Sequestering CO2 to get more Oil!

Posted on February 21, 2012 by markinaustin

This could be cool.  Clean coal, more oil.

Of course, the coal is filthy, but NRG in TX has a plan to pump the CO2 deep into an old abandoned oil field in S. Texas.  Pump it deep enough, the theory goes, and it won’t come back into the atmosphere.  Here, the greenhouse gas, pumped into the oil bearing formation, will force the remaining oil out of the rock, making it recoverable.

The story also presents the critics, of course – but I thought I would post a “good news” story to begin the week.

And here’s the written story:

http://stateimpact.npr.org/texas/2012/02/21/how-biggest-power-plant-in-texas-will-use-pollution-to-pump-oil/

Filed under: Energy, global warming |

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8 Responses

  1. Mike's avatar
    Mike, on February 21, 2012 at 6:45 am said:

    Aren’t there already projects looking at CCS for pumping oil? Anyone know the status of FutureGen?

    (I apologize if all that information is in the links …)

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  2. markinaustin's avatar
    markinaustin, on February 21, 2012 at 7:07 am said:

    Was FutureGen ever going use the CO2 to pressure oil? I thought it was a non profit in IL [?]

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  3. Fairlington Blade's avatar
    Fairlington Blade, on February 21, 2012 at 12:07 pm said:

    Not exactly on topic, but I read the store in the Times about a climate scientist misrepresenting himself in order to obtain documents from the Heartland Institute. With all due respect, what the fuck was he thinking?

    I recognize the desire to get in the scrum. If the exciton binding energy had political concerns, I’m sure that the Attorney General of Virginia would subpoena my emails too. I’m not worried about him forfeiting credibility with the likes of Imhofe, but once you take those actions, how do you think your peers will treat your work?

    Well, I’m off to get dinner before catching the Chelsea match in the Champions League.

    Cheers,

    Paul

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    • Kevin S. Willis's avatar
      Kevin S. Willis, on February 21, 2012 at 12:54 pm said:

      Not exactly on topic, but I read the store in the Times about a climate scientist misrepresenting himself in order to obtain documents from the Heartland Institute. With all due respect, what the fuck was he thinking?

      He was thinking, “I’m gonna go all Climate Gate on your asses! How do you like that, suckahs? You just got Breitbarted!”

      how do you think your peers will treat your work

      I don’t know, but my guess would be something along the lines of: “Dude, come on.”

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  4. bsimon's avatar
    bsimon, on February 21, 2012 at 12:14 pm said:

    Interesting. I wonder what is the carbon ratio between what is pumped in vs what is extracted.

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  5. Mike's avatar
    Mike, on February 21, 2012 at 12:29 pm said:

    Mark:

    Sorry, that was stream-of-consciousness. FutureGen is solely a CCS project. It just came to mind while I was thinking about the oil fields. I think we discussed CCS for the Marcellus Shale at one point as well.

    FB:

    Have fun watching the £50M man not score again.

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  6. Fairlington Blade's avatar
    Fairlington Blade, on February 21, 2012 at 4:33 pm said:

    Thanks for the chuckle, Kevin. I’ve never witnessed the faculty lounge version of high fiving. I more suspect that there will be the general equivalent of eye rolling.Now, back to organizing Organic Photovoltaics 13. [Oh, my paper was published on Friday. Woo hoo!]

    BB

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