Summary of the WY-CUSP Characterization Program

Abstract

The goals of the WY-CUSP program were to improve estimates of geological CO₂ reservoir storage capacity, to evaluate the long-term integrity and permanence of confining layers, and to manage injection pressure and produced brine at the Rock Springs Uplift CO₂ storage site. In the process of achieving these goals, a new and substantially more effective strategy and technology has been developed to achieve the most accurate performance assessments and resultant risk reductions for detailed geologic CO₂ storage site characterization. The strategies and technologies used to perform the tasks resulting in achieving the project goals are the subject of this work—optimizing CO₂ storage efficiency at the Rock Springs Uplift study site and elsewhere. The ultimate mission of the WY-CUSP program, managed by the University of Wyoming Carbon Management Institute—delivery of a certified commercial CO₂ storage site in Wyoming that could be used as a surge tank for CO₂ utilization—has been accomplished.