Hydrogen production and carbon sequestration by steam methane reforming and fracking with carbon dioxide

Abstract

An opportunity to sequester large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) is made possible because hydraulic fracturing is used to produce most of America's natural gas. CO2 could be extracted from natural gas and water using steam methane reforming, pressurized to its supercritical phase, and used instead of water to fracture additional hydrocarbon-bearing rock. The useful energy carrier that remains is hydrogen, with carbon returned to the ground. Research on the use of supercritical CO2 is reviewed, with proppant entrainment identified as the major area where technical advances may be needed. The large potential for greenhouse-gas reduction through sequestration of CO2 and avoidance of methane leakage from the natural gas system is quantified.