Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “geophysical data”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 253 records · Page 14

Physics-Reinforced Machine Learning Algorithms for Multiscale Closure Model Discovery

The central objective of this project was to address the challenge of modeling and simulating complex multiscale turbulence phenomena by leveraging physics-guided machine learning (PGML) and hybrid modeling approaches. By integrating physics-based methods with data-driven models, the research focused on achieving robust and scalable solutions for geophysical turbulence, enhancing numerical weather prediction and climate research tools. The project resulted in significant advancements in computational modeling paradigms, predictive tools for reduced-order modeling, and innovative algorithms for fluid dynamics.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

CSEM Fluid Monitoring Methodology Using Real Data Examples

Conference presentation at International Meeting for Applied Geoscience & Energy (IMAGE), Houston, Texas, August 28 – September 1, 2023. Using field data from hydrocarbon and CO 2 applications, we illustrate the importance of a workflow and adaption to the target on hand. Verifying the geophysical acquisition and processing steps with 3D modeling and checking them against a 3D anisotropic log-derived model maintains confidence in the workflow and minimizes the influence on the data. This allows us to predict data validity and to certify the data with respect to the borehole logs.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗

Exploring for Superhot Geothermal Targets in Magmatic Settings: 2022 Field Campaign at Newberry Volcano

This paper presents preliminary results from a subset of work carried out as part of a multinational research project entitled DErisking Exploration for multiple geothermal Plays in magmatic ENvironments (DEEPEN), supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Geothermica, a joint effort by EU member states and associated countries. The DEEPEN project will develop a customized approach to exploration for supercritical and superhot geothermal plays in magmatic systems, which will be applied to two demonstration sites. This paper summarizes field activities carried out at the U.S. demonstration site, Newberry Volcano in central Oregon. The objective of this work effort is to refine the subsurface model of Newberry Volcano, with special focus on deeper zones including the magmatic plumbing system and other key geologic elements. New data collection included gravity and wideband magnetotelluric (MT) surveys, as well as reinstallation of a seismic network. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Enthalpion Energy LLC (Enthalpion) worked with the Deschutes National Forest Fort Rock District to use a low ground disturbance method of MT deployment to collect MT data inside the caldera and other restricted areas inside the National Volcanic Monument. This opened these areas to geophysical exploration for the first time in decades. Sites along and adjacent to the south rim of the volcano constituted the primary survey objectives. A team from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and AltaRock also began the process of reinstalling the seismic network from the AltaRock enhanced geothermal system (EGS) demonstration in anticipation of further development activities at the site. The data ingestion, reduction, and analysis phase of the project is ongoing. We are currently processing the MT and gravity data and are developing a new, highly GPU-accelerated, 3D joint MT and gravity inversion to better localize the south rim/south flank conductive target and better understand its relationship to deep heat, fluid sources, and surface extrusive features. Joint inversions, which have not yet been undertaken at Newberry, will allow us to obtain constraints on the geologic model that cannot be determined from each method in isolation, improving our ability to image key geologic features at depth.

geophysics↗

Vector elastic deconvolution migration with dual wavefield decomposition

Here, we report elastic-wave imaging using multicomponent data can provide more useful subsurface information than acoustic-wave imaging, but it is usually algorithmically challenging. We have developed a vector elastic deconvolution migration method for high-resolution imaging of subsurface structures in isotropic and anisotropic elastic media. Our new method uses a vector deconvolution imaging condition based on dual wavefield decomposition, including an explicit directional wavefield separation using the Hilbert transform and a P/S vector wavefield decomposition using the low-rank decomposition method. Using three elastic models, we numerically determine that our new method produces notably higher resolution and more amplitude-balanced elastic images compared with a crosscorrelation-based vector elastic reverse time migration method.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Temporal Subsampling Diminishes Small Spatial Scales in Recurrent Neural Network Emulators of Geophysical Turbulence

