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    June, 2005

Vol 2 Chapter 11: Long-Term CO₂ Storage: Using Petroleum Industry Experience

Reid B. Grigg

Abstract: This study comprised a survey of Permian Basin reservoirs where CO₂ is being injected for enhanced oil recovery, or where CO₂ injection was seriously considered. The focus was the assessment of successes and problems in these projects. There is significant experience and knowledge in the oil and gas industry to separate, compress, transport, inject, and process the quantities of CO₂ that are envisioned for CO₂ storage. Improvements will occur as incentives, time and fluid volumes increase. In some cases, certain phenomena that had been noted during waterflood were not included in simulating CO₂ processes—an omission that can prove, and has proven in some cases to be detrimental to the success of the project. When the reservoir is well understood, CO₂ has performed as expected. Also, the thermodynamic phase behavior of CO₂ must be honored in predictive models. High-pressure CO₂ performs as expected: it mobilizes oil, dissolves into brine, and promotes dissolution of carbonates. Brine can become supersaturated with dissolved solids; when pressure drops as it advances through the reservoir, precipitants can form. However, the kinetics of dissolution and precipitation under many reservoir conditions requires further study. In the time frame wherein CO₂ has been actively injected into geological formations, seals appear to have maintained their integrity and retained CO₂. Monitoring and verification of CO₂ flow in geological formations is critical to verification of storage, but additional research and monitoring demonstration are needed.

Carbon Dioxide Capture for Storage in Deep Geologic Formations – Results from the CO₂ Capture Project Geologic Storage of Carbon Dioxide with Monitoring and Verification - Volume 2
Edited by: Sally M. Benson, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA

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