Energy firms BKV (BKV.N) and Enlink Midstream (ENLC.N) said on Monday the first injection of carbon dioxide at a carbon capture and storage (CCS) facility in Texas was completed ahead of schedule.

The Barnett Zero CCS facility, to be used as a prototype for future projects, is expected to achieve an average sequestration rate of up to 210,000 metric tons of CO2-equivalent per year.

EnLink will transport natural gas produced by BKV in the Barnett shale in north Texas to its Bridgeport processing plant, where CO2 will be compressed and stored underground in a nearby well.

President Joe Biden's administration sees CCS as critical to reaching the nation's goal of net-zero emissions by 2050 and includes big tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act for related projects.

Oil and gas producers including COP28 host the United Arab Emirates have backed CCS technology for tackling emissions, while using fossil fuels to produce energy.

BKV said its second CCS project Cotton Cove, also in Texas, will begin commercial operations by the end of 2024.