The immense computational cost of traditional numerical weather and climate models has sparked the development of machine learning (ML) based emulators. Because ML methods benefit from long records of training data, it is common to use data sets that are temporally subsampled relative to the time steps required for the numerical integration of differential equations. Here, we investigate how this often overlooked processing step affects the quality of an emulator's predictions. We implement two ML architectures from a class of methods called reservoir computing: (a) a form of Nonlinear Vector Autoregression (NVAR), and (b) an Echo State Network (ESN). Despite their simplicity, it is well documented that these architectures excel at predicting low dimensional chaotic dynamics. We are therefore motivated to test these architectures in an idealized setting of predicting high dimensional geophysical turbulence as represented by Surface Quasi-Geostrophic dynamics. In all cases, subsampling the training data consistently leads to an increased bias at small spatial scales that resembles numerical diffusion. Interestingly, the NVAR architecture becomes unstable when the temporal resolution is increased, indicating that the polynomial based interactions are insufficient at capturing the detailed nonlinearities of the turbulent flow. The ESN architecture is found to be more robust, suggesting a benefit to the more expensive but more general structure. Spectral errors are reduced by including a penalty on the kinetic energy density spectrum during training, although the subsampling related errors persist. Future work is warranted to understand how the temporal resolution of training data affects other ML architectures.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Utah FORGE Project 3-2417: DAS Microseismic Event Catalog from the 16A/16B Circulation Test, 2023

This preliminary data archive includes the relocated microseismic event catalog, 1D velocity model, and methods report from DAS acquisition conducted during the Well 16A and 16B circulation test (July 19th and 20th, 2023) at Utah FORGE. The methods report describes all processing steps, including real-time event detection, hierarchical clustering, joint velocity/hypocenter inversion, and relocation. The resulting work is accepted and will be presented at IMAGE 2024. This dataset was acquired by the FOGMORE R&D project (Fiber Optic MOnitoring for Reservoir Evolution), Utah FORGE R&D Project 3-2417.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

On negative induced polarization in frequency domain measurements

SUMMARY Induced polarization (IP) has been widely used to non-invasively characterize electrical conduction and polarization in the subsurface resulting from an applied electric field. Earth materials exhibit a lossy capacitance defined by a negative intrinsic phase in frequency-domain IP (FDIP) or a positive intrinsic chargeability in time-domain IP (TDIP). However, error-free positive apparent phase or negative apparent chargeability (i.e. negative IP effects) can occur in IP measurements over heterogeneous media. While negative IP effects in TDIP data sets have been discussed, no studies have addressed this topic in detail for FDIP measurements. We describe theory and numerical modelling to explain the origin of negative IP effects in FDIP measurements. A positive apparent phase may occur when a relatively high polarizability feature falls into negative sensitivity zones of complex resistivity measurements. The polarity of the apparent phase is determined by the distribution of subsurface intrinsic phase and resistivity, with the resistivity impacting the apparent phase polarity via its control on the sensitivity distribution. A physical explanation for the occurrence of positive apparent phase data is provided by an electric circuit model representing a four-electrode measurement. We also show that the apparent phase polarity will be frequency dependent when resistivity changes significantly with frequency (i.e. in the presence of significant IP effects). Consequently, negative IP effects manifest themselves in the shape of apparent phase spectra recorded with multifrequency (spectral IP) data sets. Our results imply that positive apparent phase measurements should be anticipated and should be retained during inversion and interpretation of single frequency and spectral IP data sets.

Geochemistry & Geophysics↗

Integrated, Coordinated, Open, and Networked (ICON) Science to Advance the Geosciences: Introduction and Synthesis of a Special Collection of Commentary Articles

Abstract The sciences struggle to integrate across disciplines, coordinate across data generation and modeling activities, produce connected open data, and build strong networks to engage stakeholders within and beyond the scientific community. The American Geophysical Union (AGU) is divided into 25 sections intended to encompass the breadth of the geosciences. Here, we introduce a special collection of commentary articles spanning 19 AGU sections on challenges and opportunities associated with the use of ICON science principles. These principles focus on research intentionally designed to be Integrated, Coordinated, Open, and Networked (ICON) with the goal of maximizing mutual benefit (among stakeholders) and cross‐system transferability of science outcomes. This article (a) summarizes the ICON principles; (b) discusses the crowdsourced approach to creating the collection; (c) explores insights from across the articles; and (d) proposes steps forward. There were common themes among the commentary articles, including broad agreement that the benefits of using ICON principles outweigh the costs, but that using ICON principles has important risks that need to be understood and mitigated. It was also clear that the ICON principles are not monolithic or static, but should instead be considered a heuristic tool that can and should be modified to meet changing needs. As a whole, the collection is intended as a resource for scientists pursuing ICON science and represents an important inflection point in which the geosciences community has come together to offer insights into ICON principles as a unified approach for improving how science is done across the geosciences and beyond.

