Geologic CO\(_2\) Storage

Overview

Geologic carbon dioxide storage (GCS) is widely recognized as a key technology for mitigating climate change, with the potential to permanently sequester gigatonnes of CO\(_2\) in deep subsurface formations. However, large-scale deployment of GCS requires a thorough understanding of the risks associated with injecting CO\(_2\) into complex geologic settings — particularly the potential for fluid migration through faults and other geologic discontinuities.

Our group develops and applies multiphase flow simulation tools to assess CO\(_2\) containment and leakage risk in faulted sedimentary basins. We work across scales, from individual fault zones to regional storage complexes, combining physics-based modeling with field and experimental observations. A central goal of our work is to bridge the gap between simplified fault representations commonly used in reservoir simulation and the geologic complexity observed in nature.

Current focus locations include offshore Texas and the San Joaquin Valley in California, where we evaluate storage capacity and containment integrity at scales relevant for climate impact. We also collaborate closely with experimentalists to validate our numerical models against laboratory-scale CO\(_2\) injection experiments.

Research Questions

  • How does fault zone architecture control CO\(_2\) migration pathways and rates during and after injection?
  • How can we reliably predict long-term CO\(_2\) containment in faulted formations?
  • How do uncertainties in fault properties propagate to field-scale predictions of storage performance?

Selected Publications

  • H. Lu, Lluís Saló-Salgado, Y. M. Marzouk, and R. Juanes. Uncertainty quantification of fluid leakage and fault instability in geologic CO\(_2\) storage. Water Resources Research, 61(10):e2024WR039275, 2025. DOI

  • Lluís Saló-Salgado, J. A. Silva, L. Lun, C. M. Rogers, J. S. Davis, and R. Juanes. Assessing CO\(_2\) migration within faults during megatonne-scale geologic carbon dioxide storage in offshore Texas. Water Resources Research, 61(5):e2024WR037059, 2025. DOI

  • Lluís Saló-Salgado, O. Møyner, K.-A. Lie, and R. Juanes. Three-dimensional simulation of geologic carbon dioxide storage using MRST. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 14(1):34–48, 2024. DOI

  • Lluís Saló-Salgado, M. Haugen, K. Eikehaug, M. Fernø, J. M. Nordbotten, and R. Juanes. Direct comparison of numerical simulations and experiments of CO\(_2\) injection and migration in geologic media: Value of local data and forecasting capability. Transport in Porous Media, 151:1199–1240, 2024. DOI

  • J. A. Silva, Lluís Saló-Salgado, J. Patterson, G. R. Dasari, and R. Juanes. Assessing the viability of CO\(_2\) storage in offshore formations of the Gulf of Mexico at a scale relevant for climate-change mitigation. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 126(6):103884, 2023. DOI