The continual growth of geologic carbon storage projects calls for the growth of comprehensive data resources to support project planning, geologic characterization and risk analysis. Researchers at NETL recently published a new dataset, the Catalog of U.S. Prospective Subsurface Storage Reservoir Sealing Formations, that aggregates prospective seal units for potential storage resources within the U.S. for geologic carbon storage in both onshore and offshore basins. 

“The catalog aims to guide users to available literature and data resources related to containment systems for carbon dioxide (CO₂) storage, a vital component in the mission to achieve a net-zero carbon emissions energy sector and economy by 2050,” said NETL Geologist Paige Morkner. “This is the first version of this catalog and is a valuable resource for researchers, policymakers and industry professionals interested in geologic carbon storage and the identification of prospective seal units in U.S. sedimentary basins.”

The catalog lists prospective seals by unit name along with associated data and resources that are available, including lithology, position with respect to the reservoir (primary, secondary, intraformational, etc.) and age (geologic period), for prospective domestic geologic storage resources.

The information source for each record in the catalog also includes the published citation, year of publication, resource type (journal article, event proceedings, etc.) and additional record notes. The catalog is the result of a significant effort to aggregate disparate data resources into a single dataset that guides users to understand what prospective seal units exist in deep sedimentary basins. 

Access the dataset on NETL's Energy Data eXchange® (EDX) and EDX® disCO2ver, NETL's carbon storage-centric virtual data collaboration and curation platform, to explore this important resource further. 

EDX is the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management’s (FECM) virtual library and data laboratory built to find, connect, curate, use and re-use data to advance fossil energy and environmental research and development. Developed and maintained by NETL, EDX supports the entire life cycle of data by offering secure, private collaborative workspaces for ongoing research projects until they mature and become catalogued, curated and published. EDX adheres to DOE cyber policies and domestic and international standards for data curation and citation. This ensures data products pushed public via EDX are afforded a citation for proper accreditation and comply with journal publication requirements.

NETL is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory that drives innovation and delivers technological solutions for an environmentally sustainable and prosperous energy future. By leveraging its world-class talent and research facilities, NETL is ensuring affordable, abundant and reliable energy that drives a robust economy and national security, while developing technologies to manage carbon across the full life cycle, enabling environmental sustainability for all Americans