William "Graham" Payne

Director of Energy Transition

Graham has been working in roles related to carbon capture and storage (CCS) since graduate school and brings over seven years' experience with downhole injection of CO2, both from a geologic modeling and field perspective. He kicked off his career with field and modeling work at Schlumberger and Battelle, including a rigorous stint in southern Iraq. Most recently, he has been evaluating formations for CCS and supporting Class VI Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) applications, which remains largely uncharted territory for the industry. His new role as Director of Energy Transition will include geologic modeling, technical support of permitting, and ultimately, the design and execution of drilling and operation of CO2 sequestration. He is eager to take on a managerial role for Caliche—overseeing budgets and coordinating with legal teams—and more specifically, to work on projects that are not just conceptual.

At Caliche, Graham manages low-carbon initiatives, including newly leased, subsurface zones under 4,000 contiguous acres in Beaumont, TX. He has just begun the permitting process with the EPA and Texas Railroad Commission (TRRC).

Graham has a BS in Geology from Guilford College and a MS in Geology from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. He has received several professional awards, including one from Battelle for, “Outstanding Performance.”