JEFFERSON COUNTY, Texas — The State of Texas has reached an agreement to let ExxonMobil create a massive carbon capture storage site in the Gulf of Mexico, south of Southeast Texas.
The agreement between the Texas General Land Office and ExxonMobil covers over 271,000 acres offshore in Jefferson, Chambers and Galveston Counties.
Commissioner Dawn Buckingham calls it the largest carbon sequestration lease in the United States.
The lease allows ExxonMobil to store the CO2 thousands of feet underground.
This is a separate project from ExxonMobil's Rose CCS project in Western Jefferson County, which 12News has previously reported on.
ExxonMobil released a statement about the agreement which you can read below.
Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE: XOM) has executed the largest offshore carbon dioxide (CO2) storage lease in the U.S. with the Texas General Land Office (GLO). The over 271,000-acre site complements the onshore CO2 storage portfolio ExxonMobil is developing, and further solidifies the U.S. Gulf Coast as a carbon capture and storage (CCS) leader.
“This is yet another sign of our commitment to CCS and the strides we’ve been able to make,” said Dan Ammann, president of ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions. “With our growing roster of customers ready to deploy CCS, we’ll be driving substantial emissions reductions along the Gulf Coast through a comprehensive solution that includes capture, transportation, and storage—capabilities that make us a clear leader.”
The terms of the agreement will directly benefit the Texas Permanent School Fund. This will enhance education for Texas children, while also reducing emissions and promoting community development in nearby areas.
“As the steward of 13 million acres of energy-rich state land, I am proud to partner with ExxonMobil in utilizing state land for innovative solutions that can help ensure future energy production. Energy independence is vital to ensuring our state and country remain economic leaders around the globe,” said Commissioner Buckingham. “As a mom, I have long said that educating our children is the most important thing we do, and I am thrilled that the revenue from this lease will go toward benefiting our great state along with our Texas school children.”
Offshore acreage provides much-needed storage space for CO2 emissions with the Gulf of Mexico’s vast potential playing a key role in meeting society’s net-zero goals. ExxonMobil operates the largest CO2 pipeline network in the U.S. and is well-positioned to leverage its extensive infrastructure and storage space to deliver an end-to-end solution.