On Monday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) took a significant step in the realm of carbon capture and storage (CCS) by granting Occidental permission to proceed with an innovative project in Texas. This historic move paves the way for Occidental’s Oxy Low Carbon Ventures to drill three wells under a Class VI permit within the Permian Basin’s Ector County. The project is a joint venture between Stratos and asset manager BlackRock, designed to inject 8.5 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) underground. This initiative marks a pivotal moment in the integration of traditional oil and gas operations with forward-thinking environmental technologies.