ABU DHABI - The UAE Ministry of Energy and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) co-sponsored a workshop today to examine technological and economic factors for carbon dioxide (CO2) utilization to recover oil and water in the Gulf Region. The workshop took place at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center during the World Future Energy Summit and Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.

CO2 utilization could help manage emissions in the region by providing added value to the electricity and industrial sectors.  Two types of resource extraction processes can be improved by using captured CO2, enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and enhanced water recovery (EWR).  EOR can be used to improve oil recovery from established fields, as well as opening recovery from residual oil zones. EWR is a new resource extraction approach in which pressurized CO2 is used to improve the extraction and treatment of saline waters for surface use. Water and oil recovery are of particular interest to the Gulf Region.

The workshop brought together government and industry technical experts from the Middle East and the U.S. to discuss the full lifecycle of carbon capture, utilization, and storage, including CO2 management and storage options that maximize the overall economic and environmental benefits of these recovery processes.

The workshop furthers ongoing collaboration under the U.S.-UAE Strategic Energy Dialogue, co-chaired most recently in September 2015 by DOE Deputy Secretary Sherwood-Randall and UAE Minister of Energy Suhail Al Mazrouei, as well as collaboration in the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum.