CNPC injects over 13m tons of CO2 in CCUS commercialization push

China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC), the nation's top oil and gas producer, has injected over 13 million metric tons of carbon dioxide to date, accounting for more than 60 percent of the domestic petroleum sector's total, as the energy major accelerates the commercial scaling of carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) projects.

The milestone was highlighted at a recent State Council Information Office briefing, where Zhang Deping, a technical lead at CNPC's Jilin Oilfield, noted that cumulative CO2 injection across China's oil industry has approached 20 million tons, reflecting significant progress toward large-scale industrialization.

In the first half of 2026, CNPC injected more than 1.37 million tons of carbon dioxide, representing a 14.2 percent year-on-year increase. The operations predominantly leverage carbon capture, utilization, and storage for enhanced oil recovery (CCUS-EOR)—a technique that permanently traps greenhouse gases deep underground while repressurizing mature or low-permeability reservoirs to extract residual crude.

The company's expansion aligns with a broader national push to commercialize carbon abatement technologies.
China currently has more than 120 CCUS demonstration projects in operation or planning, with million-ton-scale engineering and operational capabilities maturing rapidly. Globally, operational carbon capture capacity reached 73 million tons per year in 2026, according to an industry outlook by S&P Global.

To establish proprietary technology across the entire value chain, CNPC has developed localized systems for low-energy carbon capture, supercritical pipeline transportation, and safe geological sequestration.
Looking ahead to the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–30) period, CNPC plans to integrate CCUS with renewable energy and clean thermal power projects, scaling up industrial clusters to safeguard domestic fuel output while meeting long-term decarbonization targets.

zhengxin@chinadaily.com.cn