CO2 sequestration by mineralization

A method for CO2 sequestration gaining increased attention from the international scientific community, is carbonation of silicate minerals to form stable carbonates and silica products. Mafic silicates have especially shown good potential for CO2 sequest ration. IFE is in the beginning of a 4-year Strategic Institute Program (SIP), funded by the Research Council of Norway, investigating the combined industrial value creation and the carbon sequestration potential of Norwegian resources of mafic and ultram afic systems. Experimental facilities and a research program are set up to address the thermodynamic and kinetic issues of the relevant CO2-mineral reactions. Preliminary experimental results utilizing the ultramafic rock dunite (almost only olivine) are very promising. The Big Sky Carbon Sequestration Partnership in US has two approaches of CO2 sequestration; geologic and terrestrial. The Partnership?s region has a range of geologic sites for CO2 storage including depleted oil reservoirs, deep unmineab le coal seams, carbonate saline aquifers and mafic volcanic formations. IFEs ongoing Strategic Institute Programme on CO2 sequestration is particularly relevant to the mafic volcanic option, as the minerals in such formations are the same or similar to t hose focused in our research program (SIP). The thermodynamic and kinetic issues are the same, and perhaps more challenging in the Big Sky Partnership case as this involves in situ formation reactions. IFE has also relevant experience and strategic intere st related to CO2 deposition in depleted oil reservoirs and carbonate saline aquifers. IFE wants to explore the possibility for beneficial cooperation on the bilateral level with institutions in the USA on the carbon sequestration issue. Through the Big Sky Partnership Team we will have access to many institutions (for example Los Alamos National Laboratory - LANL) that are conducting research relevant to our interests.