The Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries is hiring contractors to drill and analyze a test well in the Columbia River Basalt Group. The project aims to determine if these volcanic rock formations can permanently mineralize injected carbon dioxide.
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Oregon is finally putting money into testing the Columbia River Basalt Group. It is a good move to get actual borehole data instead of just relying on regional models.
The geology is interesting, but I wonder about the midstream side. Even if the basalt works, where is the pipeline infrastructure coming from to get the CO2 to these sites?
The drilling costs for basalt are usually higher than saline aquifers. I would be curious to see the cost breakdown in the OregonBuys system if that data ever becomes public.
This is a classic state level risk reduction play. By funding the initial test well, the state lowers the barrier for private CCS developers to enter the region later.