Goldman, A. E.↗

Basin-Scale Structural Features Database

The Basin-Scale Structural Features database provides spatial datasets of faults, fractures, folds, and earthquakes compiled from public, authoritative sources (e.g., U.S. Geological Survey and State Geological Surveys) and aggregated into derivative forms to support subsurface assessments. Recognizing that characterizing basin-scale structural features requires interpreting data that are often ambiguous or lack key information, the source data were evaluated using a knowledge-data framework and geospatial fuzzy logic method (Justman et al., 2020) to represent both measured (observed) and predicted (inferred or potential) structural features as derivative datasets. This workflow employs conceptual models for known structural features and predicted structural features, incorporating geospatial data to estimate potential, even with limited data. The aim is to aid and support an understanding of basin-scale features and identify potential gaps in data and knowledge. As of 4/30/2025, the database includes resources for nine sedimentary basins: Appalachian, Denver, U.S. Gulf Coast, Illinois, Michigan, Permian, Sacramento, San Joquin and Williston. The database is organized by basin and then data category: 1) Faults, fractures, folds, 2) Earthquakes, 3) Topographic, 4) Structural contours and isopachs, 5) Geophysical, and 6) Structural feature density assessment maps.

basin scale↗

Data-scarce surrogate modeling of shock-induced pore collapse process

Understanding the mechanisms of shock-induced pore collapse is of great interest in various disciplines in sciences and engineering, including materials science, biological sciences, and geophysics. However, numerical modeling of the complex pore collapse processes can be costly. To this end, a strong need exists to develop surrogate models for generating economic predictions of pore collapse processes. Here, in this work, we study the use of a data-driven reduced-order model, namely dynamic mode decomposition, and a deep generative model, namely conditional generative adversarial networks, to resemble the numerical simulations of the pore collapse process at representative training shock pressures. Since the simulations are expensive, the training data are scarce, which makes training an accurate surrogate model challenging. To overcome the difficulties posed by the complex physics phenomena, we make several crucial treatments to the plain original form of the methods to increase the capability of approximating and predicting the dynamics. In particular, physics information is used as indicators or conditional inputs to guide the prediction. In realizing these methods, the training of each dynamic mode composition model takes only around 30 s on CPU. In contrast, training a generative adversarial network model takes 8 h on GPU. Moreover, using dynamic mode decomposition, the final-time relative error is around 0.3% in the reproductive cases. We also demonstrate the predictive power of the methods at unseen testing shock pressures, where the error ranges from 1.3 to 5% in the interpolatory cases and 8 to 9% in extrapolatory cases.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Neural-network learning of SPOD latent dynamics

Here, we aim to reconstruct the latent space dynamics of high dimensional, quasi-stationary systems using model order reduction via the spectral proper orthogonal decomposition (SPOD). The proposed method is based on three fundamental steps: in the first, once that the mean flow field has been subtracted from the realizations (also referred to as snapshots), we compress the data from a high-dimensional representation to a lower dimensional one by constructing the SPOD latent space; in the second, we build the time-dependent coefficients by projecting the snapshots containing the fluctuations onto the SPOD basis and we learn their evolution in time with the aid of recurrent neural networks; in the third, we reconstruct the high-dimensional data from the learnt lower -dimensional representation. The proposed method is demonstrated on two different test cases, namely, a compressible jet flow, and a geophysical problem known as the Madden-Julian Oscillation. An extensive comparison between SPOD and the equivalent POD-based counterpart is provided and differences between the two approaches are highlighted. The numerical results suggest that the proposed model is able to provide low rank predictions of complex statistically stationary data and to provide insights into the evolution of phenomena characterized by specific range of frequencies. The comparison between POD and SPOD surrogate strategies highlights the need for further work on the characterization of the interplay of error between data reduction techniques and neural network forecasts.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Electrical and Seismic Response of Saline Permafrost Soil during Freeze - Thaw Transition: Supporting Data

