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13 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Gigaton commercial-scale carbon storage and mineralization potential in stacked Columbia River basalt reservoirs

This work presents a detailed supercritical CO 2 storage resource estimation for the stacked basalt reservoirs in the Grande Ronde Basalt of the Columbia River Basalt Group in eastern Washington and Oregon. The assessment aims to derisk the commercialization potential of geologic carbon storage in basalt by leveraging both structural and mineralization trapping of CO 2 in basalt. The structural closures formed by anticlinal ridges and synclinal valleys in Yakima Fold Belt are excellent physical traps to accommodate injected supercritical CO 2 . Rigorous hydraulic testing, well logs and simulation results from the Wallula Basalt Pilot #1 well showed the occurrence of 17 suitable permeable injection zones (up to 2,496 mD) intercalated with dense seals (~2.6E-10 mD) in the Grand Ronde Basalt. In addition, geochemical studies showed fast reactions between supercritical CO 2 and dissolved basalt minerals to form stable carbonates. In conclusion, our calculation indicates up to 40 gigatons (P90) of mineralization storage resources exist in the Grande Ronde Basalt reservoirs.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Hero Carbonsafe Phase 2 Project in the Columbia River Basalt Group: Technical Program Overview

The Hermiston, Oregon Basalt CarbonSAFE Phase II project (HERO CarbonSAFE) seeks to accelerate the deployment of commercial carbon dioxide (CO2) storage projects in basaltic rocks. Hermiston is located near the center of the Columbia River Basalt Group (CRBG), which is one of the largest basalt flows in the US. Basalt CO2 storage has potential advantages to conventional saline storage reservoirs including 1. The potential for rapid mineralization of CO2, 2. associated decreases in pressure and CO2 migration risks, 3. reduced long-term monitoring requirements with respect to plume tracking, 4. widespread geographic distribution and, 5. large storage potential due to thickness, porosity, and CO2 interactions with basalt. For locations such as the Pacific Northwest (PNW), Hawaii, Iceland, India and Japan, whose localities are isolated from large sedimentary basins offering conventional saline storage options, basalt may offer the only feasible option for local CO2 storage. However, mineralization/basalt storage still has many uncertainties, as there are limited field-scale assessments of CO2 storage in basalt. There are significant uncertainties hindering the effective implementation of carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) in basalt. These include the lack of proven storage capacities, challenges in methodologies for modeling the area of review in igneous formations, limited understanding of mineralization kinetics and timing, and uncertainties in injectivity. Additionally, the domestic availability of specialized services and drilling expertise is constrained, and existing CCUS permitting and regulatory frameworks, originally developed for conventional saline reservoirs, may not adequately address the unique requirements of basalt systems. HERO CarbonSAFE is designed to address major research gaps and uncertainties associated with basalt storage. Specifically, the project will assess the feasibility of CO2 injection in the deep layered basalts of the CRBG, long-term storage (mineralization), practical approaches for large-scale implementation (50+ million metric tons of CO2 over 30 years), lithology-specific risks, and the technoeconomic potential for CO2 storage in basalts.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

