Sweetwater Carbon Storage Hub Achieves Landmark Depth in Carbon Storage Wells

On September 2, 2025, Frontier Infrastructure Holdings, a notable entity in the development of low-carbon infrastructure, announced a remarkable achievement in its carbon storage initiatives. This milestone was reached at the Sweetwater Carbon Storage Hub (SCS Hub) in Evanston, Wyoming, where collaboration with the University of Wyoming's School of Energy Resources has led to the completion of a deep characterization well, known as J1-15. This well now holds the distinction of being the deepest Class VI carbon storage well drilled in the United States, reaching an impressive vertical depth of 18,437 feet.

The J1-15 well is pivotal in moving forward with commercial-scale carbon sequestration in the region. Initial findings from the well are promising, indicating geological conditions akin to a nearby acid gas injection site, which is located approximately 25 miles to the north. These findings lend credibility to the SCS Hub’s capabilities as a significant, permanent carbon storage facility. Robby Rockey, President and Co-CEO of Frontier, emphasized the importance of this development, stating: "Successfully drilling and testing a second well on this project has confirmed our preliminary interpretation of the reservoir and is a major step forward to validate the region's storage potential."

The SCS Hub participates in the U.S. Department of Energy's CarbonSAFE Initiative and is co-led by the School of Energy Resources at the University of Wyoming and Frontier. This initiative aims to establish a commercial-scale carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) hub in Sweetwater County, designed to provide secure long-term CO₂ storage for industrial emissions in the region. The J1-15 project initially targeted the Nugget Sandstone formation, achieving a 147-foot core sample. After the successful drilling of the hub's first well (SCS-1), efforts continued to extend J1-15 to the Madison Limestone—a critical formation known for its high storage capacity.

The dual-target approach is essential for comprehensively evaluating the hub’s full storage potential. The geological assessment is being spearheaded by the Center for Economic Geology Research (CEGR) at the University of Wyoming, with the team actively collecting core samples, well logs, and water samples for detailed analysis. Alicia Summers, Chief Development Officer at Frontier, highlighted the rigorous planning involved in securing Class VI permits and executing the depth drilling program, noting the importance of the geological data collected thus far.

Promisingly, the drilling strategy has yielded favorable results. Zunsheng