Conestoga Energy successfully completes drilling of its first Class VI for CCUS

In Kansas, Conestoga Energy announced the successful completion of drilling operations for its first Class VI well designed for carbon capture, utilization and sequestration (CCUS). The well, located near the Company’s Bonanza BioEnergy ethanol plant in Garden City, Kansas, will serve as the cornerstone of Conestoga’s initiative to permanently store carbon dioxide emissions generated during the ethanol production process.

Conestoga intends to submit its full Class VI permit application to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) this summer, marking the next critical step in the Company’s fully integrated CCUS/ethanol production strategy that will significantly reduce the carbon intensity (CI) score and increase margins of its bioethanol.

The Class VI well is engineered to inject CO₂ more than a mile underground into secure geologic formations, in full compliance with EPA regulations to ensure safety and long-term containment. The project will enable Conestoga to capture and store 100% of the CO₂ emissions generated from its bioethanol production process. Once operational, the facility will sequester over 150,000 metric tons of CO₂ annually. Additionally, the project presents opportunities to store CO₂ from third-party sources, allowing Conestoga to earn additional carbon credits.

Located fourteen miles from Conestoga’s enhanced oil recovery (EOR) site, the Class II well enables 100% of the captured CO₂ to be utilized for EOR. This proven technique involves injecting CO₂ into mature oil fields to restore depleted reservoir pressure and increase production efficiency while simultaneously storing carbon underground — offering both economic returns and emissions reductions in line with Conestoga’s financial and carbon management goals.