GEOSPATIAL ASSESSMENT OF CCS POTENTIAL IN COLOMBIA: TOWARD ACHIEVING 2050 NET ZERO EMISSIONS

The Sixth Climate Assessment Reports by the IPCC emphasize the importance of carbon capture and storage (CCS) in achieving the 1.5oC target set by the Paris Agreement. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of CCS and its role in meeting this target in Colombia, a developing country. By utilizing proximity algorithms and geostatistical methods with open-source data, we aim to expand global estimates of CO2 storage capacities and injection rates specifically for Colombia.

Deep-saline aquifers are considered as potential CCS sites due to their widespread availability and cost-effectiveness. The geological heterogeneity of underground formations significantly influences storage potential and costs, making it crucial to account for local variability when estimating techno-economic resources for CCS deployment. To achieve this, we leverage the "CO2Screen" tool developed by the National Energy Technology Laboratory to analyze site-specific geological features and estimate CCS capacity potential. Key geological variables, including porosity, area, and gross reservoir thickness, play a pivotal role in determining storage capacity. Additionally, parameters such as depth, pressure, effective permeability, rock age, and environmental setting impact storage costs, obtained from various data sources like seismic data, well logs, and outcrops, are integrated into geospatial gridded databases using interpolation and geostatistical techniques.

Our study focuses on 12 geological basins and 25 geological units in Colombia, where CCS storage is deemed feasible. Geospatial maps representing area, thickness, and porosity variables have been generated for one of the geological units to calculate carbon storage capacities. These results offer valuable insights into the viability of CCS implementation in Colombia, as CCS pilots are scheduled for deployment by the 2030s, with the ambition of large-scale deployment by 2050. These findings are of significant value in guiding future investments and policy decisions related to CCS and carbon management strategies in Colombia. Furthermore, the outcomes provide a potential blueprint for other developing countries seeking to contribute to global efforts against climate change through CCS adoption.