CO2 Oil Recovery

8/10/2019 CO2 Oil Recovery

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CO2 Enhanced Oil Recoveryand Storage in Reservoirs

CHE384-Energy Technology and Policy

Xi Chen

Nov. 19th, 2007


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EOR-Background Primary recovery

Natural pressure, 10% OOIP

Secondary recovery

Injection of water or gas, 20-40% OOIP

Tertiary or enhanced oil recovery

Aiming at recovery of 30%-60% OOIP


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Categories of EOR Thermal recovery

Steam flooding, ~50% of EOR production

Chemical injection

Polymer/water flooding,


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EOR by CO2 flooding


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Advantages of CO2 flooding Dense fluid over much of the range of

pressure and temperature in reservoirs Low MMP (minimum miscibility pressure) and

high miscibility with oil Low mutual solubility with water Low cost and abundance

Naturally occuring source

Environmental benefit if industrial CO2 isused and stored in reservoirs Capture and sequestration of CO2 from

combustion of fossil fuel


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Source: Oil & Gas Journal

206,000 barrels per day in 2004 = 4% of the Nations total.


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Screening criteria for application

of CO2 miscible flood

Gozalpour, CO2 EOR and Storage in Oil Reservoirs, 2005,

Oil & Gas Science and Technology Rev. IFP,

Vol. 60 (2005), No. 3, pp. 537-546


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Optimum reservoir parameters and weighting factorsfor ranking oil reservoirs suitable for CO2 EOR

Rivas, O. et al. (1992) Ranking Reservoirs for Carbon DioxideFlooding Processes.


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Technical challenge Poor sweep efficiency

Gravity override

Mobility contrast Reservoir heterogeneity

CO2 related problem

Corrosion on facilities

Solid deposition in reservoir formation

Well spacing

Greater spacing causes sweep efficiency reduction


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CO2 mobility control Foam

mixed surfactants as foaming agent

Thickening agent

Fluorinated compound or polymer (goodsolubility in CO2)

Chemical gels In-situ gelation of polymer to lower

permeability


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Most favorable site for storage

Dense webs of seismic and well for long-

term trap Surface and subsurface infrastructure

readily converted for CO2 distribution and

injection Less costly

CO2 Storage in Reservoirs


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CO2 Storage in Reservoirs CO2 capacity of a reservoir:

Theoretically, equal to the volume

previously occupied by the produced oiland water

Other factor: Water invasion, gravitysegregation, reservoir heterogeneity and

CO2 dissolution Reservoir type, depth, size and safety of

CO2 storage


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Economics Cost of CO2 from different sources:

Naturally occuring CO2: $14/t

Pure anthropogenic CO2 from chemical plant: $18/t

Capture and processing of CO2 from coal fired plant: $18-54/t

CO2 utilization efficiency: 4~8 Mscf/bbl(0.2~0.5t/bbl)

Transportation cost: $0.5~1.2/Mscf

Operation cost: $2-3/bbl

Economical even at a oil price of $40/bbl.

CO2 storage credit ($2.5/Mscf) makes it more

economical for producers.

Lako, P. (2002) Options for CO2 Sequestration and Enhanced

Fuel Supply.


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Summary Combination of CO2 EOR and storage in

reservoirs provides a bridge between

reducing greenhouse gases from industrialwaste streams and the beneficial use of CO2injection for increasing oil and gas recovery.


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CO2 Oil Recovery