Frequently Asked Questions

Carbon sequestration is often referred to as “carbon storage”. Simply put, carbon dioxide emissions are taken at the outlet of an industrial process (fossil fuel power plants, chemical manufacturing plants, etc.) and then injected into a rock formation deep in the ground. The carbon dioxide is held in place by what is called a “cap rock”, a geologic layer that traps in fluids and keep them from migrating back to the surface due to their low permeability. This process requires deep wells to be drilled into a suitable rock formation, as well as some monitoring wells to ensure the carbon dioxide is being held in place.

There are several steps in the sequestration process. The first milestone receiving a class VI well permit from the EPA. It takes approximately one year to apply, and another 12-36 months for approval depending on what state the project takes place (ND and WY have shorter review times). Then it will take XX months for construction and another XX months until the planned injection rates can be achieved. 

So far two states have been granted primacy by the US EPA, North Dakota and Wyoming. These states review the class VI well permits internally, resulting in a much shorter queue and review time. A handful of other states have applied or are considering applying for primacy in order to speed up the sequestration projects in their states. A state with primacy can review and approve a permit in about 12 months, while the EPA usually takes around 2 to 3 years.

It is highly dependent on a few factors. Large volumes of carbon emissions or being situated above poor geology result in drilling more and/or deeper wells. A pipeline may be needed to reach a suitable location, but this is something Windom Peak tries to avoid. All projects will have to submit class VI applications, so that cost remains somewhat constant around 15 million USD. We expect the typical project to cost XX million dollars to sequester one million tons of carbon dioxide per year.

Some industrial processes have resulting emissions that are nearly pure carbon dioxide. Those that have additional pollutants must take an additional step, referred to as carbon capture, before the emissions can be safely stored underground. This is an expensive process in which the emission stream is filtered to get the carbon dioxide alone.