Improving CO2 storage and oil recovery by injecting alcohol-treated CO2
A School of Mineral and Energy Resources, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
B Corresponding author. Email: furqan.hussain@unsw.edu.au
The APPEA Journal 60(2) 662-667 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ19145
Accepted: 5 March 2020 Published: 15 May 2020
Abstract
Oil recovery and CO2 storage related to CO2 enhance oil recovery are dependent on CO2 miscibility. In case of a depleted oil reservoir, reservoir pressure is not sufficient to achieve miscible or near-miscible condition. This extended abstract presents numerical studies to delineate the effect of alcohol-treated CO2 injection on enhancing miscibility, CO2 storage and oil recovery at immiscible and near-miscible conditions. A compositional reservoir simulator from Computer Modelling Group Ltd. was used to examine the effect of alcohol-treated CO2 on the recovery mechanism. A SPE-5 3D model was used to simulate oil recovery and CO2 storage at field scale for two sets of fluid pairs: (1) pure CO2 and decane and (2) alcohol-treated CO2 and decane. Alcohol-treated CO2 consisted of a mixture of 4 wt% of ethanol and 96 wt% of CO2. All simulations were run at constant temperature (70°C), whereas pressures were determined using a pressure-volume-temperature simulator for immiscible (1400 psi) and near-miscible (1780 psi) conditions. Simulation results reveal that alcohol-treated CO2 injection is found superior to pure CO2 injection in oil recovery (5–9%) and CO2 storage efficiency (4–6%). It shows that alcohol-treated CO2 improves CO2 sweep efficiency. However, improvement in sweep efficiency with alcohol-treated CO2 is more pronounced at higher pressures, whereas improvement in displacement efficiency is more pronounced at lower pressures. The proposed methodology has potential to enhance the feasibility of CO2 sequestration in depleted oil reservoirs and improve both displacement and sweep efficiency of CO2.
Keywords: CO2-EOR, miscibility enhancement, numerical simulation, sweep efficiency.
Saira is currently a PhD candidate in the School of Minerals and Energy Resources Engineering at University of New South Wales (UNSW), Australia. Previously, she worked as a Lecturer at the University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore. Saira holds a MSc in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Engineering and Technology, Taxila and a BSc in Geological Engineering from University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore. Her major research interests include co-optimisation of CO2 storage and enhanced oil recovery. |
Furqan Le-Hussain is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Minerals and Energy Resources Engineering, UNSW, Australia. He received his BSc and MSc degrees from the University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore and a PhD from UNSW, Australia, all in Petroleum Engineering. His major research interests include low salinity water flooding and co-optimisation of CO2 storage and enhanced oil recovery. In addition to his research activities, he has been teaching Reservoir Engineering, Numerical Reservoir Simulation and Enhanced Oil and Gas Recovery courses at UNSW. |
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