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University of Wyoming

Carbon Capture and Sequestration

Description:

Reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is vital to the preservation of the world’s climate and of huge importance to the Wyoming economy given its heavy reliance on carbon based industries. One GHG emission reduction system with enormous potential is called Carbon Capture and Sequestration. This system is based around a premise of reducing the amount of CO2 emitted by carbon (Coal or Natural Gas) fueled power stations to almost zero by extracting the CO2 and storing it underground in depleted oil and gas reservoirs or saline aquifers.

Benefits to producers:

CO2 miscible flooding is an extremely productive EOR method that uses pressurized CO2 to flush oil from the reservoir. However, the CO2 that is used must first be purchased and this cost limits the profitability of the technique. Reducing this cost by developing more efficient and economical capture methods means that certain field reservoir combinations where CO2 flooding was previously not considered could become potentially profitable.

Carbon sequestration offers two benefits to producers. Firstly, there are many complimentary technologies between CO2 sequestration and CO2 Enhanced Oil Recovery. Research into Carbon sequestration therefore indirectly advances knowledge regarding CO2 EOR allowing for more efficient and optimized flooding and enhanced production. Secondly, Carbon sequestration provides a secondary utilization of the reservoir. Typically when an oil or gas reservoir is depleted to a point where it is no longer profitable it is abandoned. With Carbon sequestration, and likely future carbon sequestration credits, depleted oil and gas reservoirs have a new use allowing operators and owners to gain further return on their investments.

EORI activities:

The EORI is heavily involved in CCS. We have researchers investigating the potential of alternative capture technologies (Maciej Radosz and Youqing Shen) and are a key member of the Big Sky Carbon Sequestration Partnership: a Department of Energy sponsored program investigating carbon capture and sequestration technologies in the Northern Rocky Mountain region.

Links:

Big Sky Carbon Sequestration Partnership

Department of Energy Carbon Sequestration Webpage

National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) Carbon Sequestration Webpage

FutureGen

Contact:

Geoff Thyne