Carbon capture and storage (CCS) could permanently store carbon dioxide while also being used to increase oil production, according to new guidance from the Global CCS Institute.
A new fact sheet explains how CO₂-enhanced oil recovery (EOR) with CCS differs from conventional EOR and dedicated carbon storage projects.
The process involves capturing CO₂ from sources such as industrial facilities and power stations before transporting it to suitable oil fields. Once injected underground, the gas helps oil move towards production wells, while some of the gas remains trapped beneath the surface.
Any CO₂ that returns to the surface with extracted oil can be separated, treated and injected underground again. Monitoring, reporting and verification are used to measure the amount of CO₂ permanently stored.
The institute distinguishes this approach from traditional EOR, where the primary objective is increasing oil production, while dedicated storage projects focus solely on permanent CO₂ storage.
It says EOR combined with CCS could provide a transitional route towards wider deployment of dedicated CO₂ storage. However, its potential varies depending on factors including geology, access to captured CO₂, transport infrastructure and regulatory requirements.
The fact sheet also stresses that permanent storage alone does not demonstrate a project’s overall climate benefit.
Life cycle assessments will account for emissions across the project, with the institute calling for consistent boundaries and common accounting rules to assess the climate impact of individual projects.
The guidance comes as CCS development expands as part of efforts to reduce industrial emissions.
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