Storage of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) through enhanced oil recovery (EOR) activities offers the dual benefit of increased oil production and storage of anthropogenic CO 2 . In the Illinois Basin, USA (the Basin), there are no commercial-scale CO 2 EOR projects due to a number of obstacles, including the absence of a large-scale demonstration in the region and an economic supply of CO 2 . To address these issues, the Illinois State Geological Survey (ISGS) conducted a study to assess the potential for CO 2 EOR at three strategically positioned fields in the Basin. The three fields—Assumption, Mattoon, and Forsyth—are located near two possible future sources of commercial CO 2 . The CO 2 EOR of the three fields was evaluated through characterization of the reservoir architecture and simulation of CO 2 EOR scenarios along with laboratory experiments to estimate the minimum miscibility pressure (MMP). The project provides site-specific estimates of CO 2 EOR application and could serve as an impetus for larger demonstration projects in the near future.
