Geological Society of America

T9 Geologic Carbon Storage

Sunday, 22 September 2024
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
303A

RESEARCH OVERVIEW OF THE UINTA BASIN CARBONSAFE PHASE II PROJECT

Paper number: T9-3
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 8:25 AM – 8:40 AM

Authors

Ting Xiao Presenting Author
University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
Bailian Chen
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM
Brian McPherson
University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
Lauren Birgenheier
University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
Michael Vanden Berg
Utah Geological Survey, Salt Lake City, UT
Carlos Vega-Ortiz
University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
Nathan Moodie
Energy & Geoscience Institute, Salt Lake City, UT
Erin Middleton
Carbon Solutions, Okemos, MI
Sai Wang
New Mexico Tech, Socorro, NM
Richard Middleton
Carbon Solutions, Okemos, MI
Maohong Fan
University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY

Abstract

The overall goal of the Uinta Basin CarbonSAFE Phase II project is to establish the technical and economic feasibility of a potential commercial-scale carbon dioxide capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) hub with high-resolution analyses of geological, technical, economic, and environmental aspects in the Uinta Basin, northeast Utah. Specific objectives include: (1) to develop community partnership with equity and justice principles, (2) to develop comprehensive geologic characteristics datasets and to determine the suitable potential storage reservoirs and caprocks, (3) to evaluate and optimize the injected CO₂ plume migration and area of review (AoR), (4) to identify constraints and risks that might prevent commercial-scale CCS development in the area, (5) to develop further geological characterization, CO₂ management, and monitoring plans, and (6) to evaluate technical and economic feasibility of this proposed storage complex.

To address the needs of local stakeholders, and to understand how CCUS may play a role in the Basin’s future success, activities under the guidance of the Community Benefits Plans are being conducted. The project team is dedicated to establishing and strengthening community relationships and building the groundwork for two-way communication with key community partners.

Historical literature, available core samples, and outcrops near the proposed site of potential reservoir storage units of the Frontier, Dakota, and Entrada sandstones are being collected and evaluated. The geologic model has been refined and revised with local well information, available well logs, laboratory tests, and seismic information, to better forecast the injected CO₂ migration, potential leakage risks, and the AoR. CO₂ source viability and transportation options are being evaluated to understand the technical and economic feasibility of a potential CCUS hub in the Uinta Basin. The initial results suggest that this site is suitable for commercial-scale geological storage of CO₂ and has a high potential as a regional carbon management hub, which could significantly reduce CO₂ emissions and spur economic development in this rural area.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 56, No. 5

doi: 10.1130/abs/2024AM-402604

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