De-risking structural traps for carbon capture and storage (CCS) on a magma-rich continental margin

Maetmueang, Chanin, Alves, Tiago M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2765-3760, Ramalho, Ricardo, Daniels, Katherine A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1964-1436 and Caçador Martins-Ferreira, Marco Antonio 2026. De-risking structural traps for carbon capture and storage (CCS) on a magma-rich continental margin. Marine Geoscience and Energy Resources 192 , 207808. 10.1016/j.marger.2026.207808

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Abstract

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is a key technology for reducing greenhouse gases that works by securely storing carbon dioxide (CO2) in subsurface reservoirs. Successful CCS requires the identification of suitable geological traps that retain CO2 in the long-term without leakage, and such traps are common on continental margins affected by magmatic activity. By using a high-quality, depth-migrated 3D seismic volume, this study recognises potential igneous-related CO2 storage traps and assesses possible risks of leakage offshore Pernambuco, on the continental margin of Eastern Brazil, a region of past intrusive and extrusive magmatic activity. A total of 258 magmatic sills and 33 buried volcanic edifices were mapped and classified based on their geometry, size, and area. Four types of trap associated with igneous bodies were recognised: (1) antiform traps, (2) stacked lava flow traps, (3) antiform traps with faults, and (4) vertically stacked sills with overlying volcanic edifices. Among these, vertically stacked sills are considered the most promising due to their favourable size, depth, and geometry. Conversely, two geological features are associated in this work with a greater trapping risk: a) structural discontinuities such as faults and fractures, as fault modelling indicates high slip and dilation tendencies at shallow burial depths; and b) thin or undetectable sills that cannot be resolved in seismic data. Overall, this study identifies new potential CO2 storage trap options and assesses their associated leakage risks. The results offer valuable insights for assessing the suitability of igneous-related traps for CCS on other magma-rich continental margins. As a corollary, analyses of the relationship between salt structures and magmatic bodies show that deep salt layers acted as barriers, preventing magma ascent to shallower strata.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Earth and Environmental Sciences
Publisher:	Elsevier BV
ISSN:	3117-5775
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	22 June 2026
Date of Acceptance:	7 June 2026
Last Modified:	04 Aug 2026 22:49
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/187679

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