These data were collected during a repeat freeze-thaw cycle on a saline permafrost portion of a core to understand mechanical and geophysical property changes over time. The core used for the experiment was collected from the NGEE-Arctic Site 0 transect site located in the Barrow Environmental Observatory (BEO) in Barrow, Alaska. This region features polygonal ground, and the core was collected in the center of a flat centered polygon. The saline permafrost portion of the core was at the bottom 260-280 cm below ground surface. Data files (*.csv) include: Electrical signal change during freeze-thaw-refreeze cycle at 1 Hz; Spectral data - Complex resistivity data during Freeze-thaw of the saline permafrost core; Seismic data; and CT cross sections (*.jpg) of the core sample from approximately the same location: (A, D) before the test (thawed), (B, E) after the test (frozen), and (C, F) after deep freeze (frozen).The Next-Generation Ecosystem Experiments: Arctic (NGEE Arctic), was a research effort to reduce uncertainty in Earth System Models by developing a predictive understanding of carbon-rich Arctic ecosystems and feedbacks to climate. NGEE Arctic was supported by the Department of Energy's Office of Biological and Environmental Research. The NGEE Arctic project had two field research sites: 1) located within the Arctic polygonal tundra coastal region on the Barrow Environmental Observatory (BEO) and the North Slope near Utqiagvik (Barrow), Alaska and 2) multiple areas on the discontinuous permafrost region of the Seward Peninsula north of Nome, Alaska. Through observations, experiments, and synthesis with existing datasets, NGEE Arctic provided an enhanced knowledge base for multi-scale modeling and contributed to improved process representation at global pan-Arctic scales within the Department of Energy's Earth system Model (the Energy Exascale Earth System Model, or E3SM), and specifically within the E3SM Land Model component (ELM).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Data Arrays for Microearthquake (MEQ) Monitoring using Deep Learning for the Newberry EGS Sites

The 'Machine Learning Approaches to Predicting Induced Seismicity and Imaging Geothermal Reservoir Properties' project looks to apply machine learning (ML) methods to Microearthquake (MEQ) data for imaging geothermal reservoir properties and forecasting seismic events, in order to advance geothermal exploration and safe geothermal energy production. As part of the project, this submission provides data arrays for 149 microearthquakes between the year 2012 and 2013 at the Newberry EGS Site for use with the Deep Learning Algorithm that has been developed. The data provided includes raw waveform data, location data, normalized waveform data, and processed waveform data. Penn State Geothermal Team has shared the following files from the project: - 149 microearthquakes (MEQs) between 2012 and 2013 at Newberry EGS sites, 'Normalized Waveform Inputs.npz' are normalized waveforms. - labels of 149 MEQs: Processed Waveform Inputs.npz - location labels of 149 MEQs: Location Data.npz Note: .npz is the python file format by NumPy that provides storage of array data.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

Inversion of Time-Lapse Seismic Reservoir Monitoring Data Using CycleGAN: A Deep Learning-Based Approach for Estimating Dynamic Reservoir Property Changes

Carbon capture and storage is being pursued globally as a geoengineering measure for reducing the emission of anthropogenic CO 2 the atmosphere. Comprehensive monitoring, verification, and accounting programs must be established for demonstrating the safe storage of injected CO 2 . One of the most commonly deployed monitoring techniques is time-lapse seismic reservoir monitoring (also known as 4-D seismic), which involves comparing 3-D seismic survey data taken at the same study site but over different times. Analyses of 4-D seismic data volumes can help improve the quality of storage reservoir characterization, track the movement of injected CO 2 plume, and identify potential CO 2 spillover/leakage from the storage reservoirblue. However, the derivation of high-resolution CO 2 saturation maps from 4-D seismic data is a highly nonlinear and ill-posed inverse problem, often requiring significant computational effort. In this research, we apply a physics-based deep learning method to facilitate the solution of both the forward and inverse problems in seismic inversion while honoring physical constraints. A cycle generative adversarial neural network (CycleGAN) model is trained to learn the bidirectional functional mappings between the reservoir dynamic property changes and seismic attribute changes, such that both forward and inverse solutions can be obtained efficiently from the trained model. We show that our CycleGAN-based approach not only improves the reliability of 4-D seismic inversion but also expedites the quantitative interpretation. Our deep learning-based workflow is generic and can be readily used for reservoir characterization and reservoir model updates involving the use of 4-D seismic data.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Enhancing Regional Seismic Velocity Models With Higher‐Resolution Local Results Using Sparse Dictionary Learning

