Putting the genie back in the bottle: Decarbonizing petroleum with direct air capture and enhanced oil recovery

Abstract

This study reports the cradle-to-wheel life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions resulting from enhanced oil recovery (EOR) using CO₂ sourced from direct air capture (DAC). A Monte Carlo simulation model representing variability in technology, location, and supply chain is used to model the possible range of carbon intensities (CI) of oil produced through DAC-EOR. Crude oil produced through DAC-EOR is expected to have a CI of 449 tCO₂/mbbl. With 95% confidence, the CI is between 345 tCO₂/mbbl to 553 tCO₂/mbbl. Producing net-zero GHG emission oil through DAC-EOR is thus highly improbable. An example case of DAC-EOR in the U.S. Permian Basin shows that only in the unlikely instance of the most storage efficient sites using 100% renewable energy does DAC-EOR result in “carbon-negative” oil production.