Crack the Code 2.0

Unlocking the Bakken's Next Chapter Through Enhanced Oil Recovery

Two EERC employees wearing blue jumpsuits and white hardhats are standing on top and around gas injection equipment.

The Bakken Formation transformed North Dakota's energy industry, but hundreds of billions of barrels of oil remain trapped in the rock. Crack the Code 2.0 (CTC2.0), led by the Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC), is advancing enhanced oil recovery (EOR) technologies to unlock more of this resource, extend the productive life of existing oil fields, and strengthen North Dakota's energy economy.

Building on decades of research, CTC2.0 brings together industry partners, researchers, and government support to move innovative recovery technologies from laboratory testing to real-world field demonstrations.

Billion barrels of oil extracted to date

North Dakota DMR

167

Billion barrels of oil remain in the Bakken

ND Petroleum Foundation

The Next Generation of Oil Recovery

EOR uses gas injected into the reservoir to change the properties of oil, making it easier to move oil through the rock and toward production wells. CTC2.0 is evaluating the use of produced gas from existing Bakken operations to recover additional oil, demonstrating an approach that can build the technical foundation for larger-scale CO₂-based EOR. CTC2.0 will extend the life of the Bakken using a three-phase approach:

Prove

Demonstrate EOR with Produced Gas

CTC2.0 will first demonstrate EOR using produced gas from North Dakota's oil operations. While not enough produced gas is available to support widespread EOR deployment,it provides an opportunity to validate the technology, evaluate its effectiveness in the Bakken, and establish the technical foundation for future CO₂ EOR at a larger scale.

Connect

Build a CO₂ Infrastructure Roadmap

With the technology demonstrated, the project will develop an infrastructure plan to connect sources of captured CO₂ with Bakken injection sites. This includes evaluating how CO₂ from coal-fired power plants and ethanol facilities can be captured, transported, and delivered for use in oil recovery.

Deploy

Unlock More of the Bakken's Resources

The final phase will put the technology and infrastructure plan into action, advancing CO₂ EOR in the Bakken. By connecting captured CO₂ with oil recovery operations, CTC2.0 aims to increase domestic oil production, create new markets for captured carbon, and deliver economic benefits across North Dakota's energy industries.