What Cowboy Clean Fuels does

Cowboy Clean Fuels, LLC is a privately held Delaware LLC founded in 2020 and headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado, with field operations in Gillette, Wyoming. The company commercializes a patented Biomass Carbon Removal and Storage plus Renewable Natural Gas (BiCRS+RNG) process that was developed over more than a decade by Dr. Michael Urynowicz at the University of Wyoming's Center for Biogenic Natural Gas Research. The technology injects agricultural biomass—primarily sugar beet residues such as molasses—into existing depleted coalbed methane wells at approximately 1,000 feet depth in Wyoming's Powder River Basin. Indigenous methanogenic microorganisms in the coal seams convert the biomass into CO2 and methane; the CO2 is irreversibly adsorbed onto coal surfaces at reservoir pressures for permanent storage exceeding 100 years, while the methane is recovered as pipeline-ready renewable natural gas. The process is ISO 14064-2:2019 compliant and verified under the Absolute Carbon Standard, with credits registered through Evident's C-Capsule registry.

The company's flagship Triangle Unit Project (TRECCS) commenced commercial operations in June 2024 and is engineered for 0.7 billion cubic feet of RNG output and 180,000-185,000 metric tons of CO2 sequestration annually at full scale. Cowboy Clean Fuels generates revenue through three distinct streams: (1) verified carbon removal credits sold exclusively through Climate Vault Solutions to corporate and institutional buyers, (2) RNG environmental attributes sold under a 10-year offtake agreement with Mercuria covering 5 million MMBTU, and (3) physical pipeline-ready RNG delivered through existing natural gas infrastructure. Pricing is negotiated bilaterally with enterprise customers and is not publicly disclosed. Its primary customer segments are hard-to-decarbonize industries (manufacturing, data centers, transportation), corporate climate buyers seeking durable CDR for net-zero commitments, and energy traders and commodity firms active in environmental product markets. The company also serves an indirect role in the agricultural sector by creating new markets for sugar beet refining residues.

The go-to-market motion is enterprise field sales targeting sustainability officers and procurement teams at large corporations, supplemented by long-term strategic partnerships with Mercuria (RNG EAs) and Climate Vault Solutions (CDR commercialization). The company has raised approximately $36.35 million across funding rounds from 2022-2025, with Machan Investments and the Wyoming Energy Authority as anchor capital providers. Production operations are supported by a small core team (1-10 employees) supplemented by an operations and project workforce scaling to 66 operational jobs and 168 construction jobs by 2025-2027. The technology's strategic value proposition is leveraging stranded CBM infrastructure—avoiding $10B+ in replacement capital while converting stranded assets into productive clean energy assets that produce both renewable energy and verified carbon removal credits from a single integrated operation.

Name

Cowboy Clean Fuels

Legal name

Cowboy Clean Fuels, LLC

Website

https://cowboycleanfuels.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cowboy Clean Fuels commercializes a patented BiCRS+RNG process that converts agricultural biomass into renewable natural gas and permanently sequesters CO2 in coal formations, selling verified carbon removal credits and RNG environmental attributes to corporate climate buyers, energy traders, and hard-to-decarbonize industries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Carbon Dioxide Removal

NAICS

Natural Gas Extraction (211130), Natural Gas Extraction (21113)

SIC

Crude Petroleum & Natural Gas (1311)

akta.pro primary industry

Carbon Removal Credits Trading (DAC, BECCS, Biochar, Mineralization) (EUAGAIAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Biogenic CO2 Capture, Utilization & Liquefaction (from Upgrading/AD) (EUAAAEAJ), Coalbed Methane (CBM) / Coal Seam Gas (CSG) (EUAAAAAD), Coalbed Methane & Coal Mine Methane (Degasification, Capture) (IMAKAIAL), RNG Offtake, Marketing & Environmental Attributes (RINs/LCFS/Guarantees of Origin) (EUAAAEAG), RNG Feedstock Sourcing & Contracting (Landfill, Dairy/Ag, WWTP) (EUAJAJAB)

Keywords

• Carbon dioxide removal
• Renewable natural gas
• Carbon capture storage
• Biomass carbon sequestration
• Carbon removal credits

