Prairie Horizon Carbon Management Hub

Technical Report · Wed Jan 14 00:00:00 EST 2026

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/3013029· OSTI ID:3013029

Connors, Kevin; Glazewski, Kyle; Christianson, Carrie; Anagnost, Katherine; Peck, Wesley; Hillix, D. Michael; Bonev, Teresa

The Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC), with support from the North Dakota Industrial Commission and the U.S. Department of Energy, evaluated the potential for the development of a large-scale carbon management hub (CMH) in Stark County, North Dakota. The objective of the Prairie Horizon CMH project is to build public confidence to benefit and accelerate commercial carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) deployment. Findings from this investigation can facilitate project development by informing early-stage decision-making related to site selection, stakeholder engagement, understanding risks, and permitting readiness. Project objectives were accomplished by identifying and addressing technical and nontechnical challenges, evaluating legal and regulatory frameworks, and facilitating stakeholder engagement. Countywide screening included an evaluation of legacy wellbores, potential carbon dioxide (CO2) pipeline routing using existing rights-of-way (ROWs), a high-level risk assessment using a township-level spatial criteria approach, and a public opinion survey on CCUS. Regulatory implications were also considered with an emphasis on the federal subsurface leasing process and North Dakota’s policies and regulations related to competing subsurface pore space use. To assist project planners, operators, and other stakeholders, a framework was developed to evaluate four essential project feasibility categories: technical, financial, regulatory, and social. By using this framework, project risks can be identified within each feasibility category. A high-level risk assessment of these categories in the context of a potential future Stark County CMH can inform CCUS site selection with technical and nontechnical risks being identified. Risk scoring across Stark County shows relatively little variation, with southern and eastern Stark County townships showing favorable conditions for dedicated storage and central Stark County showing a prime opportunity to advance CCUS through CO2 enhanced oil recovery (EOR). Project development advantages across the county include an active carbon capture and storage (CCS) project, low population density, existing ROWs, active oil and gas development, and proximity to infrastructure, all of which may reduce permitting and public engagement issues. A comprehensive analysis of the public opinion survey across Stark County reveals that, although there are some concerns with dedicated storage, the overall perspective is neutral to positive with overwhelming support for CO2 EOR. Site screening and feasibility activities were structured into an assessment table to help project developers determine project maturity in terms of site readiness. For this project, site readiness is based on development progress toward final project design and submission of a compliant injection permit application. This site readiness assessment is a guide for developers to track progress and identify gaps in the early stages of project development to facilitate CCUS deployment. In Stark County, the Inyan Kara and Broom Creek Formations present strong prospects for dedicated storage in deep saline formations. To date, the Gevo North Dakota ethanol plant near v Richardton, North Dakota, has injected 577,485 tonnes of captured CO2 into the Broom Creek Formation for dedicated storage. The Dickinson Lodgepole Mounds (DLM), a horseshoe-shaped series of oil fields in central Stark County, offer an intriguing opportunity for CO2 EOR, with estimated incremental recovery of 21–34 million barrels of oil and associated storage of 6–15 million tonnes of CO2. These positive factors for future CCUS and the active CO2 storage project associated with the Gevo North Dakota ethanol plant in the county’s northeast corner suggest ideal conditions to advance future additional CO2 storage site development in Stark County. Project planners and developers can use lessons from this project to inform early-stage decision-making and facilitate CCUS deployment in Stark County. The key lessons learned and knowledge gaps addressed from the Prairie Horizon CMH are: • Stark County is well-positioned for future CCUS deployment, all that remains are the commercial drivers and private sector investment to bring CO2 to this region. • Timelines for site selection, feasibility, and permit development can be improved by following established methodologies for CCUS evaluation. • Stark County has infrastructure advantages with existing pipeline ROW that may expediate the regulatory siting and permitting, offering existing transportation corridors for CO2 delivery to a future dedicated storage location or the DLM. • Dedicated CO2 storage project planners should avoid geologic formations near active oil and gas development that may compete with subsurface pressure space, specifically saltwater disposal in the Inyan Kara Formation. • The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has two distinct regulatory procedures for CO2 storage on public lands, utilizing a ROW grant process for dedicated storage and a leasing process for associated storage. However, rent schedules for pore space use have not yet been defined, delaying the issuing of final ROW approvals. • Public opinion survey participants in Stark County are generally divided in their opinion on CCS for dedicated storage; however, those participants indicate strong (greater than 80%) support for CO2 EOR.

• Research Organization: UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; North Dakota Industrial Commissions
• DOE Contract Number: FE0032371
• OSTI ID: 3013029
• Report Number(s): DOE EERC 0032371
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
58 GEOSCIENCES