Louisiana regulators are seeing a surge of applications tied to carbon capture and storage, The Center Square reports.
The Department of Energy and Natural Resources has issued 22 permits for Class V test wells, with another eight pending, while reviewing 33 applications for the more advanced Class VI storage wells. Class V wells provide critical subsurface data before companies pursue Class VI permits, which allow long-term underground storage of carbon dioxide.
At a recent Iberville Parish hearing, ExxonMobil defended its plan to drill a $13 million test well on sugarcane farmland, drawing both support and opposition. Environmental advocates argue the state’s reviews are too narrow, while industry backers highlight the projects’ economic promise—millions in tax revenue, lease payments and competitive advantages for Louisiana manufacturers.
