Smart CCUS: Geophysical Innovations for Subsurface Energy and Carbon Management

David L. Alumbaugh received a B.S. in Geological Sciences from San Diego State University in 1986, and a Ph. D. in Material Sciences and Mineral Engineering from the University of California Berkeley in 1993.  From 1993 to 1999 he was a scientist at Sandia National Laboratories, and from 1999-2005 served as professor at the University of Wisconsin Madison. In 2004 He joined Schlumberger’s EMI Technology Center in Richmond, CA where he helped to commercialize crosswell electromagnetic imaging as an oil-field offering. After a short stint at Chevron Energy Technology Company from 2011 to 2013, he joined NEOS GeoSolutions in Pleasanton, CA where he remained until 2018. In 2018 he joined the small geophysical consulting firm BlueGreen Geophysics part time, and since 2019 he has been a Staff Scientist in the Energy Geosciences Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. His research interests focus on electromagnetic characterization, monitoring, and imaging of the Earth’s subsurface as well as multiphysics data integration, and he serves in a leadership role of LBL’s Geologic Carbon Storage and Hydrocarbon Science programs. He is the author/co-author of over 60 peer reviewed publications, 7 book chapters, 14 invited talks and presentations, and 14 US patents.

Keynote Title: Electromagnetic Monitoring of Subsurface Fluid Injection: Opportunities and Challenges

Description: Electromagnetic (EM) geophysical methods are highly attractive for monitoring subsurface injection processes due to their extreme sensitivity to fluid substitution. When native pore fluids are replaced by injectates, the bulk electrical resistivity of the reservoir rock can change dramatically. From a physics perspective, it is inherently easier to image subsurface changes caused by the injection of conductive fluids—such as treated water or brine—than it is to image resistive fluids like supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO₂). Conductive fluids readily channel and concentrate induced electric currents, producing a strong secondary EM response. Conversely, resistive fluids force electric currents to bypass the area, often generating weaker anomalies. In addition, despite this high sensitivity to fluid saturation, low-frequency EM methods (typically operating in the frequency range from 0.1 Hz to 10 kHz) obey the diffusion equation rather than the wave equation. Because the fields are diffusive, their energy attenuates rapidly in the earth, and spatial resolution inherently decreases with distance away from the source and receiver positions. Consequently, EM techniques generally provide poorer resolution images than seismic methods, which rely on wave propagation.

To overcome the challenges of signal attenuation and resolution at depth, modern EM monitoring strategies can leverage existing oilfield infrastructure. Steel well casings can be actively energized to act as extended antennas, channeling high-amplitude electrical current deep into the subsurface to significantly enhance the illuminating signal directly within the reservoir. However, steel infrastructure can present a double-edged sword, as it can also severely contaminate the measured EM responses. The highly conductive and magnetically permeable metal serves as a secondary source, generating currents that can mask the reservoir changes that we are trying to detect. Accurately characterizing subsurface fluid migration therefore requires careful survey design and advanced 3D numerical modeling to isolate the subtle reservoir responses from the overpowering secondary effects of the steel infrastructure. This presentation will highlight these concepts through modeling studies as well as measurements made at the Newell County Research Facility near Brooks, Alberta, Canada that is managed by Carbon Management Canada.

Biondo Biondi is the Barney and Estelle Morris Professor in the Geophysics Department at Stanford University, where he is the director of the Stanford Earth imaging Project (SEP). SEP is an industry-funded academic consortium whose mission is to develop innovative seismic imaging methodologies and to educate the next generation of leaders in applied seismology. SEP has pioneered innovations in 3-D seismic imaging and processing for more than 50 years. Today, it is continuing to make important contributions to the research on data analysis and imaging with an increasing focus on novel applications to support the ongoing energy transition.

In 2004 the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) honored Biondo with the Reginald Fessenden Award. In 2006 Biondo published with SEG the book “3D Seismic Imaging” that was the first book to introduce the theory of seismic imaging from the 3-D perspective. In 2007 Biondo was the SEG/EAGE Distinguished Short Course Instructor.

Keynote Title: Integrating Geophysical Technology with AI and HPC to Enable Safe and Cost-Effective CCS Monitoring  

Dr. Heather Bedle is Director of the Sustainable Energy Systems Program, and Associate Professor, Edith Kinney Gaylord Presidential Professor, and Lissa and Cy Wagner Professor of Geosciences at the University of Oklahoma.  As PI of the Attribute Assisted Seismic Processing & Interpretation (AASPI) Consortium, she is passionate about mentoring aspiring scientists and exploring the complex intersections of earth, energy, and environment. With a Ph.D. from Northwestern University, she combines her industry and academic experiences to lead research groups recognized for their interdisciplinary approach, employing methods that revolve around data science and machine learning, and using a variety of data from reflection seismic, earthquake, shallow crustal geophysical methods, and social survey data.

