Assessment Of Geological Carbon Storage Options In The Illinois Basin: Validation Phase

The Midwest Geological Sequestration Consortium (MGSC) assessed the options for geological carbon dioxide (CO2) storage in the 155,400 km2 (60,000 mi2) Illinois Basin, which underlies most of Illinois, western Indiana, and western Kentucky. The region has annual CO2 emissions of about 265 million metric tonnes (292 million tons), primarily from 122 coal-fired electric generation facilities, some of which burn almost 4.5 million tonnes (5 million tons) of coal per year (U.S. Department of Energy, 2010). Validation Phase (Phase II) field tests gathered pilot data to update the Characterization Phase (Phase I) assessment of options for capture, transportation, and storage of CO2 emissions in three geological sink types: coal seams, oil fields, and saline reservoirs. Four small-scale field tests were conducted to determine the properties of rock units that control injectivity of CO2, assess the total storage resources, examine the security of the overlying rock units that act as seals for the reservoirs, and develop ways to control and measure the safety of injection and storage processes.