The Global CCS Institute has said carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery (CO2-EOR) combined with carbon capture and storage (CCS) could play a role in wider carbon-management strategies, while continuing to produce oil.

In its September 2026 industry overview, the institute explains that captured CO2 from industrial facilities and power plants can be transported to mature oil fields and injected underground.

The CO2 reduces oil viscosity, helping recover additional crude. 

Much of the injected CO2 is subsequently separated from produced oil and reinjected, while some remains trapped underground. 

The approach differs from traditional CO2-EOR because it places greater emphasis on monitoring, reporting and verification of permanent CO2 storage.

The institute says projects could improve economics, support energy production and help establish transport and storage infrastructure that could later serve dedicated geological-storage projects. 

However, deployment faces significant upfront infrastructure and operational costs, as well as regulatory and logistical challenges. 

Additional oil production from individual fields does not necessarily translate into higher global output, which remains dependent on demand, prices and investment. 

The institute also stresses that the suitability and emissions benefits of CO2-EOR with CCS are highly location-specific.

The EU’s greenhous gas emissions rose 0.3 per cent in Q1 of 2026, reaching 837 million tonnes of CO2equivalent, according to figures from Eurostat.