New feasibility study of carbon dioxide production from coal-fired power plants for enhanced oil recovery: A Canadian perspective

Abstract

The concept of capturing carbon dioxide from coal-fired power plants and utilizing it as a flooding agent for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) processes is currently drawing much interest from oil, utility and coal companies in Western Canada. Implementation of such a scheme would provide two important benefits: (i) the captured CO 2 could be marketed as a flooding agent which would generate revenues, and (ii) CO 2 emissions to the atmosphere would be reduced. Since CO 2 emissions are considered to be the main contributor to the possible serious environmental problem of global warming, the proposed scheme could become an important instrument to reduce such emissions at minimal incremental cost to the environment. This paper demonstrates how cogeneration concepts, together with process optimization strategies, help to reduce the CO 2 production cost by utilizing low-pressure steam and waste heat from various sections of the power generation process. Based on these concepts and strategies, results from this study show that the recovery cost of CO 2 from a coal-fired power plant can range between $0.50–2.00/mscf. If the cost is approximately $1.25/mscf, the production cost of a barrel of incremental oil would be less than $12. Therefore, even at today's modest oil prices, there is room for profit to be made operating a CO 2 flood with flue gas extracted CO 2. The technical and economical feasibility of the concepts are evaluated and the practical implications for the Canadian resources are discussed.