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Assessment of Geological Carbon Sequestration Options in the Illinois Basin
by Robert J. Finley, Illinois State Geological Survey
The Midwest Geological Sequestration Consortium (MGSC) proposes to investigate options for geological carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration in the 60,000 square-mile Illinois Basin. The Illinois Basin underlys most of Illinois, western Indiana, and western Kentucky. Within the Basin are deep uneconomic coal resources, numerous mature oil fields, and deep saline reservoirs potentially capable of storing CO2. MGSC will work to determine the technical and economic feasibility of using these geological sinks for long-term storage of CO2.
The Illinois Basin has annual emissions exceeding 255 million metric tons of CO2 , primarily from 64 coal-fired electric generation facilities. Some of these burn almost 5 million tons of coal per year.
Assessing options for capture, transportation, and storage of the CO2 emissions within the region will be a two-year process, to be completed in September, 2005. The MGSC will generate an action plan for possible field tests involving CO2 injection. Given the geology of the Illinois Basin, a likely outcome will be a set of field sites where at least two geological sinks are vertically stacked in the subsurface. This will yield an opportunity to test the viability of multiple geological storage options.
Assessment of carbon capture and transportation options in the region, focusing on small-scale options for field tests and pipeline requirements for long-term sequestration.
Carbon storage assessment for each of the three geological sinks: coals, oil reservoirs, and saline reservoirs.
Link options for capture, transportation, and geological storage within the environmental and regulatory framework. Define sequestration scenarios and potential outcomes for the region.
Illinois State Geological Survey |
Indiana Geological Survey |
Kentucky Geological Survey
National Energy Technology Laboratory