TECHNICAL PROGRAMME | Primary Energy Supply – Future Pathways
New Exploration & Production Technologies to Extend Supply
Forum 3 | Hall 10 - SABIC Technical Programme 1
13
October
14:15
15:30
UTC+3
New exploration and production technologies are revolutionising the oil and gas industry, enabling access to previously untapped resources, improving efficiency, and reducing the environmental impact of exploration and production activities. By leveraging these advancements, the industry can extend the supply of hydrocarbons while addressing environmental and sustainability concerns.
Most of CCS projects at oilfields are now through CO2 enhanced oil recovery (EOR). CO2-EOR has been widely used in the past 50 years in the US and elsewhere. The carbon storage incidental to EOR varies with field/reservoir characteristics with about half of injected CO2 retained in oil reservoirs on average. This incidental storage enables the produced oil to be low- or even negative- carbon from a life cycle perspective. The objective of this paper is to conduct a rigorous greenhouse gas assessment on these historical CO2-EOR projects to identify a suite of economic, operational, and geological factors that favor low-carbon oil production.
We revisited 140+ historical CO2-EOR projects and collected data for injection-production rates. We first conducted production history matching through type curve modeling to predict the long-term (>2 hydrocarbon pore volume) performance of both carbon storage and oil production. Then we employed a greenhouse gas emission modeling tool to quantify the carbon footprints associated with major steps of CCS-EOR (from capture, injection, storage, production, processing). The emission modelling was also coupled with an economic assessment model to understand how both economic and technical factors influence the duration of low-carbon oil production for these projects. We also varied operational parameters (e.g., water alternating gas injection ratio) and CO2 source types (natural and industrial CO2) to examine associated influence.
The collections have good coverage of flood types (miscible and immiscible), rock types (carbonate and sandstone), reservoir depth (1200-11950 ft), permeability ranges (0.1-2300 mD), oil viscosity (0.3-260 cp), and other field/reservoir characteristics. Based on the extensive assessment of these projects, we found that low-carbon oil production normally occurred at early period of CO2 injection with the low-carbon duration varying dramatically. This wide variability in duration exhibited a strong dependence on reservoir depth, permeability, gas-oil-ratios, and gas compositions. The duration can be extended through optimizing injection strategies, switching CO2 source types, and selecting surface CO2 separation processes. With the best combinations of these factors, the low-carbon production can be doubled in comparison to the base case.
Carbon storage in oil reservoirs is the most tangible option for CCUS. Through robust assessment on carbon performance of historical CO2-EOR projects with reliable reservoir datasets, we demonstrate that CCS-EOR has the potential to achieve low-carbon oil for certain production periods, which depends on careful engineering design, optimized processing practices, and the availability of robust carbon storage incentives.
Our findings imply that reservoir assets at a stranding risk due to intensive carbon emissions of traditional operations might be revitalized through CO2 injection for both EOR and carbon storage.
We revisited 140+ historical CO2-EOR projects and collected data for injection-production rates. We first conducted production history matching through type curve modeling to predict the long-term (>2 hydrocarbon pore volume) performance of both carbon storage and oil production. Then we employed a greenhouse gas emission modeling tool to quantify the carbon footprints associated with major steps of CCS-EOR (from capture, injection, storage, production, processing). The emission modelling was also coupled with an economic assessment model to understand how both economic and technical factors influence the duration of low-carbon oil production for these projects. We also varied operational parameters (e.g., water alternating gas injection ratio) and CO2 source types (natural and industrial CO2) to examine associated influence.
The collections have good coverage of flood types (miscible and immiscible), rock types (carbonate and sandstone), reservoir depth (1200-11950 ft), permeability ranges (0.1-2300 mD), oil viscosity (0.3-260 cp), and other field/reservoir characteristics. Based on the extensive assessment of these projects, we found that low-carbon oil production normally occurred at early period of CO2 injection with the low-carbon duration varying dramatically. This wide variability in duration exhibited a strong dependence on reservoir depth, permeability, gas-oil-ratios, and gas compositions. The duration can be extended through optimizing injection strategies, switching CO2 source types, and selecting surface CO2 separation processes. With the best combinations of these factors, the low-carbon production can be doubled in comparison to the base case.
Carbon storage in oil reservoirs is the most tangible option for CCUS. Through robust assessment on carbon performance of historical CO2-EOR projects with reliable reservoir datