New carbon capture unit in works for Regina, despite concerns in Weyburn

By The Canadian Press
01/12/2011

REGINA - A potential carbon dioxide storage site is in the works near Regina, but it comes on the heels of a Weyburn's couple concern about the process.

Cameron and Jane Kerr believe the carbon capture work already done on their land has led to animals dying and small explosions.

Norm Sacuta, communications manager with the Petroleum Technology Research Centre in Regina, doesn't think there is any worry about possible carbon dioxide leaks in Weyburn or at the potential Regina project.

He says scientists from Canada and Europe have looked at the Weyburn area and not found any problems.

Sacuta says the possible Aquistore project in Regina would take CO2 from the Consumers Cooperative Refinery and store it permanently.

"The number of layers of geological formation that exist between those would assure that the CO2 would stay in the layer in which you inject it," said Sacuta.

The Regina project is still a few years away and would be much smaller than Weyburn, but it would still be capable of storing 550 tonnes of carbon dioxide a day for decades.