Did you know that 95% of all oil production in California comes from Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) methods?
One EOR technique that is gaining attention globally is CO2-EOR. This process of recovering oil and gas has been around since the early 1970s and pumps carbon dioxide into a rock formation to increase the overall pressure of the reservoir and push the oil towards the production wells. If the CO2 that is injected in the reservoir returns to the surface, it is separated from the oil and reinjected to form a closed loop, which results in the permanent sequestration of the CO2.
Even better, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA) CO₂ EOR equals 37% fewer CO₂ emissions per barrel compared to conventional oil production.
The IEA also states that a 100-fold scale up of large-scale carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration (CCUS) facilities in the next 20 years is needed to reach net-zero emissions by mid-century. Although CCUS technologies are currently deployed globally, more widespread adoption across industries in California is critical to drive greenhouse gas reductions and achieve the state’s climate goals, as well as the goals of the Paris Agreement.
Learn more about CO2-EOR in this factsheet.