Energy Storage is a Crucial Focus of DEG
These are exciting times at the Division of Environmental Geology.
The Division has historically developed standing committees in environmental geophysics, water resources and carbon capture, utilization and storage. The transition of the world to variable energy sources such as solar and wind make it crucial that we have reliable longer-term energy storage capability. Also, the DEG has continued to support CCUS with numerous workshops and sessions at professional meetings.
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These are exciting times at the Division of Environmental Geology.
The Division has historically developed standing committees in environmental geophysics, water resources and carbon capture, utilization and storage. The transition of the world to variable energy sources such as solar and wind make it crucial that we have reliable longer-term energy storage capability. Also, the DEG has continued to support CCUS with numerous workshops and sessions at professional meetings.
The goal of the DEG this year is to increase the visibility of the Division in the areas of not only CCUS but also natural gas storage, hydrogen storage, compressed air energy storage and geothermal storage.
Petroleum professionals are uniquely qualified to evaluate the risk and uncertainty of subsurface storage methods. We evaluate both containment risk, such as seal integrity and presence of faults, but also the impact of reservoir heterogeneities and reservoir properties on storage capacity.
“Petroleum professionals are uniquely qualified to evaluate the risk and uncertainty of subsurface storage methods. We evaluate both containment risk, such as seal integrity and presence of faults, but also the impact of reservoir heterogeneities and reservoir properties on storage capacity”
A critical component of all subsurface storage projects must include an understanding of the risk for induced seismicity. The recent induced seismic activity such as occurred in Oklahoma and other locations because of wastewater disposal has demonstrated the importance of understanding subsurface geology. The DEG in conjunction with the Energy and Minerals Division must provide leadership in organizing programs in education and outreach to improve our knowledge of subsurface storage. DEG and EMD must demonstrate to geoscience students and young professionals the opportunities present in energy storage projects as well as in petroleum-focused exploration and development applications.
Petroleum geoscientists’ expertise in subsurface energy storage has been acknowledge by the U.S. Department of Energy by the creation of a program on geothermal energy from the utilization of oil and gas demonstrated engineering. If approved by Congress, the program will award up to $165 million to expand U.S. energy development by leveraging technologies and workforce from the oil and gas industry.
Eastern Section Annual Meeting
To facilitate outreach on a diversity of energy storage opportunities as well as subsurface hydrocarbon characterization, the Eastern Section of the AAPG will hold their annual meeting from Oct. 24-26 in Champaign, Ill. Technical sessions will range from exploration and production in mature basins, energy storage to ESG and regulatory issues. In-depth workshops on subsurface hydrogen storage and critical mineral resources in the Illinois Basin are also included. Please visit conferences.illinois.edu/ESAAPG for a detailed overview of the conference, which includes a pre-conference field trip to Hicks Dome (critical minerals) in southern Illinois.