The Sutter County CO2 Capture and Storage Project is a Phase II initiative under the Department of Energy's CarbonSAFE program, aimed at evaluating the feasibility of a carbon storage complex in the central Sacramento Basin of Northern California. The project involves drilling a stratigraphic test well within the designated Area of Interest (AOI), along with various tests and analyses, including geologic, reservoir, and geomechanical modeling, risk assessment, and planning for mitigation, monitoring, CO2 sourcing, and transportation. Additionally, the project will address contractual and regulatory requirements, conduct a technical and economic feasibility assessment, and prepare data verification for a future Phase III Underground Injection Control Class VI permit application.

The United States Geological Survey has identified the Sacramento basin as having a technical CO2 storage capacity of 29,000 million metric tons. This project aims to demonstrate the potential for broader implementation of CO2 capture and storage in the region by establishing that the chosen storage complex can securely contain 50 million metric tons of CO2 over a 30-year period.