Supply, Underground Injection, and Geologic Sequestration of Carbon Dioxide

EPA's Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP) collects key information regarding the supply, underground injection, and geologic sequestration of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the United States.

• Overview of Relevant GHGRP Subparts
• Data Highlights: Locations and Types of Reporters
• Data Highlights: Supply of CO₂ (Subpart PP)
• Data Highlights: Geologic Sequestration of CO₂ (Subpart RR)
• Data Highlights: Injection of CO₂ (Subpart UU)

Overview of Relevant GHGRP Subparts

Greenhouse gas (GHG) data from these activities are reported under the following GHGRP subparts:

• Suppliers of CO₂ (subpart PP) covers facilities that capture CO₂ from industrial sources and processes or extract it from natural CO₂-bearing formations for supply into the economy. It also covers facilities that capture and maintain custody of a CO₂ stream in order to sequester or otherwise inject it underground. Capture refers to the initial separation and removal of CO₂ from a manufacturing process or any other process (see 40 CFR Part 98 Subpart PP).
• Underground injection of CO₂ (subpart UU) covers facilities not reporting under subpart RR that inject CO₂ underground for the enhanced recovery of oil and natural gas, acid gas injection/disposal, carbon storage research and development (R&D), or for any other purpose other than geologic sequestration (see 40 CFR Part 98 Subpart UU).
• Geologic sequestration of CO₂ (subpart RR) provides a mechanism for facilities to monitor and report to EPA amounts of CO₂ sequestered. Facilities must submit and receive approval for a monitoring, reporting and verification plan (MRV plan) before they can report data under subpart RR. EPA MRV plan decisions can be found on the subpart RR page. Once the plan is approved, facilities report basic information on CO₂ received for injection, data related to the amounts of CO₂ sequestered, and annual monitoring activities (see 40 CFR Part 98 Subpart RR). Note that any subpart RR decision pertains only to subpart RR, and does not in any way replace, remove, or affect Underground Injection Control (UIC) permitting obligations.
• Geologic Sequestration of Carbon Dioxide with Enhanced Oil Recovery Using ISO 27916 (subpart VV) covers facilities not reporting under subpart RR that use the standard designated as CSA/ANSI ISO 27916:19 as a method of quantifying geologic sequestration of CO₂ in association with enhanced recovery operations for oil and other hydrocarbons. Subpart VV is effective as of January 1, 2025.

Data Highlights: Locations and Types of Reporters

Data Highlights: Suppliers of CO₂ (Subpart PP)

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Totals may not sum due to independent rounding.

Primary End Uses of Captured and Produced CO₂ (Subpart PP)
Amount (MMT)^a,b

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^aIncludes cleaning and solvent use, fumigants and herbicides, transportation and storage of explosives, fire-fighting equipment, industrial and municipal water/wastewater treatment, pulp and paper, metal fabrication, greenhouse plant growth, geologic sequestration, and unknown (which may include enhanced oil and gas recovery).
^bAt this time, the aggregation does not meet EPA's criteria for ensuring that CBI is protected.
Totals may not sum due to independent rounding.

Ethanol, natural gas, and ammonia production are among the top three industrial facility types that capture CO₂ for supply into the economy. The chart below shows counts of facility types that capture and supply CO₂.

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In 2023¹, most of the CO₂ captured from industrial processes (54 percent) and nearly all of the CO₂ produced from natural sources (94 percent) was used for enhanced oil and gas recovery. Food and beverage manufacturing is the second most common end use, followed by other end uses such as pulp and paper manufacturing, fire-fighting equipment, and metal fabrication.

¹ As of 8/16/2024.

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 Totals may not sum due to independent rounding.

* Includes cleaning and solvent use, fumigants and herbicides, transportation and storage of explosives, fire-fighting equipment, industrial and municipal water/wastewater treatment, pulp and paper, metal fabrication, greenhouse plant growth, geologic sequestration, and unknown (which may include enhanced oil and gas recovery).

Note that some CO₂ suppliers reported the primary end use for captured or produced CO₂ as "unknown." It is believed that the quantities reported by CO₂ suppliers as "unknown" account for the difference between CO₂ received for enhanced oil and gas recovery and CO₂ supplied for enhanced oil and gas recovery.

Data Highlights: Geologic Sequestration of CO₂ (Subpart RR)

After capture, CO₂ is compressed and then transported to a site where it is injected underground for permanent storage (also known as “geologic sequestration”). CO₂ is commonly transported by pipeline, but it can also be transported by train, truck, or ship. Geologic formations suitable for sequestration include depleted oil and gas reservoirs, deep saline formations, and unmineable coal seams.

ER = enhanced recovery and D = disposal

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The facility-level sequestration data reported under subpart RR are publicly available on the EPA's Facility-Level Information on Greenhouse gases Tool (FLIGHT). On the FLIGHT page, users can select the "Geologic Sequestration of CO2 (RR)" option from the Facility Type dropdown and click "Apply Search" to see facility-level data. View annual monitoring reports submitted by facilities who report data under subpart RR.

Data Highlights: Injection of CO₂ (Subpart UU)

After CO₂ is captured or produced, it can be compressed and transported to a site where it is injected underground. Some facilities both capture or produce CO₂ and inject it underground onsite.

The primary use of carbon dioxide is for enhanced oil and gas recovery. Enhanced oil and gas recovery helps to mobilize oil and gas in underground hydrocarbon reservoirs, thereby increasing production. While most CO₂ captured or produced is supplied to facilities that conduct enhanced oil and gas recovery, a smaller portion is injected underground for other purposes.

Totals may not sum due to independent rounding.

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