HERO Basalt CarbonSAFE

The HERO (Hermiston Oregon Basalt CarbonSAFE) Phase II initiative, led by the University of Wyoming’s School of Energy Resources in collaboration with Oxy Low Carbon Ventures, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Calpine, Schlumberger, and Carbfix, seeks to accelerate commercial-scale carbon dioxide (CO₂) storage in basaltic rocks of the Columbia River Basalt Group (CRBG) near Hermiston. This two-year feasibility study, funded through the U.S. Department of Energy’s CarbonSAFE program, aims to evaluate geological suitability, drilling feasibility, CO₂ mineralization, and technical and regulatory viability of storing over 50 million metric tons of CO₂ over 30 years by leveraging the rapid mineralization potential of basalt formations—considered one of the largest CO₂ storage resources in the Pacific Northwest. The project includes drilling a deep stratigraphic test well (~5,000 ft), collecting geological samples, developing reservoir models, and conducting community and environmental assessments