Carbon capture project leads to increased oil production

Fuel Fix:

The U.S. Department of Energy said Friday a carbon capture project in Port Arthur, Texas has reached a key milestone: a million metric tons of carbon dioxide blocked from being released into the air.

The project, which launched in late 2012, captures carbon dioxide emissions from a facility run by Air Products and Chemicals Inc. that produces hydrogen for a nearby Valero facility.

Special equipment to capture the carbon connects to devices known as reformers, which combine fossil fuels and steam at high temperatures to produce hydrogen. The Energy Department said the project captures more than 90 percent of the carbon dioxide released from two reformers. The carbon dioxide is pumped underground where it can be securely stored without being released into the atmosphere.

The technique also has the benefit of improving oil production in mature fields by forcing oil out of the ground. The carbon dioxide from the Air Products and Chemicals facility is transported to the West Hastings oil field, about 20 miles south of Houston, where it’s injected into a reservoir to boost oil production.
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I think this project presents a dilemma for the anti energy left which seeks to keep the oil in the ground in order to reduce carbon emissions.   This project proves the technology works.  Whether it makes economic sense is yet to be determined.  How limited is the application?  Will it work for other refining and uses?