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Energy and Environment Directorate

Nicolas Huerta

Nicolas Huerta

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
PO Box 999
Richland, WA 99352
(509) 371-6774

Biography

Nicolas Huerta has over 10 years of experience in geologic sciences and petroleum engineering. Since joining PNNL in 2019, his work has focused primarily on geologic carbon storage, with emphasis on risk assessment. Prior to his employment at PNNL, Dr. Huerta was a research scientist at the National Energy Technology Laboratory for 10 years where he used a combination of laboratory experiments and numerical modeling to study subsurface reactive transport processes and materials performance in subsurface systems.

Education and Credentials

  • Ph.D., Geological Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin
  • M.S.E., Petroleum Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin
  • M.S., Geology, The University of California at Davis
  • B.S., Geology, The University of California at Davis

PNNL Publications

2025

  • Hibbard L., J.A. White, D.G. Clarke, S. Harrison, R.A. Schultz, F. Hasiuk, and A. Goodman, et al. 2025. "Underground Hydrogen Storage Resource Assessment for the Cook Inlet, Alaska." Applied Energy 377, no. Part B:Art No. 124135. PNNL-SA-195597. doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2024.124135

2024

  • Freedman V.L., and N.J. Huerta. 2024. "End State: Vision for Future Land Use at Hanford." In Remediation of Legacy Hazardous and Nuclear Industrial Sites: Perspectives from Hanford, edited by S.T. Arm and H.P Emerson. 249 - 255. Boca Raton, Florida:CRC Press. PNNL-SA-192960. doi:10.1201/9781003329213-20
  • Zhong L., S. Baek, M.F. Guo, C.E. Bagwell, and N.J. Huerta. 2024. "Hydrogen, Methane, Brine Flow Behavior, and Saturation in Sandstone Cores During H2 and CH4 Injection and Displacement." Energies 17, no. 22:Art. No. 5800. PNNL-SA-201380. doi:10.3390/en17225800

2023

  • Baek S., D.H. Bacon, and N.J. Huerta. 2023. "Enabling Site-Specific Well Leakage Risk Estimation During Geologic Carbon Sequestration Using a Modular Deep-Learning-Based Wellbore Leakage Model." International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control 126. PNNL-SA-173631. doi:10.1016/j.ijggc.2023.103903
  • Baek S., D.H. Bacon, and N.J. Huerta. 2023. NRAP-Open-IAM Multisegmented Wellbore Reduced-Order Model: Improvement and Quality Assurance. PNNL-34107. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. NRAP-Open-IAM Multisegmented Wellbore Reduced-Order Model: Improvement and Quality Assurance
  • Lackey G., G.M. Freeman, T.A. Buscheck, F. Haeri, J.A. White, N.J. Huerta, and A. Goodman. 2023. "Characterizing Hydrogen Storage Potential in U.S. Underground Gas Storage Facilities." Geophysical Research Letters 50, no. 3:e2022GL101420. PNNL-SA-180636. doi:10.1029/2022GL101420

2022

  • Iyer J.K., G. Lackey, L. Edvardsen, A. Bean, S.A. Carroll, N.J. Huerta, and M.M. Smith, et al. 2022. "A Review of Well Integrity Based on Field Experience at Carbon Utilization and Storage Sites." International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control 113. PNNL-SA-164189. doi:10.1016/j.ijggc.2021.103533
  • Zapata Y., M. Kristensen, N.J. Huerta, C.F. Brown, S. Kabir, and Z. Reza. 2022. "Well-based monitoring of CO2 geological sequestration operations in saline aquifers: Critical insight into key questions." Carbon Capture Science & Technology 5. PNNL-SA-179803. doi:10.1016/j.ccst.2022.100079

2021

  • Elbakhshwan M., S. Gill, K.A. Rod, E.B. Bingham, A.L. McKinney, N.J. Huerta, and C. Lopano, et al. 2021. "Structural and chemical changes from CO2 exposure to self-healing polymer cement composites for geothermal wellbores." Geothermics 89. PNNL-SA-155591. doi:10.1016/j.geothermics.2020.101932
  • Min Y., S.N. Montross, R. Spaulding, M. Brandi, N.J. Huerta, R.B. Thomas, and B. Kutchko. 2021. "Alteration of Fractured Foamed Cement Exposed to CO2-Saturated Water: Implications for Well Integrity." Environmental Science & Technology 55, no. 19:13244-13253. PNNL-SA-166794. doi:10.1021/acs.est.1c02699

2020

  • Huerta N.J., K.J. Cantrell, S.K. White, and C.F. Brown. 2020. "Hydraulic Fracturing to Enhance Injectivity and Storage Capacity of CO2 Storage Reservoirs: Benefits and Risks." International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control 100. PNNL-SA-147734. doi:10.1016/j.ijggc.2020.103105
  • Zapata Y., M. Kristensen, N.J. Huerta, C.F. Brown, S. Kabir, and Z. Reza. 2020. "CO2 geological storage: Critical insights on plume dynamics and storage efficiency during long-term injection and post-injection periods." Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering 83. PNNL-SA-151179. doi:10.1016/j.jngse.2020.103542

2019

  • Lackey G., V.S. Vasylkivska, N.J. Huerta, S.J. King, and R. Dilmore. 2019. "Managing Well Leakage Risks at a Geologic Carbon Storage Site with Many Wells." International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control 88. PNNL-SA-144526. doi:10.1016/j.ijggc.2019.06.011

Energy and Environment

Core Research Areas

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