The Kansas Geological Survey has received $1.5 million from the federal Department of Energy to study the feasibility of sealing carbon dioxide in a massive underground reservoir in south central Kansas.

The project, led by Jason Rush, research associate at the Kansas Geological Survey, will study the Arbuckle Reservoir, which could potentially hold between 1.1 billion and 3.8 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide.

No carbon dioxide will be injected into the reservoir, which currently holds unpotable water with a high saline content. But the research will seek to minimize the risks associated with carbon dioxide storage, Rush said.

The potential technology is being explored across the country with several new research projects funded by the federal government. The research has the potential to lower the amount of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere.

The Kansas Geological Survey is working on other projects, too, that address the issue of finding ways to lock carbon dioxide underground, said Rex Buchanan, the survey’s interim director.

“This is just one more feather in our cap here,” Rush said.

With state funding being cut in recent years, finding outside funding for research continues to be critical, Rush said.

“These kinds of outside funding are good for our research and good for the state of Kansas,” he said.

If the technology catches on, it would likely be an economic boon for the state, Rush said, as the underground reservoirs here are one of the more attractive potential sites in the nation for carbon dioxide storage.