For oil producers, CO2 means money. Each year, about 35 megatons (30 million metric tons) of carbon dioxide are injected into the ground to help recover heavy crude oil. The process is called Enhanced or Recovery (EOR), and most of it is done in West Texas.
Enhanced Oil Recovery Process
About 5-40% of crude oil is recovered from a typical oil well using conventional methods. Experts believe Enhanced Oil Recovery can help producers recover an additional 7-23% of the original oil in place. During the EOR process, CO2 is injected into the well site, where it is absorbed by the oil at varying levels. The CO2 makes the oil lighter, and it expands up the wellhead to be collected by oil producers. Depending on oil conditions, about 50-67% of the CO2 injected into the site returns with the recovered oil. That CO2 is then recycled back into the well so more oil can be recovered and operating costs can stay low. The CO2 that does not return with the recovered oil remains in the ground.
Permian Basin EOR
Texas, specifically the Permian Basin in West Texas, is the EOR Capital of the World. Currently there are about 66 active EOR projects, and 50 are in the Permian Basin. EOR makes up about 4% of American domestic oil production.
Gulf Coast Recovery and Storage
Texas is not the only beneficiary of EOR technology. The map to the right shows that there are oil reservoirs ideal for EOR in at least seven other states, including New Mexico, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. Many of these sites are also ideal for carbon storage. About 700 million metric tons of storage space along the Texas Gulf Coast are available for CO2 using Enhanced Oil Recovery.
