95 Sustainable Subsurface Pore Space Utilization: Site Selection, Characterization, and Modeling

This session explores site selection, characterization, and modeling for pore space utilization, including hydrogen, natural gas, and CO2 storage, waste disposal, geothermal development, and energy recovery. Emphasis is on project interactions, synergies, and storage integrity.

Monday, 20 October 2025
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
HBGCC, 302C

Carbon Storage Prospects in a Rifted Margin: Insights from Seismic Data Inversion and Structural Interpretation of the Semliki Basin

Paper number: 95-4
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 8:50 AM – 9:05 AM

Authors

Abstract

The Semliki Basin, located in the southern Lake Albert region of the Albertine Rift and part of the East African Rift System, represents a structurally dynamic and geologically promising target for carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS). This study investigates the feasibility of CO₂ storage in this tectonically active basin by integrating 3D post-stack seismic inversion with well log interpretation and structural analysis. Preliminary seismic inversion results reveal prospective reservoir zones within the Kisegi and Kakara Formations, characterized by elevated acoustic impedance and porosity values. Stratigraphically, the Kasande Shale overlies the Kisegi Sandstone and is interpreted as a potential regional seal, while the Oluka Shale is positioned above the Kakara Formation, offering additional caprock potential. These insights are supported by burial history trends and seismic stratigraphy. Ongoing structural analysis including fault throw evaluation and slip tendency modeling aims to assess fault seal behavior and the influence of fault architecture on potential reservoir compartmentalization. Current findings suggest favorable porous intervals and reservoir continuity that may support CO₂ injection. Rock physics diagnostics and velocity modeling are also being developed to further constrain lithofacies distribution and improve inversion accuracy.

This research underscores the potential of active rift basins like Semliki for long-term CO₂ sequestration, providing a foundation for future site-specific evaluation and injection planning. The work also emphasizes the importance of integrating geophysical and geologic insights to advance CCUS feasibility in frontier basins undergoing active tectonism.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 57, No. 6

doi: 10.1130/abs/2025AM-412455

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