Abstract: CO₂ Flood Potential of California Oil Reservoirs and Possible CO₂ Sources

JESCHKE, PETER, Millennium Energy Inc.; LANNY SCHOELING, Shell CO2 Co. Ltd.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) has been used to enhance oil recovery for over 20 years throughout the world. CO₂ is used in both miscible and immiscible floods depending on the type of oil and class of reservoir. At present, 75 CO₂ floods are being implemented in four countries. In the Permian Basin alone, over 50 floods are currently operational injecting billions of cubic feet per day of CO₂ and producing over 140,000 barrels of oil per day. Estimates indicate that an additional 10 billion barrels of oil in the United States could be recovered by CO₂ flooding depleted oil reservoirs depending on economic and reservoir/fluid constraints. Next to the Permian Basin, California has the second largest CO₂ flood potential in the United States. After a brief description of the immiscible and miscible CO₂ processes, this paper presents the results of a detailed study of the CO₂ potential of California oil reservoirs, with emphasis on the southern San Joaquin Basin. Also described are the various current and potential CO₂ sources that could supply California, from pipeline transport of naturally occurring CO₂ to flue gas capture of anthropogenic CO₂, along with estimated costs of each supply and discussions on the status of developing technologies.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90911©2000 AAPG Pacific Section and Western Region Society of Petroleum Engineers, Long Beach, California