The state of EOR with CO2 and associated seismic monitoring

Carbon dioxide (CO2) can be an agent for enhancing recovery from oil reservoirs because it acts like a scrubbing agent to contact residual oil in the reservoir and makes it easier for the oil to flow to producing wells. Old reservoirs that have produced for years are not depleted of oil. They contain residual oil that can't be moved under primary or secondary flood processes. The tertiary process that could move the greatest amount of residual oil is carbon dioxide flooding. To obtain the residual oil, we need to inject CO2 to enhance oil recovery (EOR). We may be able to produce up to 20% of the original oil in place (OOIP). Seismic monitoring provides a means to proactively manage the flood. © 2010 Society of Exploration Geophysicists.