Energy Transition Midstream

Will midstream limit CCUS development?

byBrad Johnston, P.Geo.

XOM’s recent acquisition of DEN for nearly $5 billion firmly places the buyer and its low carbon solutions business as a leader in carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS). Its dominant position is even more apparent in southern Louisiana where DEN was very active in securing midstream partnerships and storage sites around its Green and NEJD CO2 pipelines. XOM is now a midstream and/or storage partner in nine of the 22 announced CCUS project in southern Louisiana, as well as being the owner and operator of the only CO2 pipelines in the region. Its CCUS participation includes storing at least 48 mtpa of the 84 mtpa of total planned storage in the area. This does not include volumes related to recent storage announcements for its Libra and Virgo projects that currently do not have annual storage targets.

Current throughput for XOM’s Green pipeline is about 4 mtpa, only 25% of the 16 mtpa capacity. The remaining capacity, however, is far from enough to satisfy the demands of the rapidly expanding southern Louisiana CCUS market. If all announced capture and storage projects in the area go through, at least 50 mtpa of additional transportation capacity will be needed by 2030. Expansion of XOM’s existing CO2 infrastructure and the addition of new CO2 pipelines through new builds or repurposing existing pipelines and rights of way will need to happen in relatively short order to meet project timelines.

Highlights from Energy Transition Research

  1. Power Generation BeatBox 2Q23 – Calling for big beats from CEG and VST – This report series attempts to predict beats and misses on consensus revenue expectations for public power producers using a proprietary data-driven quantitative model.
  2. Going Green With Hydrogen – IRA economics and technology benchmarking – This report explores green hydrogen technology and incentives available in the U.S and models the resulting project-level economics.
  3. Renewables Performance Drivers – Design choices that matter – This report analyzes the impact of wind and solar project design decisions made by developers and quantifies the choices that result in the strongest asset performance.

Energy is changing. Connect weekly with the ideas that are leading the way.

About Enverus Intelligence®| Research
Enverus Intelligence® | Research, Inc. (EIR) is a subsidiary of Enverus that publishes energy-sector research focused on the oil, natural gas, power and renewable industries. EIR publishes reports including asset and company valuations, resource assessments, technical evaluations, and macro-economic forecasts and helps make intelligent connections for energy industry participants, service companies, and capital providers worldwide. Click here to learn more.

Picture of Brad Johnston, P.Geo.

Brad Johnston, P.Geo.

Brad joined Enverus in 2016 where he works as a geologist and research analyst. He is currently a member of the Energy Transition Research team, developing subsurface models and research for CCUS, DLE and geothermal. Brad has covered a wide range of US and international basins, focusing on integrating geological models with basin analysis for product and research. He is based in Calgary.

Subscribe to the Enverus Blog

A weekly update on the latest “no-fluff” insight and analysis of the energy industry.

Related Content

Enverus_Press_Release_Power_Energy_Transition_MandA_Thumbnail
Energy Transition
ByAdam Robinson, Enverus Intelligence® | Research (EIR) Contributor

A combined $92 billion in energy and artificial intelligence (AI)-related investments were announced across Pennsylvania last week, with projects ranging from new data centers to natural gas plants and grid modernization efforts.

Enverus Press Release - Welcome to EVOLVE 2025: Where visionaries converge to shape the future of energy
Power and Renewables
ByColton Wright

As demand for AI, cloud computing and digital infrastructure continues to surge, hyperscale data centers have quickly become some of the largest and fastest-growing energy consumers in North America. For developers, grid operators and investors, knowing where the biggest loads are concentrated...

Breaking news alert on the impact on oil prices due to Israel attacking Iran
Power and Renewables
ByColton Wright

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) has changed the game for renewable energy developers. With fewer subsidies to fall back on, developers are being pushed to rethink where and how they build projects. It’s no longer about chasing tax...

Enverus Press Release - Enverus releases Investor Analytics: Refined, actionable financial insights at your fingertips
Power and Renewables
ByDaniel Manfre Jaimes

In the dynamic landscape of energy markets, accurate load forecasting is essential for informed decision-making. Enverus power forecasting solutions have consistently demonstrated exceptional performance, particularly during extreme weather events and critical peak demand periods. Complementing this reliability, our ongoing commitment...

How the One Big Beautiful Bill Act could change clean energy tax credit economics
Energy Transition
ByAlex Nevokshonoff, Senior Analyst, Enverus Intelligence® | Research (EIR) Contributor

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), enacted on July 4, introduces sweeping changes to U.S. energy policy, significantly altering the tax credit landscape for clean energy projects.

Enverus Press Release - Upstream M&A climbs to $105 billion in 2024
Trading and Risk
ByKiana Cruz

In today’s fast-paced markets; traders don’t just need data, they need decisions. At EVOLVE 2025, the Trading & Risk session, “AI-Powered Trading Intelligence: Streamlining Decision Workflows,” spotlighted how artificial intelligence is evolving from a buzzword to a business-critical tool for...

data-center-demand
Energy Transition
ByAdam Robinson, Enverus Intelligence® | Research (EIR) Contributor

The Texas Tech University (TTU) System and Fermi America announced an 11 GW data center powered by a mix of natural gas, utility grid power, solar, wind and nuclear energy. The newly founded power company is building one of the...

Enverus Press Release - Enverus PRISM® now available for Europe
Trading and Risk
ByKiana Cruz

EVOLVE 2025 brought together leading voices across energy trading, analytics and clean fuels to unpack today’s most pressing market dynamics. From evolving benchmarks to retail analytics, one thing rang loud and clear: adaptation isn’t optional, it’s strategic. We attended four...

Black-lady-with-powerline
Energy Transition
ByCorianna Mah, Analyst, Enverus Intelligence® Research

A massive heat dome swept across the eastern U.S. last week, driving temperatures into the triple digits and pushing the PJM Interconnection grid to its highest peak load since 2006.

Let’s get started!

We’ll follow up right away to show you a quick product tour.

Let’s get started!

We’ll follow up right away to show you a quick product tour.

Sign up for our Blog

Register Today

Sign Up

Power Your Insights

Connect with an Expert

Access Product Tour

Speak to an Expert