A Geospatial Analysis of Pathways for Carbon Sequestration

The 2007 IPCC report detailed the warming of the earth is unmistakable and is most likely due to anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The earth’s natural processes are unable to reabsorb GHGs at the rate at which they are being emitted, subsequently increasing climate temperatures and affecting ecosystems and populations around the world. Carbon capture and sequestration technologies are a possible mitigating solution to preventing emission of GHGs into the atmosphere. This analysis takes a geospatial approach to understanding the interconnecting pathways between carbon sources and sequestration sinks for future CO2 pipeline networks in the United States. Using geographical information systems (GIS), engineering, environmental, and social factors important to the pipeline siting process are evaluated and combined to make a geographical cost surface. A least cost path sensitivity analysis was performed to ensure confidence in the suitability of the cost surface. The final CO2 pipeline cost surface investigates the spatial dynamics of carbon sequestration and the relative cost elements that will influence the pipeline network. Utilities and other organizations can use the cost surface in future projects as an analytical tool showing areas of relative high and low pipeline costs. A scenario analysis was performed using the final CO2 cost surface as a tool to examine future spatial configurations of sequestration sites. The analysis found that a sequestration scenario with multiple points of CO2 injection across the United States would yield the lowest total relative costs for a national pipeline network.