INTRODUCTION 10: Carbon (Dioxide) Utilization

Overview 

Generally, carbon dioxide has gotten a "bad reputation" as a waste and a major contributor to global warming. The concept of carbon dioxide utilization - or simply referred to as 'carbon utilization'- is a new branch of science that may help close the loop in the carbon cycle. In the natural gas sector, large sources of carbon dioxide can arise during separation activities in exploration and production (E&P) - natural gas is a mixture of mainly methane and carbon dioxide - and during power generation. Carbon dioxide can be separated from other gases (methane or nitrogen) and then utilized as feedstock to produce other products. One of the most favored techniques by the natural gas industry, is the utilization of CO₂ as a solvent, in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) operations, shown all the way to the right in the figure (second rectangle from top):

Critics however, see this form of utilization (EOR) as less environmentally sustainable, because recovered oil will likely produce more CO₂ in its life cycle. There are many other utilization techniques that we will review in this module. For example, CO₂ can be used to produce oxygenated organics like methanol and dimethyl ether, fuels like methane and jet fuel, chemicals like polymers, building materials like aggregates and cement, as a heat transfer fluid (review the Allam-Fetvedt Cycle in the resources section of this module), and more traditionally, in food and beverages (e.g., Coca-Cola). There is another important area known as natural carbon solutions (NCS) where CO₂ is used in greenhouses, the production of algae, or fertilizer production. 

Module Objectives

In this module, the activities, content, and assignments will guide your learning process to ensure you can:

• Describe carbon utilization technologies
• Identify and describe how the natural gas industry can close the carbon cycle
• Apply critical thinking, decision-making, and problem-solving skills to environmental sustainability problems
• Critically review and discuss scientific literature
• Apply the content presented in this course to real world problems

 

Module To-Do List

Here's everything you need to do and remember for this module:

• Review the readings and video resources provided in this module
• Watch the 5 videos/webinars in the lecture section of the module
• Rank the 5 carbon (dioxide) utilization solutions provided in the lecture section of this module and discuss your ranking in the discussion board of this module. Please note that failure to produce this raking will result in no participation points for discussion the board.