A Cambrian-age saline aquifer underlying the Illinois Basin. The primary CO2 sequestration target for the Wabash Valley CCS hub and other 45Q-eligible projects.
Get Your Free Mineral ValuationTL;DR Mt. Simon Sandstone is the primary CO2 sequestration formation across the Illinois Basin. Cambrian-age saline aquifer underlying the producing Mississippian intervals.
The Mt. Simon Sandstone is a Cambrian-age (~500 million years) sandstone formation that underlies most of the Illinois Basin at depths of 3,000 to 8,000 feet. The Mt. Simon is not a productive oil and gas reservoir — its pore space contains saline brine, not hydrocarbons. But its enormous storage capacity, broad areal extent, and reliable confinement by overlying Eau Claire Shale make it the primary geologic CO2 sequestration target across the midwestern United States.
The Wabash Valley Resources CCS hub targets the Mt. Simon for permanent sequestration of captured CO2 from industrial sources. Multiple other Class VI permits across Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky are also pursuing Mt. Simon storage.
Because the Mt. Simon is not productive of oil or gas, traditional mineral rights typically do not address it. The relevant ownership concept is pore space rights, which most Illinois Basin states (Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky) generally allocate to the surface owner.
For mineral owners, the Mt. Simon's CCS use does not directly generate royalty income but may generate indirect benefit through:
Required notification during EPA Class VI permitting
Coordination with existing oil and gas operations in shallower zones
Potential lease language additions covering CO2 sequestration and 45Q allocation
Buckhead Energy buys Illinois Basin mineral interests in Mt. Simon CCS-eligible counties.
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