Lawmakers hear technical, economic case for CO2-enhanced oil recovery and pipeline buildout in Wyoming

Lon Whitman, director of the Enhanced Oil Recovery Institute, told the Joint Minerals, Business & Economic Development Interim Committee on June 20 that Wyoming has “significant stranded oil potential” and that industry economics determine whether enhanced oil recovery (EOR) projects move forward. Whitman said multiple studies indicate roughly 2 billion barrels of recoverable upside oil in the state and that CO2 EOR since 1986 produced about 173 million barrels of incremental oil, generating an estimated $1.16 billion in state tax revenue under conservative assumptions.

The briefing matters because CO2 EOR projects require large up‑front capital, dedicated CO2 supplies and pipelines, and they can change long‑term production and state revenues. Whitman framed EOR as a set of technical and commercial choices rather than a single policy fix.

Whitman described how EOR fits into production phases: primary yields roughly 15% of original oil in place; secondary methods such as water‑flooding can add another ~20%; and enhanced recovery techniques, including CO2, can add roughly a further 25% in many cases. “These are long‑term projects with long‑term revenue to the state,” he said, citing the Lost Soldier and Beaver Creek projects as multi‑decade examples. Whitman warned costs rise sharply with each stage and described typical EOR project items: capture and contract for CO2, a delivery pipeline or spur,…