Experimental study on dual benefits of improvement of CO2 enhanced oil recovery and its storage capacity for depleted carbonate oil reservoirs
Abstract view|228|times PDF download|128|times
Abstract
The utilization of supercritical CO2 in oil and gas reservoir engineering, particularly for enhanced oil recovery, has garnered considerable attention due to its potential to boost hydrocarbon production while reducing CO2 emissions. This study investigates the improvements achievable in CO2-enhanced oil recovery and subsequent carbon storage capacity within heterogeneous carbonate reservoirs through supercritical CO2 miscible injection after seawater flooding. Utilizing a dual-core flooding setup with carbonate core samples exhibiting significant permeability contrast, experiments were conducted under reservoir conditions using live oil, seawater, and supercritical CO2 miscible injection. To enhance CO2-enhanced oil recovery and storage within low-permeability zones, a thermal foam gel system was introduced into a highly permeable core after initial supercritical CO2 miscible injection, effectively sealing off high-permeability zones and improving displacement and storage capacity. Results demonstrate that reservoir heterogeneity notably influences supercritical CO2-enhanced oil recovery efficiency and sequestration in low permeable regions, with bypass flow in high- permeable regions hindering displacement efficiency and CO2 storage capacity. However, plugging high-permeability zones using a thermal foam gel system after the initial supercritical CO2 miscible injection, about 15% extra oil recovery of the pore volume from low-permeability zones was recovered during the second supercritical CO2 miscible injection, and the equivalent pore space provides a site for storing CO2 also. Additionally, dynamic characteristic parameters such as injectivity, permeability loss, and endpoint relative permeability related to supercritical CO2 storage are discussed in this study. The study’s outcomes contribute to advancing the understanding of CO2-enhanced oil recovery and sequestration, facilitating the development of more effective and sustainable reservoir management practices.
Document Type: Original article
Cited as: Zhou, X., Yu, W., Lei, G., Khan, S. Z., Al-Abdrabainabi, R., Kamal, M. S., Wu, Y. -S. Experimental study on dual benefits of improvement of CO2 enhanced oil recovery and its storage capacity for depleted carbonate oil reservoirs. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 2024, 12(1): 52-65. https://doi.org/10.46690/ager.2024.04.05
Keywords
Full Text:
PDFReferences
Al-Bayati, D., Saeedi, A., Xie, Q., et al. Influence of permeability heterogeneity on miscible CO2 flooding efficiency in sandstone reservoirs: An experimental investigation. Transport in Porous Media, 2018, 125: 341-356.
Alfarge, D., Wei, M., Bai, B. Factors affecting CO2-EOR in shale-oil reservoirs: Numerical simulation study and pilot tests. Energy & Fuels, 2017, 31(8): 8462-8480.
AlOtaibi, F. M., Zhou, X., Abdulla Habah, A., et al. EOR by CO2 emulsions better sweep efficiency and improved recovery. Paper SPE 183014 Presented at the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition & Conference, Abu Dhabi, UAE, 7-10 November, 2016.
Al-Otaibi, F. M., Zhou, X., Kokal, S. L. Laboratory evaluation of different modes of supercritical carbon dioxide miscible flooding for carbonate rocks. SPE Reservoir Evaluation & Engineering, 2018, 22(1): 137-149.
AlRassas, A. M., Ren, S., Sun, R., et al. CO2 storage capacity estimation under geological uncertainty using 3-D geological modeling of unconventional reservoir rocks in Shahejie Formation, block Nv32, China. Journal of Petroleum Exploration and Production Technology, 2021, 11(6): 2327-2345.
Ampomah, W., Balch, R. S., Grigg, R. B., et al. Cooptimization of CO2-EOR and storage processes in mature oil reservoirs. Greenhouse Gases: Science and Technology, 2017, 7(1): 128-142.
Bachu, S. Sequestration of CO2 in geological media: Criteria and approach for site selection in response to climate change. Energy Conversion and Management, 2000, 41(9): 953-970.
Benson, S. M., Bennaceur, K., Cook, P., et al. Carbon capture and storage, in Global Energy Assessment-Toward a Sustainable Future, edited by T. B. Johansson, A. Patwardhan, N. Nakicenovic and L. Gomez-Echeverri, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp. 993-1068, 2012.
Cao, C., Liu, H., Hou, Z., et al. A review of CO2 storage in view of safety and cost-effectiveness. Energies, 2020, 13(3): 600.
