Oman’s 44.01 secures $11.7 million deal to permanently store carbon underground

Oman-founded carbon removal company 44.01 has secured $11.7 million in carbon removal offtake agreements from US-based Frontier to remove and permanently store 20,932 tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂) between 2028 and 2031.

The agreement marks Frontier’s first purchase using in-situ mineralization, a process that converts carbon dioxide into solid minerals underground.

“This agreement marks an important step for 44.01: moving our technology from demonstration to commercial deployment,” said Talal Hasan, chief executive of 44.01. “Our focus is now on delivering at commercial scale, continuously improving performance and driving down costs, so that more customers can benefit from this technology.”

Frontier facilitates carbon removal purchases on behalf of companies including Stripe, Google, Shopify, Autodesk, H&M Group and Workday. The latest agreements aim to advance the technology beyond short-duration pilot injections towards continuous operations over several years.

Ella Hughes, technical program manager for carbon removal at Google, confirmed the company’s involvement in a social media post, saying, “Google is partnering with 44.01 via Frontier to advance in-situ mineralization (ISM).”

Hannah Bebbington Valori, head of Frontier, said the technology could expand access to permanent carbon storage in locations where conventional methods are economically unfeasible.

“Where we can store CO₂ shouldn’t limit where we can remove it. In-situ mineralization could expand the storage map, making permanent storage practical in places where conventional storage can’t be economically implemented. That’s why we’re purchasing from 44.01: to prove out the technology and ready it for commercial scale,” she said.

The process involves dissolving captured CO₂ in water and injecting the solution through wells into peridotite, a naturally occurring, magnesium-rich rock. The dissolved carbon reacts with the rock to form stable solid carbonates, permanently locking the carbon underground.

According to 44.01, the mineralization process can occur within one to three years. Where suitable reactive rocks are located near industrial emission sources, the approach could reduce the need for long-distance CO₂ pipelines and shipping.

Conventional geological storage typically involves injecting compressed CO₂ into deep underground formations. In-situ mineralization offers an alternative in locations where suitable sedimentary basins are unavailable or too costly to access.

The technology is particularly relevant to Oman, where extensive exposed peridotite formations provide suitable geological conditions. 44.01 said it has demonstrated its process in Oman and the UAE and identifies Oman as a potential source of additional carbon storage capacity.

The Frontier-backed project aims to demonstrate continuous operations and generate data on injection rates, water requirements and operating costs. The findings will help assess whether the technology can be scaled economically.

The results could clarify the potential for in-situ mineralization to support permanent carbon removal and emissions reductions in hard-to-abate industries, including cement and steel.