WESTCARB Goals

WESTCARB is pursuing six major project goals:

Characterize the Region's CO₂ Sources and Geologic Sinks
The partnership will map major industrial CO₂ emission sources, underground storage reservoirs with the potential for CO₂ storage (known as "sinks"), and possible pipeline routes. WESTCARB will also document geologic features (e.g., active faults) and land use restrictions (e.g., military bases and wilderness areas) that could influence pipeline routing and siting of CO₂ injection facilities.

Prioritize Geologic Sequestration Opportunities, and Conduct Pilot Projects
WESTCARB will evaluate various CO₂ capture, transport, and storage combinations on the basis of technical feasibility and cost. The partnership will also conduct small-scale technology validation field tests, such as injection of a small quantity of CO₂ into a suitable geologic formation and monitoring its absorption by porous rocks to refine predictive models and assure reliable storage.

Develop Terrestrial Carbon Storage Baselines, and Sequestration “Supply Curves,” and Conduct Pilot Projects
WESTCARB will characterize the region's terrestrial carbon sinks and evaluate opportunities to increase carbon storage in those sinks. In particular, the partnership will estimate greenhouse gas emission and removal baselines for forest and agricultural lands, from which they will assess the costs and benefits of terrestrial carbon storage techniques. Further, WESTCARB will field-test carbon measurement procedures at forest plots in California and Oregon, which will be followed by small-scale technology validation tests for forest restoration/management via tree planting, forest "fuel treatments" to reduce CO₂ emissions during wildfires, and conservation practices to promote large-tree stands.

Promote Public Participation and Education
WESTCARB and the U.S. Department of Energy will work with a national educational organizations to develop carbon sequestration curricula and classroom materials. WESTCARB will also seek to engage planning/policy professionals, teachers, and community organizations through public meetings.

Resolve Technology Deployment Issues
WESTCARB will develop and/or apply measurement techniques to verify that CO₂ stored underground remains in place. Experience and data from the oil and gas industry and from other research experiments will provide insight to this effort. WESTCARB will also assess the risk of storage site disruption and potential health and environmental implications. Finally, the partnership will identify the regulations potentially applicable to geologic sequestration projects in each WESTCARB state, as well as those potentially applicable to terrestrial sequestration.

Conduct a Large-Volume Sequestration Test (Phase III)
As noted above, WESTCARB will conduct small-scale terrestrial and geologic sequestration technology validation projects during Phase II of the DOE regional partnerships program. WESTCARB then proposes to conduct a "Phase III" large-volume CO₂ storage test in California's Central Valley, an especially promising storage location for the region. The goal of WESTCARB’s Phase III field test is to validate, at scale, the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of carbon storage in deep saline formations.