A laboratory approach on the improvement of oil recovery and carbon dioxide storage capacity improvement by cyclic carbon dioxide injection

Summary Carbon dioxide (CO2) enhanced oil recovery is the most economical technique for carbon capture, usage, and storage. In depleted reservoirs, full or near-miscibility of injected CO2 with oil is difficult to achieve, and immiscible CO2 injection leaves a large volume of oil behind and limits available pore volume (PV) for storing CO2. In this paper, we present an experimental study to delineate the effect of ethanol-treated CO2 injection on oil recovery, net CO2 stored, and amount of ethanol left in the reservoir. We inject CO2 and ethanol-treated CO2 into Bentheimer Sandstone cores representing reservoirs. The oil phase consists of a mixture of 0.65 hexane and 0.35 decane (C6-C10 mixture) by molar fraction in one set of experimental runs, and pure decane (C10) in the other set of experimental runs. All experimental runs are conducted at constant temperature 70°C and various pressures to exhibit immiscibility (9.0 MPa for the C6-C10 mixture and 9.6 MPa for pure C10) or near-miscibility (11.7 MPa for the C6-C10 mixture and 12.1 MPa for pure C10). Pressure differences across the core, oil recovery, and compositions and rates of the produced fluids are recorded during the experimental runs. Ultimate oil recovery under immiscibility is found to be 9 to 15% greater using ethanol-treated CO2 injection than that using pure CO2 injection. Net CO2 stored for pure C10 under immiscibility is found to be 0.134 PV greater during ethanol-treated CO2 injection than during pure CO2 injection. For the C6-C10 mixture under immiscibility, both ethanol-treated CO2 injection and CO2 injection yield the same net CO2 stored. However, for the C6-C10 mixture under near-miscibility,ethanol-treated CO2 injection is found to yield 0.161 PV less net CO2 stored than does pure CO2 injection. These results suggest potential improvement in oil recovery and net CO2 stored using ethanol-treated CO2 injection instead of pure CO2 injection. If economically viable, ethanol-treated CO2 injection could be used as a carbon capture, usage, and storage method in low-pressure reservoirs, for which pure CO2 injection would be infeasible.

Download Full-text

Laboratory Studies of Carboniferous Reservoirs of High-Viscosity Oil Fields Using Carbondioxide

Вестник Пермского национального исследовательского политехнического университета Геология Нефтегазовое и горное дело ◽

10.15593/2712-8008/2020.4.6 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (4) ◽

pp. 369-385

Author(s):

Stanislav A. Kalinin ◽

◽

Oleg A. Morozyuk ◽

Keyword(s):

Carbon Dioxide ◽

Heat Carrier ◽

Oil Recovery ◽

High Mobility ◽

High Viscosity ◽

Laboratory Studies ◽

Carbon Dioxide Injection ◽

Recovery Method ◽

Matrix Blocks ◽

High Viscosity Oil

It is of current concern for the Permian-Carboniferous reservior of the Usinskoye field to develop low-permeable matrix blocks of carboniferous reservoirs, which contain major reserves of high-viscosity oil. To increase effectiveness of the currently used thermal oil recovery methods, the authors suggest using carbon dioxide as a reservoir stimulation agent. Due to a high mobility in its supercritical condition, СО2 is, theoretically, able to penetrate matrix blocks, dissolve in oil and, additionally, decrease its viscosity. Thus, СО2 applications together with a heat carrier could increase effectiveness of the high-viscosity oil recoveries and improve production parameters of the Permian-Carboniferous reservior of the Usinskoye field. During carbon dioxide injections, including combinations with various agents, some additional oil production is possible due to certain factors. Determination of the influencing factors and detection of the most critical ones is possible in laboratory tests. So, laboratory studies entail the key stage in justification of the technology effectiveness. The paper deals with describing the laboratory facilities and methodologies based on reviews of the best world practice and previous laboratory researches. These aim at evaluating effectiveness of thermal, gas and combined oil recovery enhancement methods. In particular, the authors explore experimental facilities and propose methodology to perform integrated researches of the combined heat carrier and carbon dioxide injection technology to justify the effective super-viscous oil recovery method.