Carroll, A. G., Przeslawski, R., Radke, L., et al. Environmental considerations for subseabed geological storage of CO2: A review. Continental Shelf Research, 2014, 83: 116-128.
Ding, M., Yuan, F., Wang, Y., et al. Oil recovery from a CO2 injection in heterogeneous reservoirs: The influence of permeability heterogeneity, CO2-oil miscibility, and injection pattern. Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering, 2017, 44: 140-149.
Ding, S., Liu, G., Li, P., et al. CO2 storage capacity estimation in tertiary and depleted oil reservoirs. Paper IPTC 19219 Presented at International Petroleum Technology Conference, Beijing, China, 26-28 March, 2019.
Ding, S., Wen, F., Wang, N., et al. Multi-objective optimization of CO2 enhanced oil recovery and storage processes in low permeability reservoirs. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 2022, 121: 103802.
Enick, R. M., Olsen, D. K., Ammer, J. R., et al. Mobility and conformance control for CO2 EOR via thickeners, foams, and gels-a literature review of 40 years of research and pilot tests. Paper SPE 154122 Presented at the SPE Improved Oil Recovery Symposium, Tulsa, Oklahoma, 14-18 April, 2012.
Ennis-King, J., Paterson, L. Engineering aspects of geological sequestration of carbon dioxide. Paper SPE 77809 Presented at the SPE Asia Pacific Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition, Melbourne, Australia, 8-10 October, 2002.
Ettehadtavakkol, A., Lake, L.W., Bryant, S. L. CO2-EOR and storage design optimization. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 2014, 25: 79-92.
Fernø, M., Steinsbø, M., Eide, Ø., et al. Parametric study of oil recovery during CO2 injections in fractured chalk: Influence of fracture permeability, diffusion length, and water saturation. Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering, 2015, 27: 1063-1073.
Hadipoor, M., Taghavi, H., Taghavi, H. Experimental investigation of CO2 injection performance in heterogeneous reservoirs: Parametric analysis. Petroleum Science and Technology, 2020, 38: 837-848.
Han, M., Zhou, X., Alhasan, F. B., et al. Laboratory investigation of the injectivity of sulfonated polymer solutions into carbonate reservoir rocks. Paper SPE 155390 Presented at the SPE EOR Conference at Oil and Gas West Asia, Muscat, Oman, 16-18 April, 2012.
Hannis, S., Lu, J., Chadwick, A., et al. CO2 storage in depleted or depleting oil and gas fields: What can we learn from existing projects? Energy Procedia, 2017, 114: 5680-5690.
Imanovs, E., Krevor, S., Zadeh, A. M. CO2-EOR and storage potentials in depleted reservoirs in the Norwegian continental shelf NCS. Paper SPE 200560 Presented at the SPE Europec, Virtual, 1-3 December, 2020.
International Energy Agency (IEA). Whatever happened to enhanced oil recovery? International Energy Agency, 2018.
International Energy Agency (IEA). Updates EOR project data, doubling output forecast. Oil & Gas Journal, 2019.
Kalra, S., Tian, W., Wu, X. A numerical simulation study of CO2 injection for enhancing hydrocarbon recovery and sequestration in liquid-rich shales. Petroleum Science, 2018, 15: 103-115.
Khosravi, M., Bahramian, A., Emadi, M., et al. Mechanistic investigation of bypassed oil recovery during CO2 injection in matrix and fracture. Fuel, 2014, 117: 43-49.
Kokal, S., Al-Kaabi, A. Enhanced oil recovery: Challenges & opportunities. World Petroleum Council: Technology and Innovation, Global Energy Solutions, 2010, 64(1): 64-69.
Korbøl, R., Kaddour, A. Sleipner vest CO2 disposal-injection of removed CO2 into the utsira formation. Energy Conversion and Management, 1995, 36: 509-612.
Li, Z., Gu, Y. Soaking effect on miscible CO2 flooding in a tight sandstone formation. Fuel, 2014, 134: 659-668.
Luo, J., Hou, Z., Feng, G., et al. Effect of reservoir heterogeneity on CO2 flooding in tight oil reservoirs. Energies, 2022, 15(9): 3015.
