Abby L. Harvey
GHG Monitor
6/20/2014
The Wyoming Pipeline Authority has submitted to the Bureau of Land Management a plan to develop an extensive carbon dioxide pipeline corridor through federal lands, Governor Matt Mead announced late last week. The project, called the Wyoming Pipeline Corridor Initiative (WPCI), would establish a network of pipeline corridors totaling 1,150 miles running parallel to existing pipelines. The goal of the project is to reduce permitting timeframes to make CO2 more readily available for enhanced oil recovery in Wyoming’s aging oil fields, according to a release from Mead’s office. “Oil production in Wyoming has been declining for several decades. This hurts local economies, means fewer jobs and results in less revenue to the state,” Mead said. “Wyoming has large, economically significant oil reserves that are good candidates for enhanced oil recovery using CO2.”
Developing the WPCI on federal lands presents several benefits, according to a Wyoming Pipeline Authority fact sheet. “By establishing corridors on federal lands, companies that wish to construct pipelines in the WPCI will be able to do so with shorter time tables, as a large portion of the federal planning process will be completed,” the fact sheet says. Further, Mead said in his release, the plan ensures that the pipeline will be constructed in the most efficient way. “This plan identifies appropriate routes for pipelines. It establishes corridors, reduces delays and avoids a piecemeal approach to pipelines,” he said.
The timing for the completion of the plan is also beneficial, Mead said in his release, noting that the corridor could help the state meet CO2 emissions targets set in recently proposed Environmental Protection Agency regulations on existing coal plants. “A pre-approved pipeline network links depleted oil fields with CO2 sources and increases the viability of enhanced oil recovery. With this plan Wyoming can assist industry, make CO2 from power plants an asset, reduce overall CO2 emissions and increase oil recovery,” he said.
Test Center Funding Approved
This week, the Wyoming state legislature approved the $15 million in funding Mead requested for his proposed Integrated Test Center. The center would provide a venue for researchers to develop potential future commercial uses of CO2. “Power companies and coal producers are excited about this proposal. Wyoming has an abundance of coal and we know we must find productive ways to put coal and its byproducts to use,” Mead said in a release. “We are showing leadership in supporting this kind of advanced research.” The test center would be located next to an existing coal-fired power plant which would provide the CO2 for researchers.