Keynote Title: Illuminating Subsurface Uncertainty with Seismic Attributes, ML, and Explainable AI

Abstract:

Reliable geophysical site characterization is foundational to the success of carbon capture, utilization, and storage projects, yet subsurface uncertainty remains a persistent challenge. This talk presents integrated workflows combining advanced seismic attributes with machine learning to improve seismic facies classification and fault detection across diverse geological settings, drawing on research from the Attribute Assisted Seismic Processing and Interpretation (AASPI) Consortium at the University of Oklahoma. A central focus is the application of SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) methodology to demystify machine learning outputs, revealing which seismic attributes most influence classification decisions and enabling interpreters to identify potential misclassifications with greater confidence. Through case studies relevant to subsurface storage characterization, attendees will gain practical insight into how explainable AI can transform machine learning from a black box into a transparent and auditable tool for geoscientists, supporting more confident and risk-informed decisions at every stage of CCUS site evaluation.

Dr. Neeraj Gupta provides strategy and program development leadership for Battelle’s energy, geoscience, and carbon management programs.  Over the past 35 years, he has used his expertise in subsurface resources and technologies for an array of energy and environment related programs. He is one of the earliest pioneers in CCUS development, with 30+ years of domestic and international experience in leading carbon dioxide (CO₂) storage, CO₂ enhanced oil recovery (EOR), and subsurface resource management.  Dr. Gupta is also co-leading Battelle’s strategy and development for large-scale hubs for Energy Transition with Hydrogen and Direct Air Capture hubs, and CCUS deployment.

Dr. Gupta’s is the Co-Principal Investigator for the Midwest Regional Carbon Initiative, working to evaluate CCUS across 20 states in midwestern and mid-Atlantic regions.  Dr. Gupta led several field programs on CO₂ storage technology including the Midwestern Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (MRCSP), CO₂ storage pilot at the Mountaineer plant in West Virginia, multiple regional assessments of CO₂ storage, Mid-Atlantic U.S. offshore carbon storage resource assessment, EOR, and brine disposal.  His international project leadership includes CO₂ storage assessments in China, Mexico, Japan, Germany, Indonesia, and South Africa for the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, and private clients. Dr. Gupta has co-authored almost 200 papers, reports, and presentations.

Dr. Gupta holds a PhD in Geological Sciences from The Ohio State University, MS in Geochemistry from George Washington University, and MSc and BSc in Geology from Panjab University, India. Dr. Gupta was awarded Battelle’s CEO award for his career achievements in CCUS.

Keynote: Geophysics for CCUS Development and Deployment in Midwestern and Northeastern USA

Weichang Li is currently with Zhejiang University, where his work focuses on signal processing and machine learning for wavefield sensing, including fiber optic distributed sensing. Previously, he led the AI Technology Group at the Aramco Research Center in Houston and the Machine Learning and Data Analytics Group at ExxonMobil’s Corporate Strategic Research Lab. He received his Ph.D. (2006) and M.S. degrees (2002) from MIT.

Keynote Title: Distributed Sensing and Deep Optical Flow for CO₂ Storage Monitoring

Mrinal K. Sen is a Professor of Geophysics and holder of the Shell Companies Foundations Centennial Chair in Geophysics at the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, and the Institute for Geophysics at the University of Texas at Austin. He also serves as the director of the ‘Machine Learning and Data Analytics in Geosciences” graduate certificate program at the Jackson school.

During 2013 and 2014, Mrinal served as the director of the National Geophysical Research Institute, Hyderabad, India. He has also served as the associate director and interim director of UT Institute for Geophysics. Mrinal received his B.SC-M.Sc degree from IIT(ISM) Dhanbad and PhD from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, USA. He is known internationally for his work on theoretical and computational seismology, geophysical inversion, and AI and ML in Geosciences. He has published over 200 peer reviewed journal papers and three textbooks on Geophysical Inversion. He has received many awards including the Honorary membership of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists “for extraordinary contributions as a geophysicist, educator and author”, the ‘Joseph C. Walter award for research excellence’, the ‘distinguished educator award’ at the University of Texas, and the distinguished alumnus award from IIT and the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He is the recipient of 2018 Virgil Kauffman gold medal of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists for making significant advancement in the sciences of exploration geophysics in the last five years. He has been chosen by the SEG to be the instructor of a one-day ‘Distinguished Instructor Short Course’ in 2024-25. The subject of his DISC is ‘Physics and Data driven models for seismic data analysis.’

Presentation Title: An Overview of the Methods of Uncertainty Quantification: Application to Time-Lapse Seismic Data

Sherilyn Williams-Stroud is a Professor of the Practice and Director of the Berg-Hughes Center in the Geology & Geophysics Department. She is a structural geologist with over 30 years of experience in industry, academia, and government, specializing in geological analysis and interpretation of induced seismicity during underground injection for energy applications. Her research applies to energy applications that range from fossil fuels production to mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions. Striving to integrate complex technical studies into relevance for public stakeholders, she leads an NSF-funded effort to establish a TAMU-led research center to assess the global potential for safe subsurface storage of energy-related fluids. She was awarded Honorary Membership in the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) and was an AAPG Distinguished Lecturer, has served as a member of the National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) Committee on Seismology and Geodynamics, and was a member of the National Petroleum Council’s Coordinating Subcommittee for the study on greenhouse gas emissions in the natural gas industry, CH₄arting the CO₂urse.

Keynote Title: Reservoir Integrity in CCUS: Where do the Most Significant Risks Lie?