Class VI well approvals accelerate as CCS permit applications slow
(WO) — U.S. Class VI carbon storage permitting activity gained momentum during the first quarter of 2026, although new permit applications slowed, according to a new report from Enverus Intelligence Research (EIR).
EIR found that three final Class VI permits had been issued by early second-quarter 2026, matching the total number of approvals granted during all of 2025. Two permits were approved during the first quarter, followed by a third approval in April.
The report also identified growing activity within the regulatory pipeline. Five draft permits were issued during the first quarter across Louisiana, Texas, Kansas and Colorado, while the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has indicated that nearly two dozen additional applications could receive draft permits this year.
Despite the increase in approvals, new application activity moderated. Three new Class VI applications were submitted during the quarter, below the four-year average of seven per quarter. Four existing applications representing nine wells and approximately 10 million metric tons per year (mtpa) of storage capacity were also withdrawn.
At the end of the first quarter, EIR tracked 106 Class VI applications under review covering 387 wells. Of those, 54 applications were being reviewed by the EPA, while Louisiana and Texas were reviewing 30 and 18 applications, respectively.
“Across the Class VI landscape, 1Q26 shows approvals beginning to build even as new submissions slow,” said Brad Johnston, analyst with Enverus Intelligence Research's energy transition division. “Draft-permit activity suggests capacity can scale materially over the next several years, but schedule extensions, withdrawals and iterative regulator feedback remain key variables.”
Five carbon capture and storage projects were actively injecting CO₂ through Class VI wells at the end of the quarter, representing approximately 5.2 mtpa of injection capacity. EIR forecasts total U.S. Class VI injection capacity could exceed 100 mtpa by the end of 2027 and 300 mtpa by 2030, subject to permitting and project execution timelines.
