The world is scrambling to manage the process of transitioning away from fossil fuels over the coming decade. We know that’s where we’re headed. But there’s no way to just cut it off “cold turkey”. In fact, demand for oil is still growing on a global scale.
In other words, the transition will take more than just electric vehicles and alternative energy sources. It will also take carbon mitigation strategies.
Perhaps the most promising in this class is Carbon Capture Sequestration, Storage, and Utilization, or CCSSU, or CCUS, or CCS, or just plain old “Carbon Capture”.
It isn’t an entirely new idea. But it’s only recently becoming a big business opportunity thanks to rising demand and new government and private industry investments that have started to spur a gold rush into the space.
Last year, the ball really got rolling when the Canadian government began pushing to provide incentives for at least two gigantic new carbon capture projects by 2030. There are already nearly a dozen oil and gas companies reportedly pursuing rights to store carbon dioxide in Alberta’s massive underground caverns.
According to an article from GlobalNews.Ca, these new carbon capture hubs would be fed from clusters of carbon emission sources helping to advance Prime Minister Trudeau’s goal of cutting emissions by 40-45% from 2005 levels with the program.
Before that, Elon Musk started a contest, putting out a tweet, noting: “Am donating $100M towards a prize for best carbon capture technology.”
Now, we are seeing Louisiana become a major focus of carbon capture efforts from two new players in the space, Weyerhaeuser Co (NYSE:WY) and Occidental Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:OXY).
Other key stocks with ties to the Carbon Capture are also positioned for a potential enormous tailwind as the theme gains further traction, including Fluor Corp. (NYSE:FLR), Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (Nasdaq:CLNE), NextEra Energy Inc. (NYSE:NEE), and NRG Energy Inc. (NYSE:NRG).
However, there’s a tiny company based out of Houston, TX, that may be the most interesting opportunity in the space given its small market cap and significant recent announcements: Viking Energy Group Inc. (OTC US:VKIN).
VKIN is a small-cap oil and gas play with proven oil and gas assets valued at over $96 million located in North America in Kansas, Missouri, Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, which positions the company to benefit from a windfall on rampaging oil prices. But it also has potentially key exposure to the eco-electricity grid story through strategic activity, including through its majority owner, Camber Energy Inc (NYSE American:CEI) and has been investing significantly in Carbon Capture, with recent progress now in play.
Viking Energy Group Inc. (OTC US:VKIN) last fall entered into an Exclusive Intellectual Property License Agreement with ESG Clean Energy regarding ESG’s patent rights and know-how related to stationary electric power generation, including methods to utilize heat and capture carbon dioxide.
The ESG Clean Energy System is designed to generate clean electricity from internal combustion engines and utilize waste heat to capture ~ 100% of the carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted from the engine without loss of efficiency, and in a manner to facilitate the production of precious commodities (e.g., distilled/ de-ionized water; UREA (NH4); ammonia (NH3); ethanol; and methanol) for sale.
That set the stage for this week’s news: VKIN announced that it was issued a new patent (No. 11,286,832) by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office in connection with the intellectual property and other rights licensed from ESG.
According to the release, the new patent, issued in March 2022 concerns a Bottoming Cycle Power System and its related impact to carbon capture technology, is the latest patent acquired for ESG’s portfolio of advanced power generation technologies designed to make natural-gas fueled power generation maintain high efficiency without losing energy in the carbon capture process, and for the process of capturing carbon dioxide to be more economically feasible and environmentally friendly.
The new patent reportedly covers the invention of an “exhaust-gas-to-exhaust-gas heat exchanger” that efficiently cools – and then reheats – exhaust from a primary power generator so greater energy output can be achieved by a secondary power source with safe ventilation. Another key aspect of the new patent is the development of a carbon dioxide capture system that utilizes the waste heat of the carbon dioxide pump to heat and regenerate the adsorber that enables the CO2 to be safely contained and packaged.
Nick Scuderi, President of ESG, commented, “Acquiring this patent greatly expands our ability to better capture carbon – and use it to make something beneficial – whenever natural gas is used to produce electricity. It’s very important progress for a world that’s forced to still depend on fossil fuels while trying to meet new emissions standards. Until the renewable power industry can meet the rising global power demands, this technology addresses that challenge tremendously.”
Viking Energy Group Inc. (OTC US:VKIN) CEO and President, James Doris, added, “We are well positioned to assist with the power generation needs of commercial and industrial organizations while at the same time helping them reduce their carbon footprint to satisfy regulatory requirements and follow best ESG-practices. The recent advancement and progress with respect to the ESG’s clean energy system is timely as it aligns with the Canadian government’s recently announced 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan.”
VKIN shares recently broke out above their key 50-day moving average. The stock is now riding a bullish trend over the past 6 weeks, up about 50% in that time. A break above $0.75/share would put it above its “trend” 200-day moving average with all major moving averages sloped to the upside.
