4i. Utilizing Carbon Dioxide

Unit 4: Environmental Impact Lesson 4: Energy and Carbon Dioxide Management: Carbon Capture and Storage 4i. Utilizing Carbon Dioxide

Researchers are exploring ways to pair carbon dioxide storage with increased oil production at drilling sites. Oil fields have many geologic characteristics that match the requirements for underground CO₂ storage. In North Dakota, oil reservoirs are typically found in a layer of porous sedimentary rock beneath a layer of impermeable rock. Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) refers to using CO₂ to increase oil production at drilling sites. Here’s how EOR works:

CO2 is injected near a drilling site

Some of the CO2 dissolves into the oil, making it flow more easily toward the drilling site

The CO2 also puts pressure on the oil, forcing it to flow toward the drilling site

The injected CO2 fills the open spaces vacated by the oil and becomes trapped beneath the impermeable rock layer

Once the oil/CO2 mixture reaches the surface, the CO2 is separated out and used to recover additional oil

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