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) Credits: Sale of verified carbon removal credits generated through the BiCRS+RNG process. Credits are independently verified by Absolute Climate under the Absolute Carbon Standard and registered through Evident's C-Capsule registry. The company sells credits directly to corporate and institutional buyers seeking high-quality, durable CDR for sustainability reporting.
2. Renewable Natural Gas Environmental Attributes: Sale of Environmental Attributes (EAs) associated with carbon-negative RNG production. Under the 10-year offtake agreement with Mercuria, CCF sells 5 million MMBTU equivalent of EAs. RNG is delivered as pipeline-ready carbon-neutral/negative natural gas.
3. Carbon-Neutral RNG Physical Delivery: Physical sale of pipeline-ready renewable natural gas produced from the biogenic process. The RNG can be injected into natural gas pipelines and sold as a clean energy commodity, bundled with carbon removal credits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cowboy Clean Fuels commercializes the patented BiCRS+RNG (Biomass Carbon Removal and Storage plus Renewable Natural Gas) process, which injects agricultural biomass into existing coalbed methane wells where indigenous microorganisms convert the feedstock into CO2 and methane. The CO2 is permanently adsorbed onto coal formations for 100+ years (delivering verified Carbon Removal Credits), while the methane is recovered as pipeline-ready Renewable Natural Gas. The company sells verified carbon removal credits and RNG environmental attributes to enterprise customers and energy traders, with the Triangle Unit (TRECCS) project in Wyoming's Powder River Basin as its first commercial deployment.

Product overview

Cowboy Clean Fuels operates a dual-value platform combining carbon dioxide removal with renewable natural gas production through its patented BiCRS+RNG (Biomass Carbon Removal and Storage plus Renewable Natural Gas) process. The core offering consists of verified Carbon Removal Credits generated through permanent CO2 sequestration in coal formations, alongside pipeline-ready Renewable Natural Gas produced from agricultural byproducts using indigenous microorganisms. The company commercializes its technology primarily through the Triangle Unit Project (TRECCS) in Wyoming's Powder River Basin, with operations enabled by its proprietary BiCRS+RNG Methodology. All offerings are supported by independent verification under the Absolute Carbon Standard and digital MRV technology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Carbon Removal Credits Verified, registry-listed carbon dioxide removal credits generated through the BiCRS+RNG process, certified under the Absolute Carbon Standard, registered through Evident's C-Capsule registry, and available for immediate purchase via Climate Vault Solutions as the exclusive commercialization partner.
• Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) Carbon-neutral to carbon-negative pipeline-ready renewable natural gas produced through microbial conversion of agricultural biomass (sugar beet residues) in coal bed methane formations. RNG is delivered through existing natural gas pipeline infrastructure and sold bundled with environmental attributes and carbon removal credits.

Quantifiable outcome

• 180,000-185,000 metric tons CO2 sequestered annually at full scale
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• Climate Vault SolutionscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 April 2026Exclusive commercialization partner for carbon removal credits from the Triangle Unit project. Climate Vault Solutions provides corporate and institutional buyers with dedicated procurement pathway for verified CDR credits. Cowboy is the first BiCRS project selected for Climate Vault's independently-vetted portfolio following rigorous multi-phase technical review by the Technology Experts Chamber.
• Absolute ClimatecoreTechnology or Integration · 8 April 2026Partnership to certify Cowboy's carbon removal projects under the Absolute Carbon Standard (ACS). Absolute Climate provides independent verification of carbon credits, bringing clarity and consistency to atmospheric outcome measurement and certification. Credits are issued through Evident's C-Capsule registry.
• Mangrove SystemsstrategicTechnology or Integration · 30 June 2025Strategic collaboration to deploy digital MRV technology across Cowboy's commercial carbon removal and RNG operations in Wyoming's Powder River Basin. Mangrove's dMRV platform provides continuous, audit-ready tracking of environmental performance aligned with ISO 14064-2 standards, enabling automated data collection and accelerated credit issuance.
• MercuriacoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 12 May 2025Landmark 10-year offtake agreement for purchase of Environmental Attributes (EAs) associated with carbon-negative RNG. Mercuria distributes EAs through its global network of energy transition customers. Agreement covers 5 million MMBTU equivalent EAs from the Triangle Unit project near Gillette, Wyoming.
• EcoEngineers (LRQA)strategicTechnology or Integration · 28 April 2025EcoEngineers collaborated with Cowboy in developing the industry-first BiCRS+RNG methodology, ensuring adherence to highest scientific rigor, transparency, and sustainability standards. Eco helped ensure methodology compliance with ISO 14064-2:2019 and alignment with EPA and Wyoming DEQ UIC permit requirements.
• Tiger TransferstrategicImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 10 December 2024Partnership for feedstock transloading operations at Tiger Transfer's Upton Logistics Center in Wyoming. Seven-acre leased parcel includes rail spur with 13-car capacity and digital scale. Enables efficient storage and transloading of feedstock transported from sugar beet refineries across the Northern Rockies and Great Plains.
• University of WyomingcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology licensed exclusively from University's Center for Biogenic Natural Gas Research. Dr. Michael Urynowicz developed the patented BiCRS technology over more than a decade at the university. Company was founded in 2020 to commercialize this technology.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Direct peers

