Joanna Walker

 

Joanna Walker is an Assistant Professor - Research at the Center for Energy Studies. Her research interests include carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration, energy transition, storage complex characterization,  and environmental justice.

During her Ph.D. research, Joanna developed a method of fracture identification, through the use of excess anisotropy, in horizontal wells within the Permian Basin, and proposed alternative methods for delineating areas of review for carbon sequestration projects.

Joanna is a professional geologist with a decade of experience in the upstream industry and regulatory community.  As a consultant, her primary responsibilities have included permit development for carbon sequestration clients seeking Class VI (USEPA and state primacy) approval. She has provided technical reviews in tandem with the USEPA for CCS projects in Louisiana, and regulatory support for projects in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Texas, West Virginia, and Wyoming. 

Before becoming a consultant, she was a regulatory geologist in the injection and mining division at the State of Louisiana, where she developed and established the geologic and engineering review metrics for Class VI carbon sequestration injection well permits and assessed regional and local geology, geochemistry, geomechanics, hydrogeology, seismicity, well log analysis, and well construction for proposed injection well projects. 

Her prior technical experience includes reservoir characterization, core and resistivity image analysis and interpretation, petrophysical analysis, acoustic log interpretation and geomechanical studies. 

Joanna holds a B.S. in geology from Tarleton State University, a M.S. in geology from the University of Texas Permian Basin, and a Ph.D. in geology from the University of Houston. She is a member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts, and the Baton Rouge Geological Society.

Email: joannawalker@lsu.edu