As the climate shifts and attention increasingly focuses on carbon emissions, experts around the world are looking for solutions. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) has been eyed as a remedy for years, and hopes for its success have been high. In a 2023 report, McKinsey said the market for carbon removal could reach as high as $1.2 trillion by 2050. The puzzle, however, is complex, and identifying all the pieces, much less fitting them together, is a monumental challenge.
The 2026 SPE/AAPG/SEG Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage Conference brought together experts in policy and technology to pool their knowledge and work toward putting together the puzzle that, while slowly coming together, has so far remained incomplete. The conference was held in April in The Woodlands, Texas—near Houston, the hydrocarbon capital—to pull experts from the major oil and gas companies that are deeply involved in the carbon industry.
Packed with university professors and professionals from giants such as ExxonMobil and Baker Hughes, the conference sorted through the puzzle pieces, matching problems with ideas to form a complete picture of the carbon capture, use, and storage (CCUS) puzzle.
Clearly, several pieces are still missing.