HERO CarbonSAFE Phase 2 Project in the Columbia River Basalt Group

The Hermiston, Oregon Basalt CarbonSAFE Phase II project (HERO CarbonSAFE) seeks to accelerate the deployment of commercial carbon dioxide (CO2) storage projects in basaltic rocks. Basalt CO2 storage has several advantages to conventional saline storage reservoirs including 1. The potential for rapid mineralization of CO2, 2. Associated decreases in pressure and CO2 migration risks, 3. Reduced long-term monitoring requirements with respect to plume tracking, 4. Widespread geographic distribution and, 5. Large storage potential due to thickness, porosity, and CO2 interactions with basalt. And for locations such as the Pacific Northwest, Hawaii, Iceland, India and Japan, basalts may offer the only economically feasible option for local CO2 storage. However, there are limited field-scale assessments of CO2 storage in basalt, and current carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) permitting and regulatory frameworks were developed for conventional saline reservoirs. HERO CarbonSAFE is designed to address research gaps and uncertainties associated with basalt storage. Specifically, the project will assess the feasibility of CO2 injection in the deep layered basalts, long-term storage (mineralization), practical approaches for large-scale implementation (50+ million metric tons of CO2 over 30 years), lithology-specific risks, and the technoeconomic potential for CO2 storage in basalts. The HERO CarbonSAFE project will assess feasibility of developing a commercial-scale (50+ million metric tons of CO2) geological storage complex within the Columbia River Basalt Group (CRBG), a layered continental flood basalt complex that underlies Calpine’s natural gas-fired Hermiston Power Project (HPP) in Hermiston, OR (Figure 1). Under this 2-year CarbonSAFE Phase II project, the HERO team will conduct a data acquisition campaign that includes drilling a stratigraphic well to a total depth of ~1,500 m into the thick layered basalts proximal to HPP. A comprehensive well logging and hydrologic testing program will be augmented with new core collected from flow zones and sealing units, and comprehensive laboratory testing to help refine the kinetic rates of mineralization. The newly acquired information will be integrated with existing data from regional wells to correlate basalt injection zone properties to develop storage hub/commercial-scale models. Using these models, the project team will evaluate injection scenarios to define the technical and economic potential for storing a minimum of 50 million metric tons of CO2 over a 30-year period, along with a robust sensitivity analysis on key parameters governing reservoir viability for sustainable injection over a commercial project lifetime. Specific technical objectives of HERO are: (1) assessing the reservoir response of a series of stacked layered reservoir flowtop sequences occurring in this area of the CRBG to commercial-scale injection volumes; (2) extending prior efforts by the project team to characterize the deep layered basalts encountered in regional studies, to leverage prior investments by U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Carbon Storage program; (3) leveraging DOE’s mineralization characterization efforts to advance model parametrization for commercial scale injection of CO2 in basalts; (4) conducting risk assessments associated with scaling up to commercial storage hub injection goals, while validating DOE’s National Risk Assessment Partnership (NRAP) tools, to identify potential constraints that would prevent the CRBG from serving as a commercial-scale storage complex; (5) developing mitigation plans to address identified risks; (6) developing a commercial-scale injection and monitoring, verification and accounting (MVA) strategy; (7) utilizing computational models to define and minimize, if possible, the Area of Review (AoR) under Class VI regulations; and (8) developing a robust CO2 management strategy for CRBG that also considers a regional source/sink approach that is responsive to stakeholder needs and industrial demand. Specific institutional objectives are: (1) identifying and developing plans to mitigate the nontechnical challenges associated with the build-out of a commercial-scale storage complex within the CRBG with integrated CO2 sources; (2) implementing the community outreach plan; (3) conducting regulatory research, including a survey of issues related to pore space ownership, MVA and long-term assurance of mineralization-based storage, to support an eventual application for a UIC Class VI permit; (4) advancing the project’s plan for CO2 liability management; and (5) continuing to refine and update the project’s economic model. The final objective is the preparation of a comprehensive Site Characterization Plan that draws upon the technical and institutional feasibility assessments to prepare the project for future commercialization efforts.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Reactive Transport Modeling of Anthropogenic Carbon Mineralization in Stacked Columbia River Basalt Reservoirs

Numerical simulation of CO2 storage in basalts and related reactive lithologies requires modeling complex, coupled hydrologic and chemical processes, including multi-phase flow and transport, partitioning of CO2 into the aqueous phase, and chemical interactions with aqueous fluids and rock minerals. We conducted reactive transport simulations of the Wallula pilot-scale CO2 injection into the flow tops of the Grande Ronde Basalt using our PNNL STOMP-CO2 simulator with the ECKEChem reactive module. Our mineralization simulation of the ~1,000 tons of injected CO2 into the interflow zones was based on the hydrologic transport model we previously developed. For this work, the simulations considered geochemical reactions involving the basalt components, precipitates, formation brine, and injected CO2. In our benchmark case, carbonate minerals precipitated, resulting in ~20% of the CO2 being mineralized in 10 years. Increasing the reaction rate of a single primary mineral phase (clinopyroxene) by an order of magnitude resulted in a carbon mineralization reaction extent of ~90% over the same time interval. Based on these initial sensitivity analysis results, it is clear that a thorough understanding of primary mineral dissolution rates is required for accurately predicting long-term fate and transport of injected CO2 into basalt formations. Our reactive transport numerical simulations will be key components of commercial-scale CO2 storage operation permitting, de-risking, and optimization in mafic and ultramafic reservoirs.

