The Grand Challenge
Demonstrate ‘adaptive control’ of subsurface reactions, mechanics, and fluid flow that improve environmental sustainability of energy recovery and storage applications at scale.
Why Berkeley Lab?
For over forty years, Berkeley Lab researchers have been at the leading edge of subsurface energy sciences. Today, as an important contributor to the renewable energy transition, Berkeley Lab is committed to reimagining how to access subsurface resources, and how to develop cleaner, more cost-effective and environmentally safe operations. Our fundamental science focuses on understanding the phenomena that occur between subsurface rocks and fluids from nanometer to pore to kilometer length scales. We couple fundamental theories about the interplay of belowground processes with new geophysical visualization methods, and apply them to build monitoring tools and test predictive capabilities that improve use of subsurface resources.
Four Strategic Research Objectives
- Discover new fundamental descriptions of subsurface processes
- Develop Adaptive Subsurface Control Strategies
- Develop field sites and observatories that test enhanced techniques for energy production and storage at scale
- Reduce the environmental impacts of energy-related subsurface activities
Selected Projects and EESA Programs
Assessment of Induced Seismicity in California
BES Geochemistry, Geophysics and Isotopes projects
Brine Extraction Storage Test (BEST) Project
CCSMR – CO2 Storage Field Experiments
Center for Nanoscale Controls on Geologic CO2 (EESA Program)
Clean Energy Research Center for Water-Energy Technologies (CERC-WET)
Chevron Center of Excellence
DECOVALEX Model Comparison for Coupled Processes
Enhanced Geothermal Systems Projects
Energy Frontier Research Center (EFRC): Nanoscale Controls on Geologic CO2
Flexible Load Geothermal Energy
Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE)
Fukushima Cesium Mitigation
Fundamental Geosciences R&D
Geologic Carbon Sequestration (EESA Program)
Geothermal Systems (EESA Program)
Hydrocarbon Science (EESA Program)
Methane Hydrates Research
National Risk Assessment Program
Nuclear Energy and Waste (EESA Program)
Nuclear Waste Disposal: Argillite, Crystalline, and Salt Host Rocks
Subsurface Exascale Project
Subsurface LDRDs
Resilient Energy, Water and Infrastructure (EESA Program Domain)
Unconventional/Shales Research