CCUS-EOR Integration: Technical-economic feasibility in Latin American mature oil reservoirs
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37431/conectividad.v7i1.412Keywords:
Carbon capture, EOR, Geological storage, Mature oil, Economic evaluationAbstract
In Latin America, the sustained decline in productivity from mature oil fields coincides with increasing regulatory and environmental pressures on carbon emissions. This study evaluates the integration of carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies with enhanced oil recovery (EOR) methods, considering the prevailing technical, operational, and economic conditions in the region. The research was based on a systematic review of scientific literature, technical reports, and industrial databases, applying inclusion criteria focused on studies with empirical evidence from geologically comparable fields. In total, 33 specialized publications were analyzed, mostly published between 2020 and 2025, selected for their technical relevance, data validity, and public availability. The data analyzed suggest that an additional 12 % to 22 % of the original oil in place can be recovered, which could represent up to 200 million extra barrels in large-scale fields. Furthermore, it is estimated that for each barrel recovered using this approach, between 0.30 and 0.80 metric tons of CO₂ can be injected, contributing to long-term geological storage. The technical–economic comparison shown in Table 2 highlights cost differences between countries with established infrastructure (such as Mexico and Brazil) and those under development (such as Ecuador and Colombia), where operating and capital expenses increase by approximately 25 %. Therefore, CCUS-EOR integration emerges as a viable strategy to extend the productive life of Latin American oil fields, provided that incentive policies and public or private collaboration mechanisms are strengthened to support its implementation.
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