Cao, Ruoshi↗
DOE OSTI2023

New Insights from Legacy Seismic Data regarding Basalt Elevations and Variability on the Hanford Site

Migration of groundwater contaminants in the Gable Gap area of the Hanford Site in southeastern Washington State is strongly influenced by the distribution and permeability of basalts that lie beneath an unconfined aquifer. Locally, folding and faulting of the Columbia River Basalt associated with the Yakima fold and thrust belt followed by erosion due to the Lake Missoula floods resulted in a complex basalt surface that represents either an impermeable lower boundary to the unconfined aquifer system or localized regions of increased permeability that potentially promote communication between the unconfined aquifer system and deeper, confined aquifer systems. Paleo-channels carved into the basalt by floodwaters are thought to provide preferential flow paths for groundwater contaminants. In 2011, a seismic landstreamer campaign was carried out to image the basalt surface and produced pre-stack depth migrated p-wave reflection images. The reflection images identified two large troughs that may represent paleo-channels and several areas of possible faulting. Here, the streamer data are re-analyzed using refraction travel-time and Rayleigh wave dispersion analyses to obtain images of compressional and shear wave velocities within the suprabasalt sediment sections and the upper basalt surface. The combined interpretation of reflection and seismic velocity images shows complexity in the basalt velocity and elevation, which varies by 50 m or more within the study area. These results, along with other ongoing geophysical investigations, will be used to inform the site geologic model and potentially guide placement of future boreholes needed to quantify vertical flow between the confined and unconfined aquifers.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Facile Metal Release from Pore-Lining Phases Enables Unique Carbonate Zonation in a Basalt Carbon Mineralization Demonstration

Carbon-negative strategies such as geologic carbon sequestration in continental flood basalts offers a promising route to the removal of greenhouse gases, such as CO 2 , via safe and permanent storage as stable carbonates. This potential has been successfully demonstrated at a field scale at the Wallula Basalt Carbon Storage Pilot Project where supercritical CO 2 was injected into the Columbia River Basalt Group (CRBG). Here, we analyze recovered post-injection sidewall core cross-sections containing carbonate nodules using μ-XRF chemical mapping techniques that revealed compositional zonation within the nodules. The unique nature of the subsurface anthropogenic carbonates is highlighted by the near absence of Mg in an ankerite-like composition. Furthermore, a comparison between pre- and post-injection sidewall cores along with an in-depth chemical mapping of basalt pore lining cements provides a better understanding into the source and fate of critical cationic species involved in the precipitation of carbon mineralization products. Collectively, these results provide crucial insights into carbonate growth mechanisms under a time-dependent pore fluid composition. Finally, as such, these findings will enable parameterization of predictive models for future CO 2 sequestration efforts in reactive reservoirs around the world.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Exotic Carbonate Mineralization Recovered from a Deep Basalt Carbon Storage Demonstration

Mitigating climate change require transformational advances for carbon dioxide removal, including geologic carbon sequestration in reactive subsurface environments. The Wallula Basalt Carbon Storage Pilot Project demonstrated that CO 2 injected into >800 m deep Columbia River Basalt Group flow top reservoirs mineralizes on month-year timescales. Herein, we present new optical petrography, micro-computed X-ray tomography, and electron microscopy results sidewall cores collected two years after CO 2 injection. As no other anthropogenic carbonates from geologic carbon storage field studies have been recovered, this world-unique sample suite provides unparalleled insight for subsurface carbon mineralization products and paragenesis. Chemically-zoned nodules with Ca/Mn-rich cores and Fe-dominant outer rims are prominent examples of the neoformed carbonate assemblages with ankerite-siderite compositions and exotic divalent cation correlations. Further, paragenetic insights for the timing of aragonite, silica, and fibrous zeolites are clarified based on mineral texture and spatial relationships, along with time-resolved downhole fluid sampling. Collectively, these results clarify the mineralogy, chemistry, and paragenesis of carbon mineralization, providing insight into the ultimate fate and transport of CO 2 in reactive mafic-ultramafic reservoirs

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

3D Quantification of Pore Networks and Anthropogenic Carbon Mineralization in Stacked Basalt Reservoirs

