Bio: Russell J. Hawley is the Education Specialist at the Tate Geological Museum at Casper College in Wyoming, where he gives tours and produces artwork for museum displays. He also contributes a palæontology question and answer column to the museum newsletter. Russell has worked at the museum since 1997, and started digging up fossils in Wyoming in 1990. He illustrated Islands in the Cosmos: the Evolution of Life on Land by Palæontologist Dr. Dale Russell. His one-man art show, ‘A Thousand Unnamed Worlds’, was on display for two years at the Wyoming State Museum in Cheyenne.   

Abstract

A sixth Underground Injection Control well class was created by the USEPA in 2010 for CO₂ injection. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) that expanded the Section 45Q tax credit is spurring the first wave of commercial Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage projects. These tax credits have allowed CCUS to build upon and start evolving from the academic/research phase. CCUS is a new repurposing of preexisting skills, processes, and technologies, many of which have been around for decades. Skill sets built in finance, energy, legal, land, engineering, geology, environmental, and academia are necessary to execute a successful project. This presentation will focus on Class VI permitting requirements for site characterization, modeling, and long-term monitoring including analyses of cores, logs, geochemistry, geomechanics, and geophysics.

Bio

Julia Zohner is a Class VI technical geologist supporting permitting of regional sequestration hubs, the Geology Director of Operations for a project team executing two Class VI projects at ethanol plants, and is a regulatory and geologic consultant. Her undergraduate education was in Environmental Studies focusing on technical skills and socio-environmental issues. Julia started working in the energy sector at the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission and was involved in the regulatory transition from traditional and coal bed methane wells to horizontal drilling. She has undertaken additional undergraduate and graduate coursework to become a licensed geologist. For the last 15 years she has been providing policy, regulatory and technical guidance and deliverables for clients in the energy sector. Julia’s specialty is permitting with a focus on disposal and injection wells, which translated to working in carbon sequestration. She lives with her husband, Jake, their daughter, and macaw in Casper.

14th Annual Gene R. George Memorial Golf Tournament

The WGA's annual Pioneer Picnic honors 50- and 60-year members of the Wyoming Geological Association. 

The Wyoming Geological Association is planning on hosting a field conference in Kemmerer, Wyoming Friday 5/29/2026 through Sunday 5/31/2026.  More details will be forthcoming.