STORAGE POTENTIAL, REACTION KINETICS, AND POROSITY EVOLUTION DURING CARBON MINERALIZATION IN BASALT FORMATIONS

The successful pilot-scale carbon mineralization demonstration at Wallula by PNNL has helped catalyze other low-carbon investments in the Pacific Northwest, capitalizing on the voluminous and reactive basalt formations. These projects include the HERO Basalt CarbonSAFE in Hermiston Oregon, which will be the only mineralization hub in the Pacific Northwest and the first CO₂ mineralization project in the United States. Additionally, the Ankeron Carbon Management Hub, named for ankerite formed at Wallula, is one of 14 awarded direct air capture (DAC) feasibility studies and is the only mineralization-focused DAC hub funded through the Regional Direct Air Capture program. We will present the latest experimental and field results delineating the rates and pathways of carbon mineralization in basalt, including how these reactions influence the multiscale pore network architecture. This information is needed to parameterize reactive transport models, increase community acceptance, fill knowledge gaps for stakeholders, and gain regulatory acceptance. Overall, these fundamental and applied science insights will help enable the safe and efficient implementation of anthropogenic carbon management at a commercial scale (>50 MMT over 30 years) at different sites in the Pacific Northwest.