CARBON-DIOXIDE PRODUCTION FROM COAL-FIRED POWER-PLANTS FOR ENHANCED OIL-RECOVERY - A FEASIBILITY STUDY IN WESTERN CANADA

In order to sustain the current production capacity of conventional oi l in Western Canada, enhanced oil recovery (EOR) technologies must be increasingly applied. Among these, CO2 flooding is a highly attractive alternative. A large amount of CO2 is being produced by coal-fired po wer plants in this region. The CO2 is currently discharged into the at mosphere and could be a major contributor to the greenhouse effect, wh ich may lead to global warming. Thus, the concept of capturing CO2 and utilizing it as a flooding agent in EOR processes is currently genera ting much interest among oil, utility and coal companies. We demonstra te how cogeneration concepts, together with process-optimization strat egies, help to reduce the CO2-production cost by utilizing low-pressur e steam and waste heat from various sections of the power-generation p rocess. Based on these concepts and strategies, results from this stud y show that the recovery cost of CO2 from a coal-fired power plant may range between $0.50 and 2.00/mscf. If the cost is approximately $1.25 /mscf, the production cost of a barrel of incremental oil would be les s than $18. Therefore, even at today's modest oil prices, there is roo m for profit to be made operating a CO2 flood with flue-gas-extracted CO2. The technical and economical feasibility of the concepts are eval uated and the practical implications for the Saskatchewan resources ar e discussed. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.