Response of Integrated CO₂ Capture and Storage Systems in Saline Aquifers and Fractured Shale Formations to Changes in CO₂ Capture Costs

Fractured shale formations are new potential target reservoirs for CO₂ capture and storage (CCS) and provide several potential advantages over storage in saline aquifers in terms of storage capacity, leakage risk, and cost savings from brownfield development. We used a geospatial-optimization, engineering-economic model to investigate the sensitivity of integrated CCS networks in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia to reductions in CO₂ capture costs. These reductions in CO₂ capture costs were based on hypothetical cases where technological innovation reduced CO₂ capture costs. There were small differences in the spatial organization of the CCS deployment when the capture costs were reduced. We also found that the percent reduction in average cost of CCS systems became smaller as the CO₂ capture costs were decreased.