Sequestering Carbon Dioxide in EOR Projects Creates Legal, Regulatory Uncertainty

SUGAR LAND--August 18, 2009--Written by John Egan for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--State and federal officials need to accelerate and coordinate their efforts to update regulation of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) projects in order to reflect their potential role as geologic carbon sequestration projects, a partner at the Stoel Rives law firm (Portland, Oregon) tells Industrial Info. EOR projects have not been designed to permanently sequester carbon dioxide, but in today's increasingly carbon-conscious landscape, EOR could play a role in permanent carbon storage. Because carbon sequestration has not been a primary objective, current legislation involving EOR does not address the issue of long-term geologic sequestration of carbon dioxide, however.