COLUMBUS, OH - The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Geological Survey has formed a partnership with Wright State University, one of Ohio's top state universities, and daytaOhio, an Ohio Wright Centers of Innovation, to undertake geological research that could play a significant role in the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions and the improvement of oil extraction from oil fields.
 
Wright State University and daytaOhio will assist the ODNR Division of Geological Survey in investigating the efficiency of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) projects in Ohio. The partnership will allow for use of the latest computer technologies in geological mapping, modeling and visualization, which will improve the processing and analysis of geologic and seismic data. The state will use the technology to assist in analyzing oil field data to determine the efficacy of EOR in specific Ohio reservoirs.
 
EOR is the process of recovering the otherwise unattainable oil resources from a reservoir. Water injection is the most commonly used EOR technique, followed by injection of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide pressurized to the liquid state is one of the most effective means of sweeping additional oil from a reservoir - it is injected in a central well and pushes additional oil to a number of production wells.
 
EOR can also be done with chemical injections or thermal recovery, which uses heat to improve oil flow rates.
 
"Our partnership with Wright State and daytaOhio will provide additional expertise and technological tools to help identify sites where EOR is practicable," said Larry Wickstrom, chief of the Ohio Geological Survey. Noting that there are several new, large-scale energy projects planned for Ohio that could produce large quantities of pure carbon dioxide, Wickstrom emphasized that "Ohio is looking for ways to use the carbon dioxide byproduct to make existing oil fields more productive and profitable, while safely securing the carbon dioxide in the deep subsurface."
 
The current partnership is part of a grant through the U.S. Department of Energy with Ohio River Clean Fuels.
 
"This project is an additional return on the state's investments in the center's sophisticated visualization and seismic interpretation technologies," said Terry Rapoch, daytaOhio president.

The ODNR Division of Geological Survey hopes to expand into further work with Wright State and daytaOhio in the future. The Ohio Geological Survey is a leader in research dealing with secure storage of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and/or human-made sources, which is known as carbon sequestration.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR web site at www.ohiodnr.com.
 

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