Dissolved CO2 Storage in Shallow Clastic Reservoirs of Rift Basins: Example Study in Southern Red Sea

Summary Coastal regions, including the western area of Saudi Arabia, present opportunities for implementing effective carbon storage solutions, which can help mitigate CO2 emissions. The onshore basins located at proximity to CO2 sources are mostly small half-grabens formed during the opening of the Red Sea. To increase the carbon storage potential in these basins, a novel approach called dissolved CO2 storage has been explored, where CO2 and water are co-injected into shallow saline aquifers, allowing the CO2 to rapidly dissolve and become permanently sequestered. This example study in an onshore basin of the southern Red Sea demonstrated the potential of this method, with results showing that shallow clastic saline aquifers can store approximately 6 Mt of CO2 per km3 of rock. The study highlights the importance of factors such as aquifer salinity, mineralogy, and injection water chemistry in determining the success of dissolved CO2 storage, and contributes to the development of effective carbon management strategies in geologically complex environments, ultimately supporting the advancement of secure and sustainable CO2 storage solutions.