Climate Change advocates are lobbying for capture and injection of CO2 as a way of reducing global warming. Concurrently, well-funded litigants have been filing suits to halt or interfere with oil & gas production in multiple states, arguing that injection of CO2 (and produced water) has helped induce an increase of seismic events and caused pollution and property damage. The latest suite of cases focus increasingly on injection and on induced seismicity. In 2018 the USGS issued an updated report regarding the potential association between seismicity and injection, and researchers at different universities claim CO2 injection is also causing earthquakes. This paper reviews the latest research regarding the efficacy of CO2 injection, provides the rare examples of the injection related impacts, and covers the record of safe CO2 injection for enhanced oil recovery with a focus on the Permian Basin of Texas. The paper also provides an update on recent actions taken by the Texas Railroad Commission regarding CO2 injection.
Primary Author/Conference Presenter:
Richard Bost
Lead Engineer and Environmental Expedrt
i2M Associates, LLC
Waller, TX, USA
website: https://i2mconsulting.com
Co-Authors:
Don Whitley, i2M Associates, Katy, Texas
Lori Magyar, i2M Associates and Auradon Consulting, Katy, Texas