Jakub Fedorik

This research project explores the potential of Late Oligocene basalts in southwestern Saudi Arabia for carbon capture and storage, with a focus on their suitability for CO₂ mineralization. The study builds on the promise of basaltic formations shown in Iceland, where the unique combination of reactive rocks and an active tectonic setting enables the permanent sequestration of CO₂. To investigate this potential, the research team used a combination of field observations, structural mapping, seismic data analysis, drilling data, satellite imagery analysis, and flow tests to characterize the regional faults, fracture networks, and fluid flow paths in the basalt formations. The results of this study identified NE-dipping faults as the primary target for future CO₂ injection and mineralization efforts, with drilling campaigns and injection tests demonstrating high flow rates and broad matrix permeability. Additionally, seismic surveys and potential field data provided valuable insights into the subsurface architecture and fault characteristics, which are consistent with worldwide examples of inner Seaward Dipping Reflectors found in magma-rich rifted margins. The study marks an important achievement as the first successful CO₂ injection into a non-tectonically active system, highlighting the vast potential of inner SDRs as targets for permanent CO₂ mineralization on a global scale. The findings of this research provide invaluable insights for geological and geophysical assessments necessary for accurate subsurface characterization for CO₂ sequestration initiatives, and have significant implications for the development of CCS technologies and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Overall, the study contributes to the advancement of CCS research and identifies suitable locations for CO₂ storage and mineralization, with important implications for the future of CCS and the potential for basaltic formations to play a key role in mitigating climate change.

Co-author/s:

Syed Shah, Geological Specialist, Saudi Aramco.

Julio Almeida De Carvalho, Geophysical Consultant, Saudi Aramco.