Basalt formations are promising candidates for the geologic storage of anthropogenic CO 2 due to their storage capacity, porosity, permeability, and reactive geochemical trapping ability. The Wallula Basalt Carbon Storage Pilot Project demonstrated that supercritical CO 2 injected into >800 m deep Columbia River Basalt Group stacked reservoir flow tops mineralizes to ankerite-siderite-aragonite on month-year timescales, with 60% of the 977 metric tonnes of CO 2 converted within two years. The potential impacts of mineral precipitation and consequent changes on rock porosity, pore structure, pore size, and pore size distributions have likely been underestimated hitherto. Herein, we address these knowledge gaps using X-ray Micro Computed Tomography (XMT) to evaluate the pore network architecture of sidewall cores recovered two years after CO 2 injection. In the present study, we performed a detailed quantitative analysis of the CO 2 -reacted basalt cores by XMT imaging. Reconstructed 3D images were analyzed to study the distribution and volumetric details of porosity and carbonate nodules in the cores along with the various other phases, providing insight into paragenesis and carbonate growth mechanisms, including mineralogic/chemical zonation. Finally, these findings are being used to parametrize multiphase reactive transport models to predict the fate and transport of subsurface CO 2 , enabling scale-up to commercial-scale geologic carbon storage in basalts and other reactive mafic-ultramafic formations.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Quantification of CO 2 Mineralization at the Wallula Basalt Pilot Project

In 2013, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory led a geologic carbon sequestration field demonstration where ~1000 tonnes of CO 2 was injected into several deep Columbia River Basalt zones near Wallula, Washington. Rock core samples extracted from the injection zone two years after CO 2 injection revealed nascent carbonate mineralization that was qualitatively consistent with expectations from laboratory experiments and reactive transport modeling. In this study, we report on a new detailed analysis of the 2012 pre-injection and 2015 post-injection hydrologic tests that capitalizes on the difference in fluid properties between scCO 2 and water to assess changes in near-field, wellbore, and reservoir conditions that are apparent approximately two years following the end of injection. This comparative hydrologic test analysis method provides a new way to quantify the amount of injected CO 2 that was mineralized in the field test. Modeling results indicate that approximately 60% of the injected CO 2 was sequestered via mineralization within two years, with the resulting carbonates occupying ~4% of the available reservoir pore space. The method presented here provides a new monitoring tool to assess the fate of CO 2 injected into chemically reactive basalt formations but could also be adapted for long-term monitoring and verification within more traditional subsurface carbon storage reservoirs.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2026

Decadal-Scale Hydrothermal Alteration of Basalt: Implications for Long-Term Reactivity in Subsurface Technologies

Global demands to secure critical mineral supply chains and managing water resources require innovative resource management strategies. Subsurface basalt reservoirs offer a dual-purpose application, where CO2 enhanced critical metal recovery can be coupled with water remediation strategies for the extraction of economically important and environmentally relevant elements. This study utilizes static batch experiments conducted on Columbia River Basalt Group samples to evaluate long-term fluid–rock interactions relevant to coupled subsurface applications. Samples were reacted under elevated temperature and pressure conditions, for 296 and 4,061 days, providing a unique dataset to assess geochemical evolution, element partitioning, and aqueous chemistry over decadal timescales. The alteration was dominated by silicate, aluminosilicate, and oxide phases. Progressive hydrothermal alteration increased the cation exchange capacity through the formation of secondary minerals (e.g. clays and zeolites), influencing solute retention, ion exchange behavior, and aqueous chemistry. Grain-scale and bulk analyses revealed selective cation release and retention patterns, establishing a mechanistic baseline for predicting element mobility. These geochemical constraints inform the prospective use of CO2-enhanced metal recovery for critical resources (e.g. Co, Ni, Mn, Mg, Ti, Fe) and associated water-quality impacts, providing a foundation for the design and management of engineered fluid–rock systems in basalt reservoirs.

