As the world races to meet its climate targets amid continued reliance on fossil fuels, a new peer-reviewed study is drawing international attention for offering a practical and science-based roadmap to decarbonize one of the most emission-intensive industries: oil and gas. Authored by Olusola Temidayo Oladipo, an independent U.S.-based professional in energy systems and climate mitigation, the research investigates how Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) can be effectively integrated into offshore and onshore oil platforms in real-world settings—most notably in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Published in the International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (Volume IX, January 2025), Olusola’s paper bridges scientific rigor with industry relevance. It delves into how CCUS can serve as a dual-purpose tool—curbing carbon emissions while boosting economic productivity—particularly in energy-exporting nations like the U.S. and the UK that are simultaneously grappling with climate goals and energy security.
“This is not about choosing between economic development and climate action,” Olusola explained. “CCUS offers a rare convergence where fossil infrastructure can be repurposed for sustainable outcomes—scientifically, operationally, and financially.”
Offshore Platforms: Turning the Tide in the North Sea and Gulf of Mexico
Olusola’s research begins by examining offshore oil platforms, emphasizing their potential to become strategic assets in the battle against climate change. While traditionally seen as environmental liabilities due to high emissions and difficult retrofitting challenges, offshore platforms—particularly in the North Sea and Gulf of Mexico—are uniquely suited for long-term carbon storage.
In the United Kingdom, offshore decarbonization is at the heart of national policy. The Acorn Project in northeast Scotland is one of the UK’s leading CCUS initiatives, aiming to repurpose North Sea oil and gas infrastructure to transport and store industrial CO₂ emissions in deep saline aquifers. Olusola’s work highlights Acorn as a leading model aligned with her framework, demonstrating how existing infrastructure can be converted from emission sources into carbon sinks.
Similarly, in the United States, the Gulf of Mexico is rapidly becoming a hotspot for CCUS development. Federal leasing of seabed sites for carbon storage is already underway, with major energy players including ExxonMobil and Talos Energy preparing to inject CO₂ beneath the ocean floor. According to Olusola, these efforts reflect the very scenarios her research supports: leveraging the depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs and robust infrastructure of mature oil basins to scale climate solutions.
“Offshore CCUS represents one of the most immediate and scalable opportunities for emissions reduction,” Olusola notes. “With declining oil output in some regions, we have the geological and technical foundation already in place for carbon sequestration.”
Onshore Oil Fields: From the Permian Basin to Teesside
Olusola’s paper then turns inland to evaluate onshore platforms, which offer different advantages and constraints. Onshore projects typically benefit from proximity to emission sources and reduced transportation costs—making them attractive for rapid deployment. The Permian Basin in Texas is cited as a case study of successful CO₂-EOR (Enhanced Oil Recovery), where captured carbon is injected into aging wells to release untapped oil, simultaneously reducing atmospheric emissions.
These U.S.-based examples are contrasted with developments in the UK’s industrial clusters, particularly in Teesside and the Humber region, where emissions from steelworks, hydrogen plants, and power stations are now being captured and funneled for storage beneath the North Sea. While the UK lacks vast onshore oil reservoirs, Olusola highlights its strength in policy design, infrastructure coordination, and public-private partnerships, which are critical for successful CCUS rollouts.
“The UK excels in centralized, cluster-based deployment of CCUS,” Olusola said. “The U.S. brings the scale and private investment. Together, these approaches are complementary.”
A Climate Tool with Economic Teeth
What distinguishes Olusola’s paper from other academic reviews is its insistence on economic viability. Rather than framing CCUS as a purely environmental solution, she emphasizes its capacity to generate revenue through EOR, reduce compliance costs under carbon pricing schemes, and extend the life of oilfields that are otherwise nearing retirement.
In both countries, incentives are already being offered. In the U.S., the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has expanded the 45Q tax credit, providing up to $85 per metric ton of captured and stored CO₂. In the UK, £20 billion has been earmarked for CCUS deployment through 2030, with the government supporting multiple regional hubs under its Net Zero Strategy.
Yet Olusola’s analysis is not without caution. She outlines clear technical barriers such as CO₂ leakage risk, high capture costs, and long-term liability concerns. Monitoring technologies, legal frameworks, and community engagement are all critical factors that she identifies as needing improvement for CCUS to reach full maturity.
“It’s not just about injecting carbon into the ground,” Olusola said. “We need robust oversight and continuous verification to ensure that what we capture stays sequestered for decades, if not centuries.”
Linking Science, Policy, and Practice
A standout feature of Olusola’s work is her insistence on translating academic research into policy and engineering practice. She calls for transatlantic collaboration between the U.S. and UK to align safety standards, fund joint research on next-generation capture materials, and share operational data from early CCUS projects.
Her paper promotes the Direct Air Capture (DAC) frontier as a potential breakthrough technology, especially relevant for hard-to-abate sectors. In this context, she encourages both nations to invest in shared demonstration plants, with the UK’s innovation ecosystems and the U.S.’s funding power forming a productive alliance.
“The atmosphere doesn’t respect borders,” Olusola writes. “So, our carbon strategies must be global in ambition and shared in execution.”
Conclusion: From Carbon Sources to Climate Solutions
As the U.S. and UK seek to balance energy demands with decarbonization targets, Olusola Oladipo’s research offers a rare dose of clarity and pragmatism. By framing CCUS not as a future aspiration but as a current necessity—especially in industrial settings like the Permian Basin or the North Sea—her work pushes the climate conversation into practical territory.
The message is clear: we don’t have to wait for the perfect energy system to start acting. Oil platforms—whether in the Gulf of Mexico or off the coast of Scotland—can become climate allies when equipped with the right tools and governed by the right principles.
“I want decision-makers to see oil and gas not as part of the past, but as a pathway to a cleaner future—if we are bold and strategic about how we manage carbon,” Olusola concludes.
Publication Details
- Title: Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) in Offshore and Onshore Oil Platforms
- Author: Olusola Temidayo Oladipo, Independent Energy Researcher, USA
- Published in: International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS)
- Volume: IX, Issue I, January 2025
- DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2025.9010135
- Pages: 1642–1653
From oil rigs to carbon hubs, Olusola’s work challenges us to think not just about what energy is, but what it could become. In the hands of capable experts, the path to climate neutrality might just begin where fossil fuels once ruled.
