The research effort, by the US Environmental Protection Authority and Department of Energy, will look at geological formations to ensure drinking water would not be adversely affected by the carbon capture technique.

The DOE will focus on large-scale injection of carbon dioxide into deep saline formations and the potential for water displacement into shallow groundwater systems, while the EPA will look at the migration of CO2 and how it may impact underground water sources.

The first phase involves injecting CO2 underneath drinking water supplies into a deep saline reservoir to determine the sensitivity of water displacement and pressure build-up on a variety of saline reservoir parameters.

In addition, the DOE has begun evaluating the geochemical conditions in prominent reservoirs near potential sequestration sites.