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A Review of the Safety Record of CO2  Pipelines in the United States

A Review of the Safety Record of CO2 Pipelines in the United States

Full Title: A Review of the Safety Record of CO2 Pipelines in the United States
Author(s): Ryan Krammer
Publisher(s): Great Plains Institute
Publication Date: August 20, 2024
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):

Totaling over 5,000 miles, carbon dioxide (CO2) pipelines have operated in various regions of the United States for decades, largely between natural sources of CO2 and enhanced oil recovery fields. While estimates for the number of miles needed vary, deploying carbon capture technologies at power and industrial facilities to aid in the decarbonization of the US economy will necessitate an expansion of the nation’s CO2 pipeline network.

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), a federal agency under the US Department of Transportation, is responsible for developing and enforcing regulations related to the safe operation of pipeline infrastructure in the US, including supercritical CO2 pipelines.

This issue brief provides an overview of the historical accident record of CO2 pipelines in the US. The brief aims to provide publicly available data reported by pipeline operators to PHMSA to understand a variety of aspects related to CO2 pipeline safety in the US. For a more detailed review of CO2 pipeline construction, operation, and oversight, see a recent report from the Global CCS Institute, which included collaboration with the Great Plains Institute.

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