It has been announced that ExxonMobil wil build a commercial demonstration plant to display their new Controlled Freeze Zone (CFZ) Technolgy, which could make carbon capture and storage more affordable and significantly reduce greenhouse gases.
The proposed plant will be built near LaBarge, Wyoming, and will advance the CFZ technology to commercial application. Once completed it will process about 14 million cubic feet of gas per day for injection and test a wide range of gas components. Construction is expected to begin in late 2009, while testing is expected to occur over one to two years.
CFZ is a described by ExxonMobil as a single-step cryogenic separation process that freezes out and then melts the Carbon Dioxide, as well as removing other components such as hydrogen sulfide – found in sour gas. These are then discharged as a high-pressure liquid stream for injection into underground storage, or for use in reservoir management to enhance oil recovery.
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“This technology will assist in the development of additional gas resources to meet the world’s growing demand for energy and facilitate the application of carbon capture and storage, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Mark Albers, senior vice president of Exxon Mobil Corporation.
The company has committed more than $100 million to complete the development and testing of the improved natural gas treatment technology.
