Schlumberger’s Focus on Lower-Carbon Technologies: Can Carbon Capture and Storage Scale Up to Support Net-Zero Goals?

Schlumberger’s SLB stock remained stable during early trading on Thursday. The company rebranded as SLB in 2022 to showcase its growing focus on lower-carbon technologies. By the end of the decade, Schlumberger aims to generate $3 billion in revenue from its new energy business, with CEO Olivier Le Peuch highlighting carbon capture and storage as a key driver of this target.

Carbon capture involves capturing carbon dioxide emissions from industrial processes and storing them deep underground. Aker Carbon Capture has developed a method that uses water and organic amine solvents to absorb carbon dioxide emissions. The International Energy Agency (IEA) emphasizes the importance of carbon capture in achieving net-zero emissions globally by 2050, cautioning against overreliance on the technology within the oil and gas industry.

Le Peuch stated that carbon capture and storage will need to significantly scale up in the coming decades to support net-zero goals. The technology can help reduce emissions in hard-to-decarbonize industries such as cement manufacturing, as Aker Carbon Capture’s process can be applied across various sectors. Despite existing for years, the industry has faced challenges deploying carbon capture technology at a commercial scale due to its cost and complexity.

The IEA has stressed the need for the industry to prove that carbon capture and storage can operate effectively at scale, highlighting its history of underperformance. As efforts to address climate change intensify, carbon capture continues to be seen as a crucial tool for reducing emissions in challenging sectors.