The Current Energy Transition Requires Renewed Emphasis on Several Key Sedimentary Geology Disciplines: Geological Modeling, Salt, Geomicrobology, Scientific Drilling

The most important thing we can do as geoscientists is to apply our skills to the current energy transition away from burning fossil fuels because it will mitigate the harmful effects of climate change. The current energy transition has several major themes including carbon dioxide storage, energy storage, critical minerals and the use of geothermal waters. As much as these are applied science problems, they require basic geoscientific research to support the efficient and environmentally friendly build out of these systems. In addition, successful deployment of these technologies requires adjustments to curricula in order to (re)train geoscientists so they can design, build, and operate these systems. The purpose of this paper is to provide examples of how basic sedimentological research can have broader impact in these themes. We will need to build static models of subsurface geology quickly and accurately. We need better interpolation algorithms and better modern sediment maps to accurately propagate rock properties away from well control and accurately invert seismic data. Both hydrogen and compressed air energy storage will rely on salt cavern storage. New work on how stratigraphic architecture of salt deposits impacts rock properties will be key to safe operation. We need to better understand how microbes will interact with stored gasses, like hydrogen and compressed air, in salt caverns and aquifers. Scientific drilling and geophysical surveying in un- or underexplored basins is needed to provide basic information on geometries and properties of these basins that can speak toward their suitability for subsurface projects.