Page 112 - Primer on Enhanced Oil Recovery

102 Primer on Enhanced Oil Recovery

Figure 10.5 Screening parameters for CO 2 injection.

10.1.4 Implemented projects

Since the early 1970s, high oil prices have begun to generate widespread interest in
carbon dioxide injection. In this case, both miscible and immiscible projects were
used to displace oil by carbon dioxide.
Due to the presence in the United States of large reserves of carbon dioxide,
which are located in the same geological basin with oil fields, this method of
enhanced oil recovery is most prevalent in this country.
In order to cope with the world oil crisis in 1972, the US government passed a
law on emergency energy security, which contributed to a significant increase in
the US oil production. The research in promising EOR methods received strong
development impulse.
After 1980, with an increase in demand for oil and gas, the price of oil and gas
has significantly increased. The number projects for the injection of carbon dioxide
experienced fast growth and in 2006 for the first time oil production obtained by
this method exceeded oil production obtained by thermal methods of enhanced oil
recovery. There were two big rises of interest in the method of carbon dioxide
injection. The first rise occurred in the period 1980 1992, when laws and regula-
tions were adopted that stimulated investment in the energy sector. The number of
projects increased from 17 to 54, and the oil production increased to 144.97 thou-
sand barrels per day (see Figs. 10.6 and 10.7). The second significant growth
occurred in 2002, when the price of oil soared to $ 100 per barrel, which led to a
significant increase in profits from the sale of CO 2 injection projects. During this
period (after 2002) the number of projects increased from 67 to 137, and the oil
production increased from 187.41 to 292.74 thousand barrels per day. As can be