Digging Deep into Climate Solutions: McElroy Swamp's Hidden Role in Carbon Sequestration

Climate change is one of the challenges we face today, and the spaces between the rocks thousands of feet under the water have a new use in the battle.  The very geology that launched exploration and production of oil & gas in the 1920s has placed United Lands Company in the forefront of climate solutions today.  One of the most promising ways to combat the rise of global temperatures is through carbon sequestration—capturing and permanently storing carbon dioxide (CO₂) deep underground.

While the concept sounds complex, the natural formations found at sites like McElroy Swamp hold the key. In this blog, we’ll take you on a deep dive into how pore spaces—small voids in existing geologic formations—are quietly revolutionizing carbon storage, and how our work at McElroy Swamp is playing a pivotal role in climate mitigation. By the end of this journey, you’ll understand the science behind it, the immense environmental and economic benefits, and why McElroy Swamp is uniquely suited for this endeavor.

What is Pore Space?

Before we get into the details of carbon sequestration, let’s start with a simple but powerful concept—pore space. These tiny voids, found in geological formations like sandstone and limestone, might be invisible to the naked eye, but they’re essential to many natural processes. Typically, they store water, oil, or gas. But today, we’re leveraging them to store something even more crucial: carbon dioxide.

In McElroy Swamp, these pore spaces are abundant in the sedimentary rocks beneath the surface, and that’s where the magic happens. These voids allow us to inject and store CO₂ safely, deep underground, keeping it out of the atmosphere where it would contribute to global warming.  Along with a neighboring property of almost equal size, it has been estimated that 200,000,000 metric tons of CO2 can be permanently stored underground in this pore space.

Why Pore Space Matters in Carbon Sequestration

When we talk about carbon sequestration, pore spaces are the unsung heroes. The ability to trap CO₂ and keep it from entering the atmosphere is a game-changer for mitigating climate change. Once captured on the surface from either Direct Air Capture or in the effluent stack of an industrial process, these pore spaces serve as nature's storage locker—ready to securely hold large amounts of carbon dioxide for centuries.

Once collected from a site that produces Carbon Dioxide, it is transported to underground sites like McElroy Swamp, where it is injected it into these deep geological formations. These formations and the cap rock above them act as natural barriers, preventing the CO2 from escaping.  What is normally thought of as a gas is placed under the correct combination of pressure and temperature until it is liquified.  In this form it is easy to transport and inject thousands of feet underground.  It then interacts with the rock formation and after a period of migration, begins to stabilize and chemically bond with the minerals below, permanently fusing within the pore space.

The stability of the rock formations under McElroy Swamp are key to making this work. Thanks to its unique geological stability and minimal seismic activity, we know the CO₂ will stay close to the injection site.  The pore space under the swamp is effective and provides a long-term solution to climate mitigation.

The Science Behind Carbon Sequestration

How does this process work? The science behind it is still being developed and being made more efficient. First, the CO₂ is captured at emission sites such as power plants or industrial facilities.  Prior to transport, this gas is pressurized and cooled to transform it into a super cooled liquid.  From there, it travels through specialized pipelines to a storage location.  These pipelines must have driers and sealed from moisture since the addition of water to this liquid will form carbolic acid, something very corrosive to the pipeline.  At McElroy Swamp, the CO₂ is then injected deep into the ground, where it enters the rock formations and fills the pore space.  Although depth varies, the ideal space exists between 5,000 and 10,000 feet underground. The permitting process for this injection is designed to protect the water table.

Environmental and Economic Benefits

The environmental benefits of carbon sequestration are clear: by capturing and storing CO₂, we’re actively working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This effort helps slow the pace of climate change, protecting ecosystems and contributing to global sustainability goals.

The advantages don’t stop there. Carbon sequestration projects offer exciting economic opportunities as well. Landowners like United Lands Company can monetize pore spaces by engaging in carbon storage initiatives with permitted operators. These projects require significant investment, create jobs, and drive economic growth.

McElroy Swamp has the potential to not only contribute to global climate mitigation but also stimulate the local economy. 

Conclusion

The concept of using pore spaces for carbon sequestration holds immense promise in the battle against climate change. The geology under McElroy Swamp serves as an example of how natural formations can be leveraged for carbon storage, offering both environmental and economic benefits.

As we look toward the future, continued innovation in carbon storage technology and the expansion of projects like this one will be critical. We invite you to stay engaged, explore the possibilities of carbon sequestration, and join the conversation on how we can work together to create a more sustainable planet.