Abstract We use sparse dictionary learning to develop transformations between seismic velocity models of different resolution and spatial extent. Starting with data in the common region of both models, the method can enhance a regional lower‐resolution model to match the style and resolution of local higher‐resolution results while preserving its regional coverage. The method is demonstrated by applying it to two‐dimensional V S and three‐dimensional V P and V S regional and local velocity models in southern California. The enhanced reconstructed regional results exhibit clear visual improvements, especially in the reconstructed V P / V S ratios, and better correlations with geological features. Moreover, the reconstructed regional V P , V S models outperform the original ones in comparison of simulated earthquake waveforms to observations. The improved fitting to observed waveforms extends beyond the domain of the overlapping region. The developed dictionary learning approach provides physically interpretable results and offers a powerful tool for additional applications of data enhancement in earth sciences.

Geochemistry & Geophysics↗

SUBTASK 1.6 – BASIN ELECTRIC CARBON STORAGE RESEARCH PROJECT: NOVEL MONITORING TECHNIQUES

The Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) conducted baseline activities associated with an applied research project at Basin Electric Power Cooperative’s (Basin’s) carbon capture and storage (CCS) site in Beulah, North Dakota, to establish novel carbon storage-monitoring techniques as commercial methods under Cooperative Agreement No. DE-FE0024233, Subtask 1.6. The following report summarizes the baseline activities performed and briefly describes the subsequent (operational monitoring) activities that have been proposed to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as part of the overall project to develop and demonstrate novel monitoring techniques at North America’s largest permitted CCS operation. Dakota Gasification Company (DGC), a wholly owned subsidiary of Basin, owns and operates the Great Plains Synfuels Plant (GPSP) approximately 5 miles northwest of the town of Beulah, North Dakota (Figure 1). In 2023, DGC received approval from the North Dakota Industrial Commission (NDIC) to develop a storage facility on-site for injecting a stream of carbon dioxide (CO2) captured from GPSP. DGC will transport the captured CO2 stream with approximately 6.8 miles of transmission lines that extend north of GPSP and inject >1 million tonnes (MMt) of CO2 annually (>1 MMt/yr) over a 12-year period with up to six underground injection control (UIC) Class VI-compliant injection wells completed in the Broom Creek Formation, a predominantly sandstone reservoir and saline aquifer underlying GPSP. The Broom Creek Formation lies approximately 5900 feet (ft) below ground surface (bgs) at GPSP. The commercial scale (i.e., >1 MMt/yr) of DGC’s permitted carbon storage project is ideal for developing and testing the novel monitoring techniques included within Subtask 1.6. The goals of this project are to demonstrate 1) the cost-effectiveness of novel monitoring technologies included as part of this research, 2) technology capability for tracking the CO2 plume and/or associated pressure response in the subsurface and monitoring out-of-zone migration, and 3) compliance with UIC Class VI program requirements. The research activities proposed for the overall project include 1) design of an automated, integrated, modular (AIM) monitoring station; 2) time-lapse electromagnetic (EM) field surveys; 3) drone-based surveillance studies; 4) time-lapse monitoring with seismic methods; 5) advanced wellbore-monitoring methods; 6) deployment of an AIM monitoring network; 7) EM monitoring of CO2 with real-time data processing; 8) continued seasonal drone-based surveillance studies; 9) seismic monitoring with passive and active surveys; and 10) wellbore monitoring with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) for near-surface characterization. Completion of Activities 1.0–5.0 (baseline activities) are described in this report. Upon authorization of funding by DOE, the EERC will initiate Activities 6.0– 10.0 (operational monitoring activities). Current state-of-the-art (SOA) carbon storage-monitoring techniques require countless labor hours dedicated to the acquisition of data. Once data are gathered, these SOA techniques often rely on commercial facilities to process raw data from the field. However, it is anticipated that next-generation monitoring techniques, such as those being demonstrated, will lower acquisition footprints, be less operationally intensive, and improve data acquisition efficiencies. These new techniques are more conducive to the application of machine learning, artificial intelligence, and automation, thus providing a pathway for integration into active control systems, informing site operability, and improving the integration of data for future CCS projects across the United States. Additionally, reclaimed and active mining lands are present within the project site, creating a unique opportunity to demonstrate the effectiveness of remote sensing and surface-based geophysics monitoring techniques at similar project sites that may include disturbed, unconsolidated, or actively excavated near-surface environments. The efforts included in the overall project will produce necessary designs, learnings, and data acquired during the baseline and operational monitoring periods that are necessary for time-lapse demonstration and validation of the described monitoring techniques. In addition, it is anticipated that the monitoring technologies included in this study will be compliant with UIC Class VI requirements to enable the potential for implementation at other CCS sites across the United States.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Integrated, Coordinated, Open, and Networked (ICON) Science to Advance the Geosciences: Introduction and Synthesis of a Special Collection of Commentary Articles