Download Full-text

Improving Carbon Dioxide Storage Capacity of Metal Organic Frameworks by Lithium Alkoxide Functionalization: A Molecular Simulation Study

The Journal of Physical Chemistry C ◽

10.1021/acs.jpcc.6b01119 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 120 (19) ◽

pp. 10311-10319 ◽

Cited By ~ 30

Author(s):

Jianbo Hu ◽

Jing Liu ◽

Yang Liu ◽

Xiao Yang

Keyword(s):

Carbon Dioxide ◽

Molecular Simulation ◽

Simulation Study ◽

Storage Capacity ◽

Metal Organic Frameworks ◽

Carbon Dioxide Storage ◽

Metal Organic

Download Full-text

An experimental investigation of asphaltene stability in heavy crude oil during carbon dioxide injection

Journal of Petroleum Exploration and Production Technology ◽

10.1007/s13202-019-00782-7 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 919-931 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Sherif Fakher ◽

Mohamed Ahdaya ◽

Mukhtar Elturki ◽

Abdulmohsin Imqam

Keyword(s):

Carbon Dioxide ◽

Crude Oil ◽

Pore Size ◽

Oil Recovery ◽

Asphaltene Precipitation ◽

Carbon Dioxide Injection ◽

Oil Viscosity ◽

Membrane Pore ◽

Pore Sizes ◽

Filter Membrane

Abstract Carbon dioxide (CO2) injection is one of the most applied enhanced oil recovery methods in the hydrocarbon industry, since it has the potential to increase oil recovery significantly and can help reduce greenhouse gases through carbon storage in hydrocarbon reservoirs. Carbon dioxide injection has a severe drawback, however, since it induces asphaltene precipitation by disrupting the asphaltene stability in crude oil that bears even the slightest asphaltene concentration. This can result in severe operational problems, such as reservoir pore plugging and wellbore plugging. This research investigates some of the main factors that impact asphaltene stability in crude oil during CO2 injection. Initially, asphaltene precipitation, flocculation, and deposition were tested using visual tests without CO2 in order to evaluate the effect of oil viscosity and temperature on asphaltene stability and content in the crude oil. The results obtained from the visualization experiments were correlated to the Yen–Mullins asphaltene model and were used to select the proper chemical to alter the oil’s viscosity without strongly affecting asphaltene stability. After performing the visual asphaltene tests, a specially designed filtration vessel was used to perform the oil filtration experiments using filter membranes with a micron and nanometer pore size. The effect of varying CO2 injection pressure, oil viscosity, filter membrane pore size, and filter membrane thickness on asphaltene stability in crude oil was investigated. The results were then correlated with the Yen–Mullins asphaltene model to characterize the asphaltene size within the oil as well. Results showed that as the oil viscosity increased, the asphaltene concentration in the oil also increased. Also, the asphaltene concentration and filter cake thickness increased with the decrease in filter membrane pore size, since the asphaltene particles either plugged up the smaller pores, or the asphaltene nanoaggregates were larger than the pore sizes, and thus the majority of them could not pass. This research studies asphaltene instability in crude oil during CO2 injection in different pore sizes, and correlates the results to the principle of the Yen–Mullins model for asphaltenes. The results from this research can help emphasize the factors that will impact asphaltene stability during CO2 injection in different pore sizes in order to help reduce asphaltene-related problems that arise during CO2 injection in hydrocarbon reservoirs.

Download Full-text

Carbon Sequestration: an Answer to the World’s Carbon Dioxide Emission Problem

Inquiry@Queen's Undergraduate Research Conference Proceedings ◽

10.24908/iqurcp.7653 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Curtis Wettstein

Keyword(s):

Carbon Dioxide ◽

Carbon Sequestration ◽

Oil Recovery ◽

Carbon Dioxide Emissions ◽

Carbon Dioxide Emission ◽

The United States ◽

Oil Well ◽

Carbon Dioxide Injection ◽

Oil Companies ◽

Reduce Emissions

As of November 2007, 174 parties had ratified the Kyoto protocol signifying a large part of the solution to one of the worlds primary environmental problems; carbon dioxide emissions. Although the United States refused to sign the protocol, their neighbours in Canada were eager to address the issue and sign. However with oil being a major Canadian export, carbon dioxide emission reduction was arguably improbable and unprofitable. With the pressure of reducing carbon dioxide emissions an imminent, carbon sequestration may be the symbiotic solution in satisfying Kyoto, saving the environment and even increasing profitability. Carbon sequestration is the process where carbon dioxide is injected into an oil well in order to increase recovery. With tertiary oil recoveries driving much of the oil business, cheap and efficient recovery methods are invaluable. Presently there is a Canadian operation in Wayburn, Saskatchewan which employs the technique. In addition, Texas and Scandinavian oil companies are using Carbon dioxide injection. If carbon sequestration increases oil recovery it has to be the preferred method. By purchasing carbon dioxide from external sources and recycling their own, companies can reduce emissions while increasing profits. Finally it may be profitable to save the environment.

Download Full-text