A Counterintuitive Path to Carbon Storage: Leveraging EOR to Future‐Proof US Oilfields for Geologic Carbon Sequestration

Geologic carbon sequestration (GCS) is widely seen as essential to achieving net‐zero emissions, yet its large‐scale deployment remains impractical mainly due to economic and political reasons. In this article, we explore the idea that enhanced oil recovery (EOR) may serve as a pragmatic steppingstone for getting GCS‐ready infrastructure in place. Although EOR entails increased oil production and therefore increased emissions in the short term, we argue that it can help establish capture technology, pipeline networks, regulatory familiarity, and stakeholder engagement that are necessary for future carbon sequestration. We call this “baiting the system” with EOR to prepare the surface and subsurface for eventual dedicated CO 2 storage operations. While counterintuitive, this transitional strategy could ensure a more assured implementation of GCS than working toward standalone projects.