Bringing It All Together: Innovative Public Policy and Technology for Carbon Purification Catalyzes Power Production, Enhanced Oil Recovery, and Geological Sequestration in Depleted Oil Reservoirs: An Oklahoma Example

The Oklahoma Conservation Commission developed the Carbon Program to provide state-verified carbon credits that incentivizes geologic carbon sequestration, including enhanced oil recovery by carbon dioxide (CO₂) injection underground. The United States (US) Department of Energy’s carbon capture, utilization, and storage initiative further incentivizes public-private collaboration.

Depleted oil and gas reservoirs are ideal candidates for carbon sequestration, combining capacity and trapping characteristics. In moving to full geological sequestration, injection of CO₂ enhances oil recovery (EOR) in some formations. Oklahoma has opportunities that would increase oil production levels by over 20 percent. However, a significant hurdle is the availability and transport networks for CO₂. Once the infrastructure is in place for EOR, it remains as the depleted field transitions to full geological sequestration.

In addition to current infrastructure limitations, another impediment to wide-scale implementation of EOR is the supply of pure source CO₂. PLASMA is developing commercial carbon capture applications for both existing and greenfield coal-fired power plants and subsequent sequestration projects in the United States through their patented proprietary in-combustion technology for coal or coke combustion, wherein the captured carbon dioxide is of superior quality suitable for use in EOR operations. An independent analysis determined that PLASMA’s in-combustion capture is significantly less expensive than both pre-combustion and post-combustion capture techniques. Furthermore, the PLASMA technology results in higher recovery efficiencies, at 100 % CO₂ capture, than lower post-combustion capture recovery. PLASMA’s technology captures CO₂ with ultra-low sulfur oxides (SOx) and nitric oxides (NOx) content, thereby reducing partial pressure downhole requirements needed for EOR in mature oil producing reservoirs.

We have facilitated workshops among policy makers, power producers, and oil and gas companies in Oklahoma to bring it all together, balancing economic benefits of EOR and verified carbon credits against infrastructure cost.