The Plains CO2 Reduction (PCOR) Partnership Program - Addressing CO2 Storage Through Enhanced Oil Recovery

The Plains CO2 Reduction (PCOR) Partnership, one of seven regional partnerships established by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory’s Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (RCSP) Program, is identifying the most suitable CO2 storage strategies and technologies, aiding in regulatory development, educating the general public, and investigating appropriate infrastructure for carbon capture and storage (CCS) commercialization within its region. This region includes all or part of nine U.S. states and four Canadian provinces.As global anthropogenic CO2 emissions increase and global demand for reliable, low-cost energy rises, options must be considered which address both challenges. One promising technology is CO2 enhanced oil recovery (EOR). The PCOR Partnership is partnered with several industry leaders in CO2 EOR and has been working to utilize this technology as a means for commercial-scale deployment of CCS. In collaboration with commercial partners, the PCOR Partnership is utilizing an approach which addresses many of the challenges of CCS through CO2 EOR. As part of this effort, a large focus has been placed on the potential for CO2 EOR as a means to store meaningful amounts of CO2; develop technologies to monitor, verify, and account for the injected CO2; and increase oil production from depleted fields.