ENERGY & MINERALS

CCUS Project

Statewide Assessment of CO2 Storage Potential in Utah as part of the CUSP West Partnership

With an abundance of sedimentary strata containing reservoir-seal pairs, Utah has favorable geology for long-term geologic sequestration of CO2. The Utah Geological Survey (UGS), working with the Energy & Geoscience Institute at the University of Utah, is conducting a statewide assessment of CO2 storage potential in Utah to contribute to a wider, western United States evaluation by the CUSP West Partnership funded by the Department of Energy. The goal of the CUSP West Partnership is to accelerate onshore CO2 capture and storage technology deployment in thirteen states in the western U.S. The project, spanning 2019–2024, involves around twenty universities, national labs, research institutions, and small businesses from across and beyond the CUSP region. A central part of this initiative is to estimate CO2 storage potential across the western United States, which the partnership is assessing using a numerical modeling tool called SCO2TPro. This tool requires numerical inputs for CO2 reservoir sizes and qualities to be provided by each state in the partnership. The UGS has taken the lead on developing the geological inputs for Utah; key contributors include Michael Vanden Berg (UGS Energy & Minerals Program Manager), Dr. Julia Mulhern (CUSP Regional Characterization Lead), and Dr. Eugene Szymanski (Geologic Reservoir Characterization Expert).

Project Overview

With an abundance of sedimentary strata containing reservoir-seal pairs, Utah has favorable geology for long-term geologic sequestration of CO2. The Utah Geological Survey, working with the Energy & Geoscience Institute at the University of Utah, is conducting a statewide assessment of CO2 storage potential in Utah to contribute to a wider, western United States evaluation by the CUSP West Partnership funded by the Department of Energy. Accurate and robust numerical modeling of CO2 storage potential requires a detailed understanding of the extent, architecture, and rock and fluid properties of subsurface reservoir-seal pairs. To enable this work, we built a new spatial database for the visualization, synthesis, and integration of existing geological data for Utah including 40,500+ wells, world-class outcrop exposure, numerous cores with associated analytical data, and an extensive legacy of geologic mapping and publication. These data are stored and related using a multi-dimensional database in ArcGIS/PostgreSQl. The database schema uses inventory layers to organize 2D layers (such as surface geology polygons) and 3D surface data types (such as top structure surfaces) in conjunction with point data including oil and gas wells, cores, well tops, rock property data, fluid measurements, temperature, and other data types. The resulting database enables spatial querying to access all data types in certain locations or extents, as well as querying by data type. New data can be added easily for iterative analysis. The database helps develop a new understanding of subsurface geology through the integration of multiple data types and enables the creation of 3D geological surfaces. Integrating the spatial, and potentially 3D, extent of key CO2 storage reservoirs with fluid and rock property data creates useful inputs for CO2 storage numerical modeling, which the CUSP West partnership is doing with a 50 km x 50 km grid using the SCO2TPro tool. Target reservoirs include the Navajo Sandstone, the Leadville Limestone, various Lower Cretaceous sandstones, and other high-porosity layers across the state. Developing a new database tool for subsurface geological data in Utah allows an accurate appraisal of CO2 storage resources in Utah; creates an example of a database schema for integrated, multi-dimensional data storage; and provides the opportunity for new spatial data synthesis to enhance geological understanding of Utah.

Contact

For more information contact Michael Vanden Berg, 801-538-5419; michaelvandenberg@utah.gov