The sciences struggle with poor integration across disciplines, the absence of coordination within and across data generation and modeling activities, scarce or disconnected open data, and weaknesses of networks to engage diverse stakeholders within and beyond the scientific community. The American Geophysical Union (AGU) is divided into 25 sections intended to encompass the breadth of the geosciences. Here, we introduce a special collection of commentary articles spanning 19 AGU sections on the challenges and opportunities associated with the use of ICON science principles. These principles focus on research intentionally designed to be Integrated, Coordinated, Open, and Networked (ICON) with the goal of maximizing mutual benefit (among stakeholders) and cross-system transferability of science outcomes. This article summarizes the ICON principles; discusses the crowdsourced approach to creating the collection; and explores insights from across the articles. There were multiple common themes among the commentary articles, including the broad agreement that the benefits of using ICON principles outweigh the costs, but that using ICON principles has important risks that need to be understood and mitigated. It was also clear that the ICON principles are not monolithic or static, but should instead be considered a heuristic tool that can and should be modified to meet changing needs. As a whole, the collection is intended as a resource for scientists pursuing ICON science and represents an important inflection point in which the geosciences community has come together around ICON principles as a unified approach for improving how science is done across the geosciences and beyond.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

CarbonSAFE Phase II: Optimizing Alabama’s CO 2 Storage in Shelby County, Alabama (Project OASIS), Milestone M3 - Site Specific Drilling Report

The Phase II Storage Complex Feasibility project, entitled "Optimizing Alabama's CO 2 Storage in Shelby County, Alabama (Project OASIS)," is a part of the DOE/NETL's CarbonSAFE initiative. The Project is managed by the Southern States Energy Board (SSEB), and includes participation from Advanced Resources International, Inc. (ARI), Crescent Resource Innovation, Southern Company, Alabama A&M University, Auburn University, and Oklahoma State University. Project OASIS is working to establish the foundation for a commercial-scale geologic storage complex for CO 2 captured from Plant Gaston (home of the National Carbon Capture Center) and surrounding industrial sources of CO 2 located in Shelby County, Alabama. The Project objectives are: • Demonstrate that the subsurface saline formations at the storage complex can store commercial volumes of CO 2 safely and permanently. • Develop a comprehensive Community Benefits Plan. • Develop the infrastructure framework for a CO 2 storage hub. • Develop a rigorous risk registry and to conduct a comprehensive risk assessment. • Develop a monitoring plan. • Develop a comprehensive site characterization plan to support an Underground Injection Control Class VI Permit in a future Phase III program. • Evaluate the commercial viability of the project. Project OASIS is about 30 miles southeast of Birmingham, Alabama within a geologic province called the Valley and Ridge (Figure 1.1). The Valley and Ridge Province comprises a sequence of Paleozoic carbonate and clastic rocks that underwent structural deformation during the Alleghanian Orogeny. Storage prospects occur in relatively flat lying structural panels located between thrust faults. Available geologic studies related to hydrocarbon exploration suggest that Cambro-Ordovician carbonates and Cambrian clastic units offer multiple potential storage intervals, and that regional confining systems are present, such as the tectonically thickened Floyd-Parkwood Shale. The surface property is owned by a timber and land stewardship company, The Westervelt Company, Inc., who worked with the Project Team to select and prepare adequate sites for geologic assessment. The purpose of drilling the Westover Stratigraphic Test Well #2 was to collect geologic data to model the feasibility of commercial scale CO 2 injection and storage. This includes geological and geophysical evaluations, reservoir engineering analyses, and risk assessments.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