Final Environmental Assessment for Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. Recovery Act - National Energy Technology Laboratory - Bog

DOE prepared this EA to evaluate the potential environmental consequences of providing a financial assistance grant under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) (Recovery Act; Public Law 111-5, 123 Stat. 115) to Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (Air Products). If Air Products received the funding, the company would demonstrate the capture of carbon dioxide (CO2) from steam methane reformers at Air Products facilities in Port Arthur, Texas; transporting the CO2 via pipeline; and conducting monitoring, verification, and accounting (MVA) related to enhanced oil recovery (EOR) at the West Hastings Field. The CO2 would be sequestered in the Frio formation as part of the EOR activities. Air Products would capture approximately one million short tons of CO2 per year using vacuum swing adsorption. The compressed CO2 would be piped approximately 12.8 miles to the existing Green Pipeline, which would in turn convey the CO2 to the West Hastings Field south of Houston, Texas. Denbury Onshore, LLC. is a subcontractor to Air Products for the use of the Green Pipeline and will share responsibility for conducting the MVA activities. DOE's proposed action would provide approximately $284 million in financial assistance in a cost-sharing arrangement to Air Products. The cost of the proposed project would be approximately $431 million. This EA evaluates the environmental resource areas DOE commonly addresses in its EAs and identifies no significant adverse environmental impacts for the proposed project. The proposed project could result in beneficial impacts to the nation's energy efficiency, through capture of CO2 at existing Air Products facilities within the Valero Port Arthur Refinery, and to the local economy; increase domestic oil production; and could contribute to a minor reduction of greenhouse gases.