• Charm Industrial: Charm Industrial produces bio-oil for permanent underground carbon sequestration using biomass feedstocks. It is highly comparable to Cowboy as both companies monetize durable carbon removal credits via biomass conversion and geological storage, targeting similar corporate CDR buyers with verified, high-integrity credits.
• Brightmark Energy: Brightmark develops RNG projects from agricultural waste and organic residuals, with comparable focus on dairy and farm-based feedstock conversion. It is directly comparable to Cowboy in converting biomass feedstocks into pipeline-ready RNG and monetizing environmental attributes for corporate sustainability buyers.
• Vanguard Renewables: Vanguard Renewables produces renewable natural gas from agricultural and food waste via anaerobic digestion, partnering with dairy farms and food manufacturers. It is directly comparable to Cowboy in the biomass-to-RNG value chain, with similar feedstock logistics, RNG offtake structures, and environmental attribute monetization.
• Opal Fuels: Opal Fuels produces and markets RNG with vertical integration across production, transportation, and environmental attribute sales. It is comparable to Cowboy in monetizing RNG environmental attributes (including D3 RINs) for transportation and corporate decarbonization customers, with similar offtake and marketing structures.

Broad incumbents

• Archaea Energy: Archaea Energy is one of the largest US RNG producers from landfill gas, now part of BP's gas and low-carbon energy business. It is a broad incumbent comparable to Cowboy in RNG production scale and environmental attribute monetization, though focused on landfill gas rather than agricultural biomass or CBM well feedstock.
• 1PointFive (Occidental): 1PointFive is Occidental's DAC subsidiary building STRATOS, one of the world's largest DAC facilities in Texas. It is a broad incumbent comparable to Cowboy in commercializing CDR at scale for corporate offtake, with substantially greater capital backing and operational scale though focused exclusively on DAC technology.
• Climeworks: Climeworks is a leading DAC company operating commercial plants including Orca and Mammoth, with permanent storage partnerships. It is a broad incumbent comparable to Cowboy in commercializing atmospheric carbon removal for corporate buyers, though using direct air capture rather than biomass injection in coal seams.

Emerging players

• CarbonCapture Inc. CarbonCapture Inc. develops direct air capture (DAC) technology partnering with carbonate mineralization for permanent carbon storage. It is an emerging CDR peer targeting the same corporate buyer segments for durable, high-integrity removal credits, though using a different technological approach (DAC vs. BiCRS).
• Heirloom Carbon: Heirloom Carbon uses limestone-based DAC technology for permanent carbon mineralization. It is an emerging CDR peer comparable to Cowboy in targeting premium voluntary carbon market buyers with verified, durable removal credits, though operating at a different scale and with fundamentally different capture methodology.
• Vaulted Deep: Vaulted Deep sequesters carbon by injecting organic waste into deep geological formations for permanent storage. It is an emerging CDR peer directly comparable to Cowboy in using subsurface injection for durable carbon storage while monetizing removal credits through voluntary markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds8 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cowboy Clean Fuels