Abby L. Harvey
GHG Monitor
7/10/2015
The Western Governors’ Association released a policy resolution late last month that outlines actions to be taken to support the advancement of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) in the West. According to the resolution, 63.3 billion barrels of oil could be economically recovered if EOR is adopted on a large-scale. This would result in the sequestration of 16.2 billion metric tons of CO2, according to the document. “In recognition of the environmental and economic benefits of EOR, Western Governors support policies and incentives that advance investment in EOR projects, infrastructure, technology and research,” the Governors wrote.
The use of CO2 in enhanced oil recovery has the potential to expand the deployment of CO2 capture at power plants and other industrial sources by making captured CO2 a saleable good, as opposed to a waste product. To this end, the Governors wrote, “Federal policies aimed to limit CO2 emissions should promote, and not impede, development and deployment of CO2 capture and commoditization. Federal regulations should allow states to create programs tailored to individual state needs, industries and economies and recognize CO2 sequestration that results from EOR in meeting federal regulatory objectives.”
The policy resolution was applauded by the National Enhanced Oil Recovery Institute, which wrote that its members “commend the Western Governors’ leadership in issuing this resolution and look forward to working the Governors and their administrations on a bipartisan basis to encourage action in Washington, DC to enact federal policies that address the economic barriers to expanding deployment of CO2-EOR.”
