ENERGY & MINERALS

CCUS Project

Utah Statewide Carbon Storage Assessment: Geological Data Gathering, Analysis, Sharing, and Engagement

The Utah Geological Survey (UGS) was awarded a $1.1 million cooperative agreement from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy & Carbon Management to study the geologic carbon storage potential across the state of Utah. Carbon storage (CS), more commonly known as Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS), is a process used to capture carbon dioxide emitted by an industrial or energy source (e.g., a coal-fired power plant) and transport it to a location where it can be stored underground for significantly long time periods, such as within a deep, confined (sealed by impermeable rock), saltwater-bearing rock formation (also known as a rock reservoir). The goal of this project is to provide a geologic assessment of the carbon storage resources available in Utah and to display that assessment and the underlying data in a user-friendly public web application. All data and geologic analyses will be published in a user-friendly geospatially enabled database available for download. As part of this project, the UGS, the University of Utah, and the statewide community have the opportunity to include members of the public and stakeholders in decisions surrounding the energy transition, including the development of future CCUS projects and the resulting economic benefits. Ultimately, this project will set the stage for future business investment in the state and fulfill national decarbonization goals by progressing low-risk, economic, commercial-scale CCUS projects in the state of Utah.

Project Overview

Utah has a wealth of geologic formations that are suitable for long-term carbon storage and the results of this project will showcase Utah as a potential focus for the rapidly growing CCUS economy. The foundational geologic work will be a collaboration between the UGS Energy & Minerals and Data Management Programs, the University of Utah Energy & Geoscience Institute, and the University of Utah Department of Geology & Geophysics. The geologic analysis is broken into five tasks.

1. Web Application Development and Database Organization: Creating the web application and organizing the geospatial database.

2. Data Aggregation: Systematically aggregating information from existing public sources such as the Utah Core Research Center and the Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining well log database, and identifying data gaps.

3. & 4. Results Interpretation & Dissemination: Interpreting the results, and disseminating organized and accurate reports that summarize the potential for effective carbon storage in different geologic regions throughout the state, or “geo-regions.”

5. New Geologic Data Production: Analyzing rock samples from outcrops and rock core housed at the Utah Core Research Center. This task may include reservoir and petrophysical modeling and carbon storage volume estimates of specific regions.

During this process the UGS will create several maps of key reservoir and seal pairs across the state and provide a ranking and rating of the identified geo-regions according to their CS favorability. The final product will be a publicly accessible interactive and interrogatable website application that allows users to visualize and download carbon storage assessments and their associated geological metadata. Our vision is that the website application will serve as a useful tool for the people of Utah to learn more about CCUS in the state. The detailed geologic data underlying the web application will provide a bank of reliable information to assist scientists, businesses, and government agencies seeking to research and potentially build large-scale storage facilities and regional carbon management hubs.

A key part of the success of this project is to engage with Utah citizens who may be impacted by potential CCUS projects. The UGS project team is collaborating with leading experts from the University of Utah Anthropology and Sociology Departments, who will lead the project in conveying information to the public and stakeholders, addressing potential environmental justice issues, and seeking opportunities for economic revitalization and job creation in the communities where investment in carbon storage activities may occur. Project tasks will include planned societal engagements, routine publications in publicly accessible periodicals, and conference presentations. The proposed community engagement plan aims to address the needs of stakeholders across the state and to understand how future CCUS projects may play a role in the anticipated economic advancement for Utah. Community and stakeholders to be engaged include (1) leaders from tribal and municipal governments, (2) representatives of non-profit organizations, local environmental groups, and labor leaders, and (3) community members at large and private land holders.

Contact

For more information contact Gabriela St Pierre, 801-538-5410; gstpierre@utah.gov.