252: How the Ivishak Formation Could Change Carbon Sequestration

“Geophysics lets us predict rock properties where well data is sparse - this is crucial for understanding carbon storage potential.” What if Alaska’s North Slope holds the key to large-scale carbon storage? In this episode, Rae Jacobsen discusses his research on the Ivishak Formation, revealing how geophysics can unlock new possibilities for carbon sequestration. Rae shares how simultaneous inversion, geobody extraction, and machine learning techniques help identify world-class reservoirs and why this could reshape the future of carbon storage. Dr. Rae Jacobsen is a Senior Geophysicist at ConocoPhillips Alaska. His skillset includes prospect exploration and maturation, 3D seismic interpretation, seismic attribute generation/analysis, reservoir characterization, horizontal well planning, well operations and geosteering, lease development, and well log correlation/interpretation. KEY TAKEAWAYS > Game-Changing Carbon Storage Potential: Rae’s research estimates between 1.2 to 3.8 gigatons of carbon storage in the Ivishak Formation - comparable to some of the best reservoirs in the world. > Innovative Geophysical Techniques: Learn how simultaneous inversion and geobody extraction refine our ability to predict reservoir properties, even with limited well data. > The Economics of Carbon Storage: While the geology looks promising, infrastructure and costs remain key challenges, with potential game-changers like a new gas pipeline on the horizon. CALL TO ACTION Want to dive deeper into this research? Rae’s paper is open-access so that you can read it right now in The Leading Edge! Please share it with a colleague, discuss it at your next team meeting, or explore how these methods could apply to your work. https://doi.org/10.1190/tle44010007.1 TEXT A FRIEND If you value this free resource, please message a friend or colleague about this episode. We've provided a sentence you can copy and use to make it as simple as possible. Rae explains how geophysics can help repurpose old oil fields for carbon storage. Super relevant to what we’ve been talking about! https://seg.org/podcasts/episode-252-how-the-ivishak-formation-could-change-carbon-sequestration LINKS * Visit https://seg.org/podcasts/episode-252-how-the-ivishak-formation-could-change-carbon-sequestration for links to the articles in The Leading Edge. SHOW CREDITS Andrew Geary at TreasureMint hosted, edited, and produced this episode. The SEG podcast team comprises Jennifer Cobb, Kathy Gamble, and Ally McGinnis. If you have episode ideas or feedback for the show or want to sponsor a future episode, email the show at podcast@seg.org.