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Olga Popova is currently working for the Center for Climate and Energy Decision Making (CEDM). Her research is supported by the NETL DOE grant. Olga’s research interests are in areas of public policy, mitigation of climate change, resource management, and uncertainty and risk analysis.

Olga deals with three fields of study: geospatial modeling, geostatistical parameter estimation, and comparative analysis of CO₂ storage resource assessment methodologies proposed by the DOE, USGS, and CGSS. Her ongoing research includes development of a geologic model of the Oriskany sandstone to estimate its storage capacity. She also investigates uncertainty in estimates and ways to reduce this uncertainty. For resource calculation Olga implements three alternative methodologies from the DOE, USGS, and CGSS as well as the statistical volumetric approach using values of reservoir parameters estimated by the method developed in collaboration with Dr. Mitchell Small, Dr. Sean McCoy, Bobby Karimi, Dr. Andrew Thomas and Dr. Granger Morgan.

Anticipated implications of this study are as follows: CCS technology is a means for reducing greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere and reducing our impact on the climate system. However, for implementation of this technology at the scale needed to achieve a significant and meaningful reduction in CO₂ emissions, policy makers need to know more about CO₂ storage resource within their respective regions. This study is intended to inform public and private sector decision makers with estimates of available CO₂ storage resource that are science- and-engineering based and, hence, might increase the degree of confidence in their use. In addition, Olga’s work aims at identifying further data collection and research needed to reduce the critical uncertainties in storage resource that are still present.

Olga is a Department Liaison for the Scientists and Engineers for America—CMU chapter(SEA). She has 8 years of work experience, including 2 years as a Project Leader/Consultant with Snoqualmie Indian Tribe, 4 years as an Environmental Engineer with industry and local governments , and 2 years as a Well Site Geologist with Epoch, Inc. Olga is a Registered Geologist of Washington State. She holds a BS/MS degree in Geology and Geophysics from Novosibirsk University and MS degree in Information Management from the University of Washington.