Evaluating Carbon Capture and Storage Feasibility in the Vienna Basin: Pressure Propagation, Formation Integrity, and Multi-Use Subsurface Impacts

Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) is believed to play a critical role in achieving the European Union’s climate neutrality targets, particularly for emissions from hard-to-abate sectors. Recent policy developments in Austria, including renewed discussions on geological CO₂ storage and increased integration into the EU carbon market, have intensified interest in evaluating domestic CCS potential. The Vienna Basin represents Austria’s most promising onshore CCS candidate, owing to its extensive subsurface dataset, long production history, and proven performance as a storage province.

This study assesses the feasibility of CCS in the Vienna Basin with a specific focus on pressure-driven interactions between CO₂ injection and other subsurface operations. A basin-scale reservoir model is developed to represent the key stratigraphic units, structural elements, and hydraulic connections relevant for CO₂ storage. Using this model, multiple injection scenarios are simulated to evaluate pressure evolution, pressure propagation away from the injection site, and the resulting pressure footprints at the basin scale.

Rather than focusing solely on CO₂ plume migration, the analysis emphasizes pressure waves generated by CO₂ injection and their transmission through permeable formations and fault zones. These pressure perturbations may extend well beyond the immediate storage complex and potentially affect neighboring subsurface activities, including underground gas storage, geothermal energy exploitation, and prospective hydrogen storage sites. Scenario results are used to quantify the magnitude and spatial extent of pressure increases and to assess their implications for operational pressure limits, injectivity, and fault stability in adjacent reservoirs.

The results are synthesized into a feasibility framework that links geological suitability, pressure management, and multi-use compatibility. This framework provides guidance on favorable storage domains, critical constraints, and key uncertainties associated with CCS deployment in the Vienna Basin.