ADNOC a Dubai based UAE said that it has commenced work on the world’s first fully sequestered CO2 injection well as part of its $15 billion plan to decarbonise operations, the company announced on Wednesday.

The project, which is expected to begin injecting CO2 in Q2 2023 will help the state=owned giant reduce its carbon intensity by 25% by 2030 and deliver on its net zero by 2050 ambition.

Once operational, the project will initially fully sequester a minimum of 18,000 tons per annum of CO2 captured from Fertiglobe’s UAE operations for injection in Abu Dhabi’s onshore carbonate aquifers, supporting ADNOC’s ongoing efforts to safely capture and store CO2 from its operations.

The CO2 injection well project builds on ADNOC’s experience with its carbon capture facility at Al Reyadah, which has the capacity to capture up to 800,000 tons of CO2 per year. The well location for CO2 injection as well as targeted geological formations were identified using the results of ADNOC’s extensive 3D seismic survey and the company’s state-of-the-art subsurface modelling capacity. 

The project is the latest in a series of decarbonisation initiatives, including a landmark agreement for ADNOC to acquire 100% of its grid power from the Emirates Water and Electricity Company’s (EWEC) nuclear and solar sources, making the company the first major oil and gas company to decarbonise its power at scale though an agreement of this kind.