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LSU petroleum engineering associate professor Mehdi Zeidouni has been awarded a $252,160 grant from the LSU Institute for Energy Innovation.
The grant will support his work tracking subsurface carbon dioxide flow and well-sealing capacity in geological carbon storage projects.
Louisiana is among the most carbon-intensive states in the nation, emitting over 200 million tons of carbon dioxide annually. This high level of emission is largely due to the state's reliance on carbon-intensive industries such as oil and gas production, refining and chemical manufacturing.
As a result, Louisiana is uniquely positioned to benefit from carbon capture and storage technologies, which can help reduce the carbon footprint of these industries and contribute to the state's efforts in decarbonization and climate change mitigation.
"The oil and gas industry is a major industry in Louisiana and for Louisiana's economy. CO2 capture and storage is the only method that allows the continued use of fossil fuels while reducing their carbon footprint," Zeidouni said. "This will allow us to have an energy transition in the state, and it'll make sure that there are no significant economic or social or political consequences for the state."
CCS has the potential to facilitate a smooth transition to cleaner energy sources in Louisiana, minimizing negative impacts on the state's economy, society and political landscape, supporters say. Some residents and environmentalists, however, have raised concerns CCS isn't safe and doesn't address the root cause of high emissions.
"[Louisiana has] very amenable geology that allows for the effective storage of millions of tonnes of CO2 annually," Zeidouni said.
According to Zeidouni, when carbon dioxide is captured, it is typically stored underground at a depth of no less than 3,000 feet. This is because carbon dioxide at a shallow depth remains in a gaseous state.
Once the carbon dioxide is stored underground, it remains there secure and locked away. However, researchers are exploring the possibility of its use for future generations.
"The primary goal is to eliminate CO2 from the atmosphere. But we may want to use it as a product in later years, so we're also interested in its long-term recoverability," Zeidouni said. "We may want to use it as in later years, we may come up with a new technology that can use the CO2 effectively as a product so that we can make something with it.”
Ensuring that carbon dioxide is contained and retained in the subsurface allows for the possibility of recovering and reusing it, while highlighting the importance of long-term planning and research in carbon capture and storage efforts.
Zeidouni's research will introduce new methods to acquire and analyze pressure and temperature data. It will enable a quantitative estimation of critical parameters such as the lateral and vertical extent of carbon dioxide plumes, injection profiles and the migration of carbon dioxide upwells.
The grant will also support Zeidouni's research by funding research assistants, including three master's and two doctoral students, while also helping to establish industry partnerships.
The innovative approach has garnered support from four research partners: Advanced Resources International, Carbonvert, chemical company BASF and the Gulf Coast Carbon Center at the Bureau of Economic Geology. Through collaboration with these partners, Zeidouni plans to implement his proposed monitoring approaches in a practical and cost-effective manner, contributing to the advancement of CCS technologies.
