Exploring the potential of carbon capture and storage-enhanced oil recovery as a mitigation strategy in the Colombian oil industry

The use of CO₂ for enhanced oil recovery (CO₂-EOR) is a promising alternative for reducing the cost of carbon capture and storage (CCS). In this study the techno-economic potential of integrated CCS-EOR projects for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the Colombian oil industry is estimated. For this purpose, a source-sink matching process is carried out, including CO₂ capture potentials in sources from the petroleum, cement, power generation, and bioethanol industries, as well as from the CO₂ storage in suitable oil fields for EOR. The results indicate that a total of 142 million tons of carbon dioxide (MtCO₂) could be stored, while delivering 465 MMbbl through five CCS-EOR projects in four clusters identified around the country. The levelised cost for capture ranged between 12–209 €/tCO₂, followed by the cost of CO₂ during EOR operations with a variation of 24–59 €/tCO₂, and finally the CO₂ transport, from 1 €/tCO₂ to 23 €/tCO₂. The CO₂ mitigation potential of CCS-EOR represents 25 % of the forecasted oil industry emissions in Colombia for the period of 2025–2040. As compared to the intended nationally determined contribution (INDC) target set by the Colombian government, CCS-EOR projects could contribute 7 % of the total accumulated emissions reductions by 2040.