Speaker
Description
Through a multiscale approach, this study highlights the importance of controlling CO2 mobility for the effective subsurface use and sequestration of anthropogenic CO2 in depleted formations, which not only improves oil recovery but also increases CO2 storage efficiency—an essential step toward achieving a zero-carbon economy. In this study, novel techniques were developed by injecting CO2 foam generated with a nonionic-based binary surfactant system to improve geological CO2 storage and to co-optimize carbon utilization and storage efficiency in high salinity carbonate porous media, based on hypotheses from our previous works.
The study used both experimental and numerical methods. The conventional core flooding test was performed, using a setup equipped with a gas chromatography unit to measure the dynamics of instantaneous gas production and its components at the outlet. This enabled the determination of the volume of CO2 produced from porous media, replicated with carbonate core samples from a high-salinity oil field. Two types of foam, single and binary surfactant, were tested with controlled co-injection rates. For numerical simulations, a hydrodynamic geological model was developed using CMG-STARS software, incorporating spiral well perforations and high permeability buffer zones to closely replicate the laboratory conditions. The experimental results were history-matched to adjust operational parameters, and CO2 trapping mechanisms were evaluated through multiple simulation runs. This combined approach enabled a comprehensive assessment of CO2 dynamics and foam performance.
The study demonstrates that CO2 injection as foam, compared to gas injection, leads to more uniform propagation and reduced gas breakthrough, improving storage efficiency. The use of binary surfactant systems as foaming agents enhances CO2 storage by reducing surfactant-rock adsorption and stabilizing foam in the presence of oil. This was evidenced by the differential pressure curves, which showed greater stability in foam generated with binary surfactants. Gas breakthrough occurred at 0.3 PV in CO2 injection but was not observed in foam injection. The highest recovery factor (96%) was achieved with foam generated by binary surfactants, 24% higher than single surfactants and 85% higher than baseline CO2 injection. Additionally, binary surfactant foam retained 64% of injected CO2, compared to 52% for single surfactants and only 11% for CO2 gas injection. These results underscore the potential of binary surfactant systems to improve CO2 storage and recovery.
This study is significant for its potential to simultaneously reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance oil production, presenting a sustainable technique for the petroleum industry. The findings of this work are particularly valuable in the context of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)'s decarbonization strategy, which aims to limit global warming to between 1.5 and 2°C.
| Country | Germany |
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