break point. In Satartia, the liquid CO2 in the pipeline immediately transitioned back to a gas with some residual “dry ice” in the immediate area.
This was the first such “worst-case scenario” failure of a CO2 pipeline among the 5,300 miles of CO2 pipeline currently in service across the U.S., and resulted from several unique factors combined with failure by the pipeline operator to uphold PHMSA standards. Historically, PHMSA requirements have a safety record outperforming the safety standards of both rail and truck transport.
Read the PHMSA Report on the Satartia, Mississippi pipeline incident »