Gibson, Marie N.↗
DOE OSTI2021

High-precision measurement of U-Pu-Np-Am concentrations and isotope ratios in environmental reference materials by mass spectrometry

Herein, we report results of precise and sensitive mass spectrometric measurements of uranium, plutonium, neptunium, and americium concentrations and isotope ratios in a variety of environmental reference materials. Most of our work has been done on NIST SRM 4350b, River Sediment, but we also present results for NIST SRM 4354, Lake Sediment; NIST SRMs 4355 and 4355a, Peruvian Soil; NIST SRM 4357, Ocean Sediment; NIST SRM 1648a, Urban Particulate Material; NIST SRM 1649b, Urban Dust; IAEA CRM 385, Ocean Sediment; USGS BCR-2, Columbia River Basalt; and USGS BHVO-2, Hawaiian Volcanic Observatory Basalt. These materials reflect a wide range in long-lived actinide concentrations (e.g. 1E4 to 1E10 atoms 239 Pu/g) and isotope ratios. Measurements were performed in a clean laboratory by isotope dilution, multi-collector thermal ionization and multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. In general, our results are in agreement with, but lower the uncertainty of, literature or certificate values for these reference materials. Our uranium results for the basalts also confirm previously reported high-precision mass spectrometric results from our laboratory. In many cases our measurements of U-Pu-Np-Am nuclides appear to be novel.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Parts-Per-Million Carbonate Mineral Quantification with Thermogravimetric Analysis–Mass Spectrometry

Mitigating the deleterious effects of climate change requires the development and implementation of carbon capture and storage technologies. To expand the monitoring, verification, and reporting (MRV) capabilities of geologic carbon mineralization projects, we developed a thermogravimetric analysis–mass spectrometry (TGA–MS) methodology to enable quantification of <100 ppm calcite (CaCO 3 ) in complex samples. We extended TGA–MS calcite calibration curves to enable a higher measurement resolution and lower limits of quantification for evolved CO 2 from a calcite–corundum mixture. We demonstrated <100 ppm carbonate mineral quantification with TGA–MS for the first time, an outcome applicable across earth, environmental, and materials science fields. We applied this carbonate quantification method to a suite of Columbia River Basalt Group (CRBG) well cuttings recovered in 2009 from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s Wallula #1 Well. Our execution of this new combined calcite and calcite–corundum calibration curve TGA–MS method on our CRBG sample suite indicated average carbonate contents of 0.050 wt % in flow interiors (caprocks) and 0.400 wt % in interflow zones (reservoirs) in the upper 1250 m of the Wallula #1 Well. Finally, by advancing our knowledge of continental flood basalt-hosted carbonates in the mafic subsurface and reaching new TGA–MS quantification limits for carbonate minerals, we expand MRV capabilities and support the commercial-scale deployment of carbon mineralization projects in the Pacific Northwest United States and beyond.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

The spatial and temporal evolution of the Portland and Tualatin forearc basins, Oregon, USA

The Portland and Tualatin basins are part of the Salish-Puget-Willamette Lowland, a 900-km-long, forearc depression lying between the volcanic arc and the Coast Ranges of the Cascadia convergent margin. Such inland seaways are characteristic of warm, young slab subduction. We analyzed the basins to better understand their evolution and relation to Coast Range history and to provide an improved tectonic framework for the Portland metropolitan area. We model three key horizons in the basins: (1) the top of the Columbia River Basalt Group (CRBG), (2) the bottom of the CRBG, and (3) the top of Eocene basement. Isochore maps constrain basin depocenters during (1) Pleistocene to mid-Miocene time (0–15 Ma), (2) CRBG (15.5–16.5 Ma), and (3) early Miocene to late Eocene (ca. 17–35 Ma) time. Results show that the Portland and Tualatin basins have distinct mid-Miocene to Quaternary depocenters but were one continuous basin from the Eocene until mid-Miocene time. A NW-striking gravity low coincident with the NW-striking, fault-bounded Portland Hills anticline is interpreted as an older graben coincident with observed thickening of CRBG flows and underlying sedimentary rocks. Neogene transpression in the forearc structurally inverted the Sylvan-Oatfield and Portland Hills normal faults as high-angle dextral-reverse faults, separating the Portland and Tualatin basins. An eastward shift of the forearc basin depocenter and ten-fold decrease in accommodation space provide temporal constraints on the emergence of the Coast Range to the west. Clockwise rotation and northward transport of the forearc is deforming the basins and producing local earthquakes beneath the metropolitan area.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