Central basin pipeline completed

Journal Article · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1986 · Pipeline Gas J.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5921209

Watts, J

A colorless, odorless gas - carbon dioxide - is providing a way for oil producers to wring additional millions of barrels of crude oil out of formations that have held them tightly for millions and millions of years. A recently completed pipeline, Northern Natural Resource Co.'s central basin pipeline, will keep oil fields in the Permian Basin of west Texas and New Mexico productive many years after their expected economic life would have been over. The central basin line is one of the first of the second generation CO/sub 2/ lines, delivering the gas to enhanced oil recovery efforts throughout the southern Permian Basin from the main CO/sub 2/ transmission lines bringing the gas from natural deposits in the northern New Mexico and southern Colorado area. The line stretches from Denver City to McCamey. Carbon dioxide flooding is one of the fastest growing methods of enhanced oil recovery in the U.S. Huge, almost pure deposits of the gas has been found, totaling more than 15 tcf. The oil fields in the Permian Basin of west Texas and New Mexico are prime candidates for CO/sub 2/ flooding for a variety of technical reasons, including the gravity of the oil and the depth of the wells. A study by the National Petroleum Council says miscible CO/sub 2/ flooding in the Permian Basin could produce an additional 3.1 billion bbl. The NPC study says total U.S. miscible EOR production could reach 500,000 b/d by 2004 (assuming $30/bbl) and will exceed thermal EOR production at some time beyond 2005.

• OSTI ID: 5921209
• Journal Information: Pipeline Gas J.; (United States), Journal Name: Pipeline Gas J.; (United States) Vol. 213:1; ISSN PLGJA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
42 ENGINEERING
420205 -- Engineering-- Transport & Storage Facilities-- (1980-)
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON DIOXIDE INJECTION
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CONSTRUCTION
ENHANCED RECOVERY
FEDERAL REGION VI
FLUID INJECTION
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
MINERAL RESOURCES
MISCIBLE-PHASE DISPLACEMENT
NORTH AMERICA
OIL FIELDS
OIL WELLS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PERMIAN BASIN
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
PIPELINES
RECOVERY
RESOURCES
TEXAS
TRANSPORT
USA
WELLS