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In situ carbonation of peridotite for CO2 storage

In situ carbonation of peridotite for CO2 storage
In situ carbonation of peridotite for CO2 storage
The rate of natural carbonation of tectonically exposed mantle peridotite during weathering and low-temperature alteration can be enhanced to develop a significant sink for atmospheric CO2. Natural carbonation of peridotite in the Samail ophiolite, an uplifted slice of oceanic crust and upper mantle in the Sultanate of Oman, is surprisingly rapid. Carbonate veins in mantle peridotite in Oman have an average 14C age of ?26,000 years, and are not 30–95 million years old as previously believed. These data and reconnaissance mapping show that ?104 to 105 tons per year of atmospheric CO2 are converted to solid carbonate minerals via peridotite weathering in Oman. Peridotite carbonation can be accelerated via drilling, hydraulic fracture, input of purified CO2 at elevated pressure, and, in particular, increased temperature at depth. After an initial heating step, CO2 pumped at 25 or 30 °C can be heated by exothermic carbonation reactions that sustain high temperature and rapid reaction rates at depth with little expenditure of energy. In situ carbonation of peridotite could consume >1 billion tons of CO2 per year in Oman alone, affording a low-cost, safe, and permanent method to capture and store atmospheric CO2.
alteration and weathering, carbon capture, exothermic, carbon sequestration, mineral
0027-8424
17295-17300
Kelemen, Peter B.
1e6e5819-666e-4011-9c11-3e07279bee7c
Matter, Jürg
abb60c24-b6cb-4d1a-a108-6fc51ee20395
Kelemen, Peter B.
1e6e5819-666e-4011-9c11-3e07279bee7c
Matter, Jürg
abb60c24-b6cb-4d1a-a108-6fc51ee20395

Kelemen, Peter B. and Matter, Jürg (2008) In situ carbonation of peridotite for CO2 storage. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 105 (45), 17295-17300. (doi:10.1073/pnas.0805794105).

Record type: Article

Abstract

The rate of natural carbonation of tectonically exposed mantle peridotite during weathering and low-temperature alteration can be enhanced to develop a significant sink for atmospheric CO2. Natural carbonation of peridotite in the Samail ophiolite, an uplifted slice of oceanic crust and upper mantle in the Sultanate of Oman, is surprisingly rapid. Carbonate veins in mantle peridotite in Oman have an average 14C age of ?26,000 years, and are not 30–95 million years old as previously believed. These data and reconnaissance mapping show that ?104 to 105 tons per year of atmospheric CO2 are converted to solid carbonate minerals via peridotite weathering in Oman. Peridotite carbonation can be accelerated via drilling, hydraulic fracture, input of purified CO2 at elevated pressure, and, in particular, increased temperature at depth. After an initial heating step, CO2 pumped at 25 or 30 °C can be heated by exothermic carbonation reactions that sustain high temperature and rapid reaction rates at depth with little expenditure of energy. In situ carbonation of peridotite could consume >1 billion tons of CO2 per year in Oman alone, affording a low-cost, safe, and permanent method to capture and store atmospheric CO2.

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More information

e-pub ahead of print date: 3 November 2008
Published date: 11 November 2008
Keywords: alteration and weathering, carbon capture, exothermic, carbon sequestration, mineral
Organisations: Ocean and Earth Science

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 349454
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/349454
ISSN: 0027-8424
PURE UUID: 2e455223-7604-4e79-9bf8-c9b8dd8d2a55
ORCID for Jürg Matter: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-1070-7371

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 05 Mar 2013 11:32
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:45

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Contributors

Author: Peter B. Kelemen
Author: Jürg Matter ORCID iD

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