LSU, oil companies will drill research well

In early 2025, the LSU College of Engineering, in collaboration with Halliburton and ExxonMobil, will begin drilling a third research well at its PERTT—Petroleum Engineering Research, Training, and Testing—Lab on LSU’s campus.
This new, one-of-its-kind well will enable students, researchers, regulators, and industry to study CO2 in all three of its phases under realistic field conditions. Research will include testing and developing safety and monitoring technologies, understanding CO2 flow behavior in various downhole conditions, and validating the predictions of computer models or bench-scale experiments at the field scale.
The new well will not be operational and will not inject any CO2 into the subsurface. The well will be solely used for research purposes.
“The project is part of a broader vision to position LSU as a national leader in demonstration-scale energy research, which will include other aspects of low-carbon technologies, such as CO2 capture and use, electrification, hydrogen processes, sustainable fuel production, and more,” said Karsten Thompson, LSU petroleum engineering professor and lead on the project. The genesis of this project stems from LSU’s participation in the H2theFuture project, which provided funding from the U.S. Economic Development Agency and Louisiana Economic Development. It then received a substantial boost when the college approached Halliburton, a longtime supporter of the PERTT Lab, to ask if the company would serve as an in-kind partner to drill a new CO2-capable research well at LSU.
Halliburton’s role will be that of primary service provider on the project. The company has conducted subsurface evaluation and geohazards analysis as part of the well design and anticipates providing cementing, logging, geosteering, and other technologies during the drilling.
and completion of the well.
“Today, hundreds of carbon capture and storage projects (CCUS) are in early development around the globe,” said Halliburton’s Mark Richard, president, Western Hemisphere. “The number of commercial CCUS sites remains well below what is required to meet environmental commitments in 2030, 2050, and beyond. Collaboration with educators, researchers, and the energy industry will play a critical role to train the future workforce and meet the demand for CO2 sequestration.”
ExxonMobil is working in close collaboration with the college and Halliburton on the well design and is currently focused on the drilling plan, which outlines the project’s timeline up to the “spudding” of the well, or start of drilling operations. As the drilling operator, ExxonMobil will leverage its industry expertise in wells designed for CO2 capture and storage. The company also plans to work with LSU on community engagement and education related to the energy transition.
“Carbon capture and storage (CCS) can play a fundamental role in lowering emissions,” said Dominic Genetti, senior vice president of ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions. “We’re excited to team up with LSU on this groundbreaking research well. The work we’re doing today with students and academics is crucial for ensuring Louisiana remains an energy leader for years to come.