Carbon Capture and Utilization Technologies for Offshore Platforms: a Literature and Industrial Perspective

Today, fossil fuels remain the most reliable and widely used energy source, with demand projected to rise in the coming years. Approximately 25% of the total fossil fuel production comes from deep and shallow offshore operations, yet its carbon footprint is about twice that of onshore oil rigs per equivalent megajoule (MJ) of methane produced. Accordingly, lowering the carbon footprint in offshore operations represents a key step for reducing worldwide Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. However, conventional Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) technologies frequently prove inadequate in meeting the specific demands of offshore operations due to constraints associated with their segregation from land connections, limited spatial availability, and deep process integration. This paper reviews the CCU technologies with potential applications in offshore platforms based on their technological maturity and compliance with offshore operational constraints. In particular, electrified reforming, catalytic hydrogenation, and 2-step carbonylation present a near-term potential for offshore operations, while technologies such as 1-step carbonylation and electrocatalytic and photocatalytic transformations still require substantial advancements for their effective offshore implementation.