Okasha, T. M., Funk, J. J., Al-Rashid, H. N. Fifty years of wettability measurements in the Arab-D carbonate reservoir. Paper SPE 105114 Presented at the SPE Middle East Oil and Gas Show and Conference, Manama, Bahrain, 11-14 March, 2007.
Orlic, B. Geomechanical effects of CO2 storage in depleted gas reservoirs in the Netherlands: Inferences from feasi bility studies and comparison with aquifer storage. Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, 2016, 8(6): 846-859.
Sæle, A., Graue, A., Alcorn, Z. P. Unsteady-state CO2 foam injection for increasing enhanced oil recovery and carbon storage potential. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 2022, 6(6): 472-481.
Sengul, M. CO2 sequestration - A safe transition technology. Paper SPE 98617 Presented at the SPE International Health, Safety & Environment Conference, Abu Dhabi, UAE, 2-4 April, 2006.
Shaw, J., Bachu, S. Screening, evaluation, and ranking of oil reservoirs suitable for CO2 flood EOR and carbon dioxide sequestration. Journal of Canadian Petroleum Technology, 2002, 41(9): 51-61.
Shen, P., Liao, X., Liu, Q. Methodology for estimation of CO2 storage capacity in reservoirs. Petroleum Exploration and Development, 2009, 36(2): 216-220.
Sokama-Neuyam, Y. A., Forsetløkken, S. L., Lien, J., et al. The coupled effect of fines mobilization and salt precipitation on CO2 injectivity. Energies, 2017, 10(8): 1125.
Steinsbø, M., Brattekas, B., Fernø, M. A., et al. Supercritical CO2 injection for enhanced oil recovery in fractured chalk. Paper SCA2014-092 Presented at International Symposium of the Society of Core Analysts, Avignon, France, 8-11 September, 2014.
Sun, L., Chen, W. Assessment of CO2 geo-storage potential in an onshore oil reservoir, China. China Population, Resources, and Environment, 2012, 22(6): 76-81. (in Chinese)
Wei, B., Wang, B., Li, X., et al. CO2 storage in depleted oil and gas reservoirs: A review. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 2023, 9(2): 76-93.
Yue, P., Zhang, R., Sheng, J. J., et al. Study on the influential factors of CO2 storage in low permeability reservoir. Energies, 2022, 15(1): 344.
Yusof, M. A. M., Neuyam, Y. A. S., Ibrahim, M. A., et al. Experimental study of CO2 injectivity impairment in sandstone due to salt precipitation and fines migration. Journal of Petroleum Exploration and Production Technology, 2022, 12: 2191-2202.
Zhang, L., Chen, L., Hu, R., et al. Subsurface multiphase reactive flow in geologic CO2 storage: Key impact factors and characterization approaches. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 2022, 6(3): 179-180.
Zhang, L., Nowak, W., Oladyshkin, S., et al. Opportunities and challenges in CO2 geologic utilization and storage. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 2023, 8(3): 141-145.
Zhang, Y., Zhang, L., Niu, B., et al. Integrated assessment of CO2-enhanced oil recovery and storage capacity. Paper SPE 137615 Presented at the Canadian Unconventional Resources and International Petroleum Conference, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, 19-21 October, 2010.
Zhou, X., Al-Otaibi, F., Kokal, S. Relative permeability characteristics and wetting behavior of supercritical CO2 displacing water and remaining oil for carbonate rocks at reservoir conditions. Energy & Fuels, 2019, 33(6): 5464- 5475.
Zhou, X., AlOtaibi, F. M., Kamal, M. S., et al. Effect of conformance control patterns and size of the slug of In Situ supercritical CO2 emulsion on tertiary oil recovery by supercritical CO2 miscible injection for carbonate reservoirs. ACS Omega, 2020a, 5(51): 33395-33405.
Zhou, X., Kamal, M. S., Fuseni, A. B. Comprehensive investigation of dynamic characteristics of amphoteric surfactant-sulfonated polymer solution on carbonate rocks in reservoir conditions. ACS Omega, 2020b, 5(29): 18123-18133.
Zhou, X., Yu, W., Wu, Y., et al. Dynamic characteristics of supercritical CO2 injection in depleted carbonate oil reservoir for its sequestration potential: An experimental study. Paper SPE 213591 Presented at the Middle East Oil, Gas and Geosciences Show, Manama, Bahrain, 19- 21 February, 2023.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.46690/ager.2024.04.05
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
Copyright (c) 2024 The Author(s)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.