NETL’s Offshore Geologic Carbon Storage (GCS) Inventory, which contains information about permanent carbon dioxide (CO₂) storage sites around the world, now allows users to more quickly locate relevant data through the new Offshore GCS Inventory Dashboard on the Energy Data eXchange^® (EDX).

Released in 2024, the inventory is a dataset of more than 250 publicly available domestic and international offshore GCS sites and characterization studies for prospective sites. The dashboard’s interactive web mapping interface enables easy access, exploration and visualization of the data.

Users can filter data by spatially panning within the map to display a desired geographic region or toggling between 55 different attributes for each project or site. The four different dashboard representations (project stage, project type, CO₂ transport method and geology) provide users with various live plots and charts based on filtered searches. These new capabilities unlock the full potential of NETL’s offshore-focused digital resources for CO₂ transport and storage (CTS) research and site comparison.

“We’re using new interactive web applications that allow users to explore data like never before,” MacKenzie Mark-Moser, an NETL research geologist who develops and maintains offshore GCS products said. “This dashboard enables users to easily compare projects anywhere they have internet connectivity, without requiring specialized software or downloading data.”

The dashboard and related offshore data products are hosted on the EDX disCO₂ver platform. EDX, a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) virtual library and collaboration platform, provides access to data and products across NETL programs, including CTS.

The collection of offshore GCS products can assist stakeholders in examining available data for CO₂ storage project siting, including data focused on infrastructure and geology, and enable comparisons to active international projects. By studying the distribution of existing offshore GCS projects and identifying common trends, operators can better understand what enables successful projects and avoid potential pitfalls.

“The United States has significant prospective offshore carbon storage resources,” Mark-Moser said. “The more we understand about projects worldwide and the data we have available to support those projects, the better the U.S. can be prepared for executing successful offshore carbon storage projects.”

NETL’s offshore GCS development team shared the evolving suite of resources with stakeholders through invited talks and conversations at high-profile workshops and meetings across the country in 2024. Feedback from these stakeholders, including new and existing NETL product users from industry and academia, provided input for updates to the Offshore GCS Inventory and the launch of the new dashboard.

NETL is a DOE national laboratory dedicated to advancing the nation's energy future by creating innovative solutions that strengthen the security, affordability and reliability of energy systems and natural resources. With laboratories in Albany, Oregon; Morgantown, West Virginia; and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, NETL creates advanced energy technologies that support DOE’s mission while fostering collaborations that will lead to a resilient and abundant energy future for the nation.