Evolution of the Carbon Dioxide Flooding Processes

Carbon dioxide flooding has become one of the major EOR processes in the U.S. with potential recovery of billions of barrels of oil that otherwise would be left as residual in known U.S. reservoirs. Extensive commercial-sale CO/sub 2/ projects are under way, and other new projects and expansions are planned for the future. This paper briefly reviews the evolution of the CO/sub 2/ flooding processes as they are most commonly applied today. The important features of CO/sub 2/ flooding, which have been defined by extensive laboratory research and field testing, are summarized. Included are summaries of (1) early developments in the use of CO/sub 2/, (2) oil displacement mechanisms of CO/sub 2/, and (3) other factors involved in the design of CO/sub 2/ floods - i.e., CO/sub 2/ availability, CO/sub 2/ injection requirements, mobility control, reservoir conditions, safety, CO/sub 2/ reinjection, corrosion, and solids precipitation.