In This Section
Bringing Cleaner Energy to the Rocky Mountains
Denbury began operations in the Rocky Mountain region in 2010, and we currently have interest in 18 separate oil fields located in Wyoming, Montana, and North Dakota.
Currently, more than half of our production comes from secondary oil recovery whereby we are flooding the producing reservoirs with water to displace oil which is then produced to the surface. Our largest waterflood project, the Cedar Creek Anticline (“CCA”), is also currently undergoing carbon dioxide (“CO2“) flooding for the first time.
Within our Rocky Mountain Enhanced Oil Recovery (“EOR”) operations, we utilize CO2 captured entirely from industrial sources which would otherwise be released into the atmosphere, to increase oil production. This captured CO2 helps us recover additional oil from mature fields, while lowering emissions by storing CO2 underground.
OPERATIONS Highlights
21.4 MBoe/d
89 MMBoe
175 MMcf/d
21.4 MBoe/d
89 MMBoe
175 MMcf/d
Tertiary Production
Primary or Secondary Production
Industrial CO2 Source
Denbury Owned CO2 Pipelines
CO2 Pipelines Owned by OthersCurrent Tertiary Operations
Cedar Creek Anticline
The Cedar Creek Anticline (CCA) is the largest Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) resource property that Denbury owns, with potential EOR resources more than twice the size of Denbury’s total company proved reserves. Spanning 126 miles in Montana and North Dakota, CCA is a series of 13 different operating areas on a common geological trend. In 2021, we completed installation of a 105-mile pipeline to bring industrial-sourced CO2 to the CCA fields, and in 2022, we commenced Phase 1 CO2 injection into the Red River formation of the Cedar Hills South Unit and East Lookout Butte fields. In 2023, we are installing multiple recycle facilities and completing additional well conversion work. Initial Phase 1 CO2 EOR response commenced in April 2023. Additional phases of CCA CO2 development will target additional fields and formations, and the Company intends to be active in EOR development at CCA for multiple decades into the future.
Additional Tertiary Operations
In March 2021, Denbury acquired a working interest in the Big Sand Draw and Beaver Creek oil fields located in Wyoming, including surface CO2 facilities and a CO2 transportation pipeline. Further exploitation of these assets, along with development projects ongoing at Bell Creek and Grieve, are focused on improving and increasing sweep efficiency and ultimate economic recovery within the reservoirs.
Future EOR Development
The Company currently operates and produces oil through secondary recovery (waterflood) at two fields in northeast Wyoming that are potential future EOR development potential: Hartzog Draw and Gas Draw. Historical production response and recent industry activity in the area highlights the potential future CO2 development of these fields. Future development of these fields provides additional growth potential for the Company.
CO2 Sources
LaBarge Field (Industrial Source)
We own a one-third royalty interest in the CO2 reserves of the LaBarge Field located in southwestern Wyoming. As of December 31, 2022, our interest in the LaBarge Field CO2 reserves was approximately 1.0 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of proved CO2 reserves. Currently, we are utilizing approximately 155 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d) of CO2 from the Shute Creek gas processing plant in our Rocky Mountain region CO2 floods.
Lost Cabin (Industrial Source)
We have a contract in place to receive all of the CO2 from the Lost Cabin gas plant in central Wyoming, which we estimate has the capability to provide us as much as 30 MMcf/d of CO2 for use in our Rocky Mountain region CO2 floods.
