By The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — An experimental project in Canada to inject carbon dioxide into oil fields has proven successful, removing 4.5 million tonnes of the heat-trapping "greenhouse" gas, while enhancing oil recovery, the Energy Department said Tuesday.
If the methodology could be applied worldwide, from one-third to one-half of the carbon dioxide emissions that go into the atmosphere could be eliminated over the next century and billions of barrels of additional oil could be recovered, the department said.
The project is a joint effort by the Energy Department, the Canadian government and private industry.
Carbon dioxide is piped from the Great Plains Synfuels plant in Beulah, N.D., where it is a by-product from coal gasification, to the Weyburn oil field in Saskatchewan.
"The success of the Weyburn project could have incredible implications on reducing CO2 emissions and increasing America’s oil production," said Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman.
Bodman, who is visiting the Middle East, said in a statement released by his office that if the process were used in all the oil fields of western Canada, "we would see billions of additional barrels of oil and a reduction of CO2 emissions equivalent to pulling more than 200 million cars off the road for a year."
The completion of the first phase of the experimental project gives government officials and industry an indication of how carbon sequestration can both reduce the risk of climate change and allow enhanced oil recovery, extending the oil field’s life.
Carbon dioxide, produced from the burning of fossil fuels, is the leading so-called "greenhouse" gas because when released into the atmosphere it creates a heat-trapping blanket.
Many scientists believe the growth of manmade sources of these gases will lead to a warming of the earth if the trend is not reversed.
In the Weyburn project, when carbon dioxide was pumped into the oil reservoir, it increased the pressure and brought more oil to the surface.
http://thechronicleherald.ca/World/465018.html
WASHINGTON — An experimental project in Canada to inject carbon dioxide into oil fields has proven successful, removing 4.5 million tonnes of the heat-trapping "greenhouse" gas, while enhancing oil recovery, the Energy Department said Tuesday.
If the methodology could be applied worldwide, from one-third to one-half of the carbon dioxide emissions that go into the atmosphere could be eliminated over the next century and billions of barrels of additional oil could be recovered, the department said.
The project is a joint effort by the Energy Department, the Canadian government and private industry.
Carbon dioxide is piped from the Great Plains Synfuels plant in Beulah, N.D., where it is a by-product from coal gasification, to the Weyburn oil field in Saskatchewan.
"The success of the Weyburn project could have incredible implications on reducing CO2 emissions and increasing America’s oil production," said Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman.
Bodman, who is visiting the Middle East, said in a statement released by his office that if the process were used in all the oil fields of western Canada, "we would see billions of additional barrels of oil and a reduction of CO2 emissions equivalent to pulling more than 200 million cars off the road for a year."
The completion of the first phase of the experimental project gives government officials and industry an indication of how carbon sequestration can both reduce the risk of climate change and allow enhanced oil recovery, extending the oil field’s life.
Carbon dioxide, produced from the burning of fossil fuels, is the leading so-called "greenhouse" gas because when released into the atmosphere it creates a heat-trapping blanket.
Many scientists believe the growth of manmade sources of these gases will lead to a warming of the earth if the trend is not reversed.
In the Weyburn project, when carbon dioxide was pumped into the oil reservoir, it increased the pressure and brought more oil to the surface.
http://thechronicleherald.ca/World/465018.html
