The Railroad Commission of Texas (United States) has approved three Class VI injection permits for ExxonMobil’s Rose carbon capture and storage (CCS) project in Jefferson County, Texas in a two-to-one vote (Financial Times, 15/09/2026).
The USD5bn facility targets the permanent storage of around 53 MtCO2 and plans to inject approximately 4 MtCO2/year over 13 years into the Fleming and Upper Frio geological formations. An 18-mile (29 km) pipeline connects surrounding industrial sources to the three storage wells. Monitoring remains mandatory throughout operations and for up to 50 years after injection.
A commissioner opposed the permits, citing potential groundwater contamination, CO2 migration through unmapped faults and reliance on the federal 45Q tax credit, which provides incentives for each tonne of CO2 permanently stored. ExxonMobil said geological modelling, engineering measures and operational monitoring mitigate the identified risks.
According to ExxonMobil, the approval highlights the role of CCS in supplying lower-carbon products and supports the company’s broader expansion strategy across the US Gulf Coast.