A new study by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin has shown that it is possible to produce natural gas while also storing carbon dioxide underground. This could have a significant impact on the fight against climate change, as natural gas is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions.

The study, published in the journal Joule, describes a process called "co-production" that involves injecting carbon dioxide into an underground natural gas reservoir. This helps to increase the pressure in the reservoir, which allows more natural gas to be extracted. At the same time, the carbon dioxide is stored underground, preventing it from being released into the atmosphere.

The researchers tested their co-production process at a pilot project in West Texas. They found that they were able to increase natural gas production by up to 30% while also storing carbon dioxide underground.

The success of this pilot project could lead to the widespread adoption of co-production as a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. If co-production is used at all of the natural gas wells in the United States, it could store up to 1 billion tons of carbon dioxide per year. This is equivalent to the annual emissions of about 200 million cars.

"This is a significant breakthrough that could have a major impact on the fight against climate change," said study lead author Dr. Peter Cook. "Co-production offers a way to continue producing natural gas while also reducing our carbon footprint."

The next step for the researchers is to conduct a larger-scale pilot project to further test the feasibility of co-production. If this is successful, they hope to see co-production adopted at natural gas wells around the world.