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Open research questions in CO2 Sequestration and Geologic Interactions

90 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 661 CO2 Sequestration and Geologic Interactions papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • Investigating the effects of varying soil types and moisture contents on pipeline leakage. Developing a comprehensive theoretical model for predicting pipeline leakage behaviour. Examining the long-term effects of pipeline leakage on soil ecological structure and microbial community imbalances.

    The Process of Pressure, Temperature, and Phase State Changes Within Supercritical CO2 Buried Pipelines During Micro-Leakage · 2026 · DOI

  • The impact of the CO2-to-water ratio on CO2 geo-sequestration in heterogeneous formations is not well understood. The effectiveness of the WAG technique in CO2 storage activities is not fully comprehended.

    Optimizing CO2-Water Injection Ratio in Heterogeneous Reservoirs: Implications for CO2 Geo-Storage · 2024 · DOI

  • Prior research has focused on pipeline drainage phenomena, but pinhole leakage behaviour is not well understood. There is a lack of experimental investigations on the pressure, temperature, and phase state changes during micro-leakage.

    The Process of Pressure, Temperature, and Phase State Changes Within Supercritical CO2 Buried Pipelines During Micro-Leakage · 2026 · DOI

  • However, the functional divergence in mineral dissolution and its molecular drivers among Priestia strains remains poorly understood.

    Genomic traits, transcriptional responses, and metabolic activities determine functional divergence in mineral dissolution between Priestia megaterium PMA2-2 and Priestia flexa PMD1-1 · 2026 · DOI

  • The hydroxylation and carbonation of MgO determine the efficiency of the looping process, but their rates and mechanisms remain uncertain.

    Carbonation of MgO Single Crystals: Implications for Direct Air Capture of CO2 · 2025 · DOI

  • High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Rapid carbon mineralization has been achieved in basaltic rocks; however, the fundamental chemical mechanisms governing the interactions of CO 2 -rock remain unclear.

    Surface Reaction of CO2 with Basaltic Minerals as a Mechanism for Carbon Mineralization · 2025 · DOI

  • High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Geological carbon storage is a key strategy for mitigating climate change, but the long-term stability of trapped CO 2 remains uncertain.

    Pore-Scale Imaging to Quantify the Evolution and Reduction in Trapped CO 2 due to Ostwald Ripening · 2025 · DOI

  • Nanoscale roughness of reservoir skeleton surfaces inevitably affects the CO 2 geo-sequestration, and its exact microscopic mechanism remains elusive.

    Molecular Dynamics Simulation of CO2 Molecular Behaviors in Silica Nanopores: Effect of Nanoscale Surface Roughness · 2025 · DOI

  • While the crucial role of water in regulating CO 2 mineralization efficiency is widely acknowledged, a comprehensive understanding of the underlying mechanisms remains elusive.

    Moisture-driven carbonation kinetics for ultrafast CO 2 mineralization · 2024 · DOI

  • For instance, the impact of intense and prolonged heat due to, say, magmatic intrusion on sandstones’ framework, authigenic mineralogies, and CO 2 -storage potentials is still poorly understood.

    CO 2 –Rock–Brine Interactions in Feldspar-Rich Sandstones That Underwent Intense Heating · 2024 · DOI

  • Upon injection into the subsurface rock formation, CO 2 interacts with the host geological formation and brine, initiating complex geochemical reactions that are often poorly understood and could potentially affect the overall stability and storage capacity of the geological formation, particularly those in close proximity to an intense heat source.

    CO 2 –Rock–Brine Interactions in Feldspar-Rich Sandstones That Underwent Intense Heating · 2024 · DOI

  • The interfacial tension (IFT) between the reservoir fluids and the solubilities of the injected hydrogen and cushion gas in the underground brine plays a critical role in the security and efficiency of the trapping mechanisms associated with underground hydrogen storage (UHS), but its behavior at the molecular level is still poorly understood.

    Molecular dynamics simulations of the interfacial tension and the solubility of brine/H2/CO2 systems: Implications for underground hydrogen storage · 2024 · DOI

  • Although WAG (water-alternating-gas) technology has been widely applied in several industrial sectors such as enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and CO2 geo-sequestration, the impact of the CO2-to-water ratio on the performance of CO2 geo-sequestration in heterogeneous formations has not been investigated.

    Optimizing CO2-Water Injection Ratio in Heterogeneous Reservoirs: Implications for CO2 Geo-Storage · 2024 · DOI

  • While there have been a number of experimental measurements on H 2 -water/brine and (H 2 + CO 2 )-water/brine IFT, an accurate and efficient (H 2 + CO 2 )-water/brine IFT model under UHS conditions is still lacking.

    Machine Learning-Based Interfacial Tension Equations for (H2 + CO2)-Water/Brine Systems over a Wide Range of Temperature and Pressure · 2024 · DOI

  • Gas leakage and reservoir overpressure risks associated with geological sequestration. The need for optimized nutrient and substrate delivery to enhance microbial growth and CH4 production.

    Potential for Converting Geological CO2 Storage Site into Methane Deposits via Indigenous Microorganisms and Mitigating Storage Overpressure Risks (A Review) · 2026 · DOI

  • Further study of the nutritional and environmental requirements of methanogenic species. Investigation of the side effects of microorganisms on reservoir properties and gas composition.

    Potential for Converting Geological CO2 Storage Site into Methane Deposits via Indigenous Microorganisms and Mitigating Storage Overpressure Risks (A Review) · 2026 · DOI

  • The study acknowledges the limitations and recommends simulations in geological formations for validation in different scenarios. The lack of experimental data required the use of randomly generated data within specific intervals corresponding to their properties.

    Analysis of structural integrity of geological reservoirs for CO2 storage regarding to fault reactivation: a forecasting model based on machine learning techniques · 2026 · DOI

  • The study recommends simulations in geological formations for validation in different scenarios. The study suggests the evaluation of the predictive performance of the ML algorithms in other geological formations.

    Analysis of structural integrity of geological reservoirs for CO2 storage regarding to fault reactivation: a forecasting model based on machine learning techniques · 2026 · DOI

  • Regulatory barriers, including the lack of clarity on carbon credits and emissions reduction. Economic barriers, including the high cost of crushing slag to the optimal particle size. Organizational barriers, including the lack of cooperation between departments at steel companies.

    Slag Carbonation for CO₂ Capture: Why Europe Is Not Scaling a Technology That Already Works — and How to Fix It (with a PAO‑guided Particle Size Optimisation Proposal) · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper suggests that future research should focus on optimizing the particle size of steel slag for carbonation. The paper also suggests that future research should investigate the potential for other industrial waste materials to be used for CO₂ capture.

    Slag Carbonation for CO₂ Capture: Why Europe Is Not Scaling a Technology That Already Works — and How to Fix It (with a PAO‑guided Particle Size Optimisation Proposal) · 2026 · DOI

  • Further research is needed to investigate the hydration/dehydration processes of MgSO4 at low temperatures and vapor pressures. Precise calorimetric measurements of the heat capacity of kieserite and its heat of solution could provide independent support for the lowest formation temperature.

    Evaluation of Equilibrium Solubilities: Statistics Versus Selected Experiments · 2026 · DOI

  • The uncertainty resulting from separate statistical treatment of the solubility data of gypsum and anhydrite is too large. There is a lack of long-term dissolution experiments with kieserite samples.

    Evaluation of Equilibrium Solubilities: Statistics Versus Selected Experiments · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of a standardized, national-scale single-point-of-truth resource creates a challenge for responding to questions about storage targets and potential. The need for a comprehensive and defensible national-scale information about Australia's storage resources.

    Towards a pragmatic understanding of Australia’s CO2 storage resources: introducing the National Carbon Dioxide Storage Resource Atlas · 2026 · DOI

  • Further analysis of the environmental impacts of the proposed approach. Investigation of the scalability of the proposed approach. Development of new materials and technologies to improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of hydrogen storage.

    Underground hydrogen storage in shales · 2026 · DOI

  • In the context of rapid growth in renewable energy, UHS in depleted shale gas reservoirs has gained attention given its long-duration storage potential and highcapacity characteristics. This work offers an integrative overview of new research on UHS in depleted shale gas reservoirs, covering key topics including biogeochemical reactions, surface and interfacial phenomena, H2 adsorption and diffusion behaviors, and reservoir simulations. Furthermore, the paper addresses the technical, safety, and economic challenges associated with UHS in depleted shale gas reservoirs. The results indicate that H2 injection can trigger redox and non-redox reactions with carbonate, sulfate/sulfide, and clay minerals. Microbes can also metabolize by using H2 as an electron donor. Both abiotic and biotic reactions lead to H2 loss, mineral precipitation and dissolution, and changes in reservoir conditions. Furthermore, the wettability contact angle in typical H2-brine-shale systems is significantly influenced by TOC. Generally, as TOC increases, the contact angle increases, indicating a transition from hydrophilic to H2-wet shale. Therefore, high-TOC shale may be more advantageous for H2 storage, while low-TOC shale might serve better as a caprock. H2 adsorption on shale is usually characterized by monolayer physical adsorption, with adsorption on kerogen exceeding that on inorganic minerals. The presence of CO₂, CH₄, and water competes with H2 for adsorption Wu et al. Carbon Neutral Systems (2025) 1:14 Page 20 of 24 sites, reducing H2 adsorption capacity. H2 diffusion in shale primarily occurs through transitional diffusion and is not significantly affected by kerogen maturity. Additionally, H2 diffuses faster than CO₂ and CH₄, and the diffusion coefficient of H2 increases more notably with temperature. Reservoir simulations show that hydraulic fractures and stimulated areas can serve as H2 storage sites and provide high-permeability pathways for H2 flow. However, fracture closure can significantly impact UHS performance. The recovery ratios of residual natural gas and stored H2 are affected by various factors such as depletion time and well shut-in duration. Using CO₂/CH4 as cushion gases can improve H2 recovery but may also affect H2 purity. Due to the complexity of shale reservoirs, the unique properties of H2 such as high diffusivity and reactivity, and the presence of microbes, efficiently, safely, and economically injecting, storing, and producing H2 in depleted shale gas reservoirs presents significant challenges. To address these challenges, research on UHS in depleted shale gas reservoirs must continue to deepen in multiple areas.

    Underground hydrogen storage in shales · 2026 · DOI

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90 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 661 CO2 Sequestration and Geologic Interactions papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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