Dear Neighbor,
Recently, I had the opportunity to meet with officials from the US Department of Energy (DOE), Talon Metals, and Rio Tinto to learn about a DOE sponsored research project. The project will consider if carbon dioxide (CO2) can be permanently stored as a mineral in a portion of a geological formation within the Tamarack Project, in Aitkin County.
This project is a real eye opener of what may be possible in our own back yard. CO2 storage deep in the earth at Tamarack could be a game changer in our nation’s ability to effectively mitigate the increased release of CO2 into the atmosphere. CO2 is one of several greenhouse gases that prominently factor into global climate change.
A team led by Douglas Wicks, a program director within the DOE’S Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy, and Todd Malan, Talon’s Chief External Affairs Officer and Head of Climate Strategy met with local community officials in the City of Tamarack outlining the project. That was followed with meetings in Saint Paul briefing legislators and state agency personnel on the project.
Incidental to exploration for copper and nickel minerals at the Tamarack Project a unique porous geological formation was also discovered. The formation may be ideally suited for permanent carbon sequestration. DOE is providing $2.2 million and Rio Tinto adding $4 million to the 3-year project. Talon Metals is providing direct support as the mineral lease holder for the geological formation in question.
The project will study the feasibility of permanently storing CO2 as a carbonate mineral in a huge geological formation deep within Talon’s current copper-nickel rich mineral lease holdings at Tamarack.
While having the benefit of Bachelor of Science Degree, chemistry was not my strong suit. In very basic terms, CO2 will react with certain types of geological formations, the result can be permanent stable storage of CO2 as a carbonate mineral.
The concept has been proven and is in operation on an industrial scale at a Carbfix carbon dioxide injection site in Iceland. Similar CO2 storage may be possible in a portion of the Tamarack Project site.
The 3-year study is intended to answer that question. The research team includes Rio Tinto's technical staff, experts at Carbfix, DOE's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Columbia University, and Advantek Waste Management Services. Talon Metals is contributing knowledge of the Tamarack ore body and access to the project for the scientific fieldwork.
Along with nickel mining to supply our future need for electric vehicle batteries, this could be another very positive thing that may happen at Tamarack.
Sincerely,
Dale