Strategic Program Support activities for the Carbon Storage R&D Program contribute to an integrated approach, helping to ensure carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies are cost-effective and commercially available. The Strategic Program Support activities are being implemented through several key initiatives including,

National Risk Assessment Partnership (NRAP) – NRAP is a multi-laboratory effort led by NETL that leverages broad technical capabilities across the DOE complex. It is a mission-focused platform developing the integrated science base that can be applied to risk assessment for long-term storage of CO2. NRAP involves five DOE national laboratories (NETL, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) coordinating to develop science-based methodologies and tools for calculating risks at any CO2 storage site while providing necessary scientific and technological advances to support that methodology.

Phase I of the NRAP multi-year research effort was completed in June 2016, focused on the assessment of risk associated with large-scale CO2 storage and quantifying uncertainties associated with those assessments. Phase I resulted in a set of tools, methodologies, and assessments related to the prediction of CO2 storage site-scale performance and communicating the functionality and utility of those products to key stakeholders. Phase II efforts now underway are focused on applying and extending that predictive capability to actively manage risks related to CO2 storage.

Energy Database eXchange™ (EDX) – EDX is an online system providing access to information and data relevant to fossil and renewable energy systems. EDX coordinates historical and current data and information from a wide variety of sources to serve as a research and rapid response tool for a wide variety of users. Datasets from NATCARB, the RCSPs, and the other sponsored research projects in the Core Storage R&D component are stored in EDX for the benefit of future research and analysis.

Best Practice Manuals – Best practice manuals are being developed to aid in providing reliable and consistent standards and operational characteristics for CO2 collection, injection, and storage. They incorporate primarily the lessons learned from the Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnerships' small- and large-scale field projects.  The intent of these manuals is to serve as the basis for the design and implementation of other large-scale field tests or commercial-scale CCS projects. The best practice manuals are periodically updated with new information and are available for download from NETL’s website.

Global Collaborations – Building international relationships and actively engaging in projects abroad directly benefits U.S. efforts to develop technologies and tools to meet the strategic goals of the Carbon Storage Program. DOE is partnering with several international organizations operating throughout the world to advance research in carbon storage. Examples of DOE-supported international CCS projects include the Weyburn-Midale and Shell Quest projects in Canada, Sleipner project in the North Sea, the Tomakomai project in Japan, and the Otway Basin project in Australia. Supporting these projects has enhanced U.S. efforts to develop technologies and tools to meet the strategic goals of the Carbon Storage Program. And the collaborative learning opportunities are helping to advance CCS technologies at a lower cost and on a shorter timeframe.

Carbon Storage Atlas and National Carbon Sequestration Database (NATCARB) – The carbon storage atlas provides a coordinated update of carbon capture and storage potential across the United States and other portions of North America. DOE has released five versions of the atlas with the most recent, “DOE’s Carbon Storage Atlas – Fifth Edition (Atlas V),” made publicly available in August 2015. Atlas V contains updates to the CO2 storage potential for the United States and updated information on DOE’s carbon storage activities and field projects.

NATCARB provides access to a variety of datasets generated by the RCSPs and other DOE supported projects. It is also linked to other publicly available data repositories to enhance its capabilities. It organizes and enhances information about CO2 stationary sources, and provides a means to access, query and model, analyze, display, and disseminate CO2 storage resource data.