The Wyoming CarbonSAFE Project, which stands for Carbon Storage Assurance Facility Enterprise, is one of thirteen original carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) project sites in the U.S. funded by the DOE with the ultimate goal of ensuring carbon storage complexes will be ready for integrated CCUS system deployment. With the advancement of each stage and varying success, fewer sites continued to the subsequent stages. Four of the original thirteen projects have advanced to Phase III, including sites in North Dakota, Alabama, and Illinois. One new project located in New Mexico has joined the program.
Experience a first-person view of the sheer scale of our CarbonSAFE Project. Developed by the 3D Visualization Center, this interactive tool shows the audience how deep CO2 would be injected and stored into the subsurface. Learn about the different geological formations as you reach two miles under the earth’s surface to see the CO2 storage zones and caprock seals.
Look Around - click and hold the left mouse button then drag your mouse around to pan the view.
Interact - Left click on any yellow triangle icons to trigger something to happen.
Phase I consisted of a pre-feasibility plan and team assembly. Initial formations investigated included the Muddy, Lakota, Fall River (Dakota Group), Lower Sundance, and Minnelusa Formations, which are overlain by thousands of feet of impermeable rock that would ensure the permanent containment of carbon dioxide fluids in the storage sites.
Phase II of the project commenced to assess the storage complex feasibility, with major activities including drilling a test well at the site and conducting a 3-D geophysical survey. The test well was completed at a total depth of 9873 feet and 625 feet of core samples from nine different geological formations were collected for analysis.
Phase III project objectives are to finalize site characterization, complete Class VI permitting to construct, integrate Membrane Technology and Research, Inc.’s (MTR) CO2 capture assessment, and conduct National Environmental Policy Act analyses to advance towards commercialization of a large-scale CCUS project at Dry Fork Station.
Wyoming CarbonSAFE - Phase I: Rock Springs Uplift
The Center for Economic Geology Research (CEGR) was awared a one year prefeasibility study surrounding the Rock Springs Uplift in southwestern Wyoming as part of the DOE’s Carbon Storage Assurance and Facility Enterprise (CarbonSAFE) program. The ultimate goal of the CarbonSAFE program is to safely store 50+ million metric tons of CO2 into a saline geologic storage complex.
The Rock Springs Uplift Project did not not advance to subsequent phase, but much was learned on the project and many discoveries were made possible by this research. LEARN MORE >>>
July 8, 2021 ‖ The University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources’ (SER) Center for Economic Geology Research (CEGR) -- along with Basin Electric Power Cooperative -- will host a public outreach meeting at the Integrated Test Center at Dry Fork Station in Gillette at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 3.
April 9, 2021 ‖ Charles Nye, a Research Scientist at the School of Energy Resources’ (SER) Center of Economic Geology Research (CEGR) spent time in the field during March to install soil gas monitoring systems in an effort to advance the $33.1 million Wyoming CarbonSAFE project. The project, which is in its third phase of development, seeks to determine the feasibility of subsurface carbon storage in the Powder River Basin.
November 4, 2020 ‖ On Oct. 1st, the School of Energy Resource’s (SER) Center for Economic Geology Research (CEGR) at the University of Wyoming officially launched Phase III of the CarbonSAFE project.
August 19, 2020 ‖ Work toward a commercial-scale geological carbon dioxide storage complex near Gillette will move to the next stage next week with a geophysical survey covering about nine square miles of rural land around the Dry Fork Station power plant.
April 23, 2020 ‖ Plans for a commercial-scale geological carbon dioxide storage complex near Gillette have taken a major step forward with its selection for a $15.2 million award from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory.
August 16, 2019 ‖ A top official with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will visit the University of Wyoming next week as part of a trip to the state to get a firsthand look at the state’s investments in fossil energy technology and the mining industry.
April 12, 2019 ‖ Drilling has begun on a test well near Basin Electric Power Cooperative’s Dry Fork Station near Gillette to determine the suitability of the underground geologic formations for commercial carbon dioxide (CO2) storage.
January 30, 2019 ‖ The University of Wyoming’s carbon capture research in northern Wyoming is the topic of UW’s popular one-day program -- Saturday University -- Saturday, Feb. 23, in Sheridan.
May 25, 2018 ‖ The University of Wyoming has received a $9.77 million award from the U.S. Department of Energy to proceed with a project to determine the feasibility of establishing a commercial-scale geological storage complex for carbon dioxide (CO2) in Wyoming.
November 30, 2016 ‖ The University of Wyoming will receive nearly $2.4 million from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for research aimed at laying the groundwork for two commercial carbon capture and storage projects in Wyoming.