What type of formations will FutureGen use for CO2 storage?
Deep-saline formations, at depths greater than 3,000 feet, are being proposed as the target formation for CO2 storage. The Department of Energy and the FutureGen Alliance are both interested in deep-saline formations because the CO2 storage capacity of these formations is large, making them a long-term viable solution. Also, many existing large CO2 point sources are within close proximity to deep saline formations. While CO2 storage in depleted oil wells has been widely used for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) since the 1970s – and is well understood – EOR opportunities are much less prevalent than deep-saline reservoirs. Because the FutureGen Alliance wants to ensure that this project is broadly replicable around the U.S. and the world, it is important to demonstrate CO2 storage in this widely occurring type of geologic formation.
