EPA Aims to Create Regulations for EOR Production, According to SBI

18 Jul 2012 • by Natalie Aster

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) of the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) has specified regulations for new CO2 pipeline design, as well as for existing pipes that are being converted for CO2 usage. PHMSA regulates the design, construction, operation, maintenance and spill response planning for CO2 pipelines.

According to the rules set forth by PHMSA, even though CO2 pipelines are subject to the same regulations as pipelines transporting hazardous liquids (such as petroleum and anhydrous ammonia), CO2 itself is not classified as a hazardous liquid, but as a nonflammable gas hazardous material. PHMSA regulations are generally enforced by state regulators, who aim to provide consistency in the safety of the intrastate CO2 pipelines throughout the nation. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) sometimes has legal authority to impose common carrier obligations on certain CO2 pipelines that cross federal land, overriding the PHMSA regulations. Prospective pipeline carriers in the United States will want to carefully research any applicable state statutes and regulations.

According to the report “EOR Enhanced Oil Recovery Worldwide” by SBI, as part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) aim to create regulations for EOR production, the agency is proposing a new category of injection well, termed Class VI, which would operate under the existing regulations set forth in the Underground Injection Control program (see below). Class VI wells would also be expected to adhere to new federal requirements for long-term carbon sequestration that consider CO2 storage issues within a variety of geological formations. By implementing this new class of well the EPA is hoping to ensure that underground sources of drinking water in the United States will not be contaminated by CO2-EOR production.

Report Details:

EOR Enhanced Oil Recovery Worldwide
Published: April, 2012
Pages: 150
Price: US$ 4.800,00

The Underground Injection Control (UIC) program was established under the Safe Drinking Water Act to regulate underground injection wells and to protect the quality of drinking water sources in the United States. Under the UIC, the EPA created regulations that include requirements for the proper geological siting, construction, operation, testing and closure of injection wells to ensure that injected fluids, such as CO2, do not contaminate underground sources of drinking water or the surrounding environment.

More information can be found in the report “EOR Enhanced Oil Recovery Worldwide” by SBI

To order the report or ask for sample pages contact [email protected]

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