The US government has granted final approval to Big Sky Sequestration Project. This US $85 million eight-year pilot project would inject 1 million tonne of CO2 into underground rock formations in Montana for storage. The state will contribute US$ 67 million in federal funds to the project with the balance coming mostly from private partners, including gas and oil exploration companies such as Vecta Oil and Gas, SR2020 and Schlumberger. The Big Sky Sequestration Project carried out by Montana State University, will seek to determine whether CO2 emissions from sources such as coal-fired power plants and cement production can be safely and economically captured and stored. Scientists will monitor CO2 levels to ensure the gas is not escaping and to gauge its effects on surrounding rock and water. In Montana, the Kevin Dome a subterranean rock formation in the north-central part of the state has been selected for the project. The porous rock formation, which is capped by non-porous rocks, has trapped naturally-occurring CO2 for millions of years, said Lee Spangler, director of the carbon project and associate VP of research for the university. While the project will only inject 1 million tonne, the site has the potential to store 1 billion tonne. For comparison, the US emits around 7 billion tonne of CO2 annually.