Researchers at the Illinois State Geological Survey are studying how to use carbon dioxide (CO₂) to recover more oil and store carbon underground in southern Illinois.

In the Noble Oil Field of western Richland County, the team modeled how CO₂ could be injected into a deep sandstone layer – known as the Cypress Formation – that still holds a significant amount of unrecovered oil. By simulating different injection strategies, they identified approaches that could increase oil recovery and trap CO₂ in the rock, resulting in “carbon-negative” oil production. These findings help guide how similar oil fields across the Illinois Basin could be developed to support energy production and carbon storage goals.

The three-part series is available at:

• Part I: Reservoir characterization of Noble Oil Field, western Richland County, Illinois
• Part II: Leveraging geologic characterization to develop a representative geocellular model for Noble Oil Field, western Richland County, Illinois
• Part III: Development strategies for residual oil zones for Noble Oil Field, western Richland County, Illinois

This research was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Contacts

• Nathan Webb, principal research scientist
• Nate Grigsby, assistant geologist

The Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign provides scientific expertise and transformative research to the people of Illinois and beyond. PRI is home to the five state scientific surveys: the Illinois Natural History Survey, Illinois State Archaeological Survey, Illinois State Geological Survey, Illinois State Water Survey, and Illinois Sustainable Technology Center.