Husky using ethanol-plant carbon dioxide for EOR

May 25, 2012
Husky Energy Inc., Calgary, is capturing and liquefying carbon dioxide from its ethanol plant in Lloydminster, Sask., for use in enhanced oil recovery pilot projects in nearby heavy oil fields.

Husky Energy Inc., Calgary, is capturing and liquefying carbon dioxide from its ethanol plant in Lloydminster, Sask., for use in enhanced oil recovery pilot projects in nearby heavy oil fields.

The project converts about 250 tonnes/day of CO2 at the 130 million l./year ethanol plant into a high-pressure liquid stored in 900,000-gal “buckets,” which trucks carry to the oil fields for vaporization and injection.

The company received $14.5 million from the federal government to develop and demonstrate the carbon-capture and storage technologies. The Saskatchewan government provided funding for field pilots.

Husky produces heavy oil from relatively shallow deposits within 100 km of Lloydminster with a variety of techniques, including primary production, horizontal wells, cyclic steam stimulation, and steam-assisted gravity drainage. It also uses cold heavy oil production with sand (CHOPS).

Last year in the Lloydminster area it produced 60.3 million b/d of heavy oil via primary production, including CHOPS and horizontal technologies, 17.4 million b/d of heavy oil from thermal operations, and 2.3 million b/d of medium-gravity oil from waterflooded fields in the Wainwright and Wildmere areas.