The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) is developing software solutions and a digital infrastructure to bolster subsurface scientific innovation for carbon sequestration. The new tools will mine the substantial database of subsurface information stored in the Energy Data eXchange (EDX).
The aim of the project is to explore the process of carbon sequestration from the atmosphere and injecting it for storage in the geologic subsurface. It will also provide accurate predictions on the expected reaction of the carbon dioxide once placed underground, as well as its behavior when in contact with subsurface conditions.
The laboratory will employ machine learning and artificial intelligence to utilize the subsurface knowledge gathered by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), universities, research centers, and other organizations. The new findings are expected to provide answers to obstacles related to storage capacity, porosity of rock layers, real-time tracking of faults and fractures, and subsurface flows.
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The project has historic potential for breakthroughs, as it is supported by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which will finance operations with a solid portion of the $1.2 trillion legislation. If the end results are as expected, this colossal project can accelerate the commercialization of carbon capture technologies and help pick up the pace of climate-forward action.
The innovative digital tools will be used within the EDX platform, built in partnership with the Department of Energy (DOE) in 2011, which contains more than 23,000 published data resources, nearly 25 million federated data resources, and 48 EDX research and development groups.
The projects set to receive BIL funding include the Energy Data eXchange for Carbon Capture and Sequestration (EDX4CCS) project, the National Risk Assessment Partnership (NRAP), which is already in phase 3 funding, and the Science-Informed Machine Learning for Accelerating Real-Time Decisions in Subsurface Applications (SMART) Initiative, which is about to enter phase 2 of the sponsorship.
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