Assessing offshore carbon storage opportunities in the Southeast
The Southeast Regional Carbon Storage Partnership: Offshore Gulf of America (SECARB Offshore) is building the technical, regulatory, and economic knowledge needed for safe, long-term offshore carbon dioxide (CO₂) storage. Led by the Southern States Energy Board, the project brings together government, industry, universities, research institutions, and technical experts to evaluate opportunities for future commercial development.
Regional Storage Potential
More than 540 CO₂-emitting facilities are located within 50 miles of the coasts of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Offshore storage could provide an option for managing emissions from industries across the Southeast.
The project is evaluating depleted oil and gas fields, deep saline formations, and opportunities for CO₂-enhanced oil recovery in State and Federal offshore waters. Current estimates suggest that depleted oil and gas fields in the Gulf alone may offer approximately 15 billion tons of CO₂ storage capacity.
Evaluating Sites & Infrastructure
The team is studying potential storage locations, subsurface conditions, and existing offshore infrastructure to assess their suitability for CO₂ transportation and storage. Some infrastructure may be suitable for reuse, potentially reducing the costs of future projects.
Alongside this technical work, the partnership is examining the laws, regulations, and economic considerations that will shape commercial offshore carbon capture, utilization, and storage development.
Current Status
SECARB Offshore continues to evaluate promising storage areas, project risks, infrastructure needs, and evolving State and Federal regulations. This work will help inform site selection, development planning, and decisions about future commercial offshore projects.
A Regional Partnership
The project combines expertise from research institutions, universities, State organizations, industry groups, and technical specialists. Through this government-industry partnership, the Board supports collaboration on the technical and regulatory questions that must be addressed to advance offshore CO₂ storage.