Tittle: Wyoming CarbonSAFE: Developing a Commercial-Scale Carbon Storage Hub

Abstract: Wyoming CarbonSAFE is a Department of Energy (DOE) funded project (DE- FE0031891) with an objective of advancing the commerciality of a proposed carbon storage hub in the northern Powder River Basin. The project is evaluating developing CCUS at Dry Fork Station (DFS) north of Gillette, one of the nation’s newest and cleanest coal-fired power plant, operated by Basin Electric Power Cooperative. In addition, the project will complete site characterization and Class VI permits for existing and proposed wells, and develop the economic, regulatory and field strategies to meet a storage goal of 50+ million metric tons. The Wyoming CarbonSAFE project is collaborating with Wyoming’s Integrated Test Center, a research center co-located at DFS that that is currently hosting a FEED study and a large-scale CO2 capture demonstration project led by Membrane Technology Research. This presentation will provide an update on progress to-date and an overview of the CCUS activity (challenges and opportunities) within the state of Wyoming.

Bio:

Dr. Fred McLaughlin: McLaughlin has spent the majority of his career evaluating the geologic and economic resources of the Rocky Mountain region. In his early career, McLaughlin focused on field evaluation and developmental geology, primarily associated with energy and economic geology. Later work related to reservoir to basin-scale evolution of rocks and fluids. For the better part of the last ten years, his career and research focus has been developing commercial-scale CCUS projects, mainly in Wyoming. McLaughlin has participated in numerous CCUS projects within the State of Wyoming as well as national and global CCUS projects. He was a founding member of the University of Wyoming’s (UW) Carbon Management Institute (now the Center for Economic Geology Research) at which he was responsible for developing technical programs and research on geologic carbon dioxide (CO2) storage, unconventional energy resources, and critical minerals/materials. Highlights include co-leading UW’s largest commercially-focused carbon storage project, and helping to design, permit, drill and complete the State’s first CO2 injection wells. McLaughlin has worked with public, private, and academic entities across the entirety of his career. He also has teaching and mentorship experience, and currently serves on several graduate committees. He is a Wyoming licensed Professional Geologist (P.G. 3818) and currently serves as a the Director for the Center of Economic Geologic Research at the University of Wyoming’s School of Energy Resources.

Scott Quillinan: Scott Quillinan is the Senior Director of Research at the School of Energy Resources, University of Wyoming. With 15 years of experience, Scott has broad experience is subsurface R&D in university research, energy consultancy and with a geologic survey. Scott holds a B.S. and M.S. degree in Geology from the University of Wyoming and is a licensed professional geologist. Scott focuses his research interests on the energy transition and thoughtful approaches to decarbonize fossil fuel energy systems where he has secured and managed over $60M in research contracts over his professional career ranging from small seed funding to large-scale field demonstration projects through the Department of Energy. Scott’s current programs include Wyoming CarbonSAFE (a commercial-scale CO2 geologic storage project at a coal-fired power plant), exploration and production of rare earth elements and critical materials, and identifying low-carbon approaches to traditional energy resource development in the U.S and China. Scott chairs the Wyoming CCUS task force, co-chaired the Center of Advanced Energy Studies’-Innovative Energy Systems Work Group housed at Idaho National Laboratories, is Wyoming’s Chair for the Intermountain West Energy Sustainability & Transitions (I-WEST) housed at Los Alamos National Laboratory, and is a faculty member for the Department of Energy Program-Research Experience in Carbon Storage.