Oil and Gas Industry

The oil and gas industry is one of the primary sectors where Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) technologies are being adopted extensively due to its potential for significantly reducing CO₂ emissions.

Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR): One of the most prominent applications of CCUS in the oil and gas industry is Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR). In this process, the captured CO₂ is injected into mature oil fields to increase their productivity. The injection of CO₂ reduces the viscosity of oil's and increases the flow rate, thus improving the recovery of oil from these fields. The CO₂ stays sequestered in the oil reservoir after extraction. The use of anthropogenic CO₂ for EOR, known as CO₂-EOR, can create a market for captured CO₂ while aiding in CO₂ storage.
Natural Gas Processing: In natural gas processing plants, CO₂ is often removed to meet the quality specifications of the marketed natural gas. This captured CO₂ can be stored or utilized, converting a waste stream into a resource.

Hydrogen Production: The Steam Methane Reforming (SMR) process, a common method for hydrogen production, results in significant CO₂ emissions. Integrating CCUS with SMR can capture these emissions, producing blue hydrogen – a lower-carbon alternative to grey hydrogen produced through traditional SMR without CCUS. This blue hydrogen can be used in a range of applications, including power generation, heating, and transportation.
Refineries: Oil refineries, where crude oil is processed into various products, including gasoline, diesel, and jet fuels, are a significant source of CO₂ emissions. CCUS can be used to capture and store or use these emissions, contributing to decarbonizing the refinery sector.

Benefits of CCUS in the Oil and Gas Industry

Reduced CO₂ Emissions: CCUS technology can play a pivotal role in reducing carbon emissions from oil and gas operations, making these traditional energy sectors more environmentally friendly. With the correct utilization strategies, a significant portion of these emissions can be captured and prevented from entering into the atmosphere.
Enhanced Oil Recovery: The CO₂ captured during CCUS processes can be used in enhanced oil recovery operations, improving extraction efficiency and the economic viability of oil fields. This process also allows for the long-term underground storage of CO₂, contributing to the climate change mitigation.
Transition Pathway: The oil and gas industry has substantial technical expertise and infrastructure that can be leveraged for CCUS deployment. The adoption of CCUS provides Oil and Gas this industry a pathway to transition towards cleaner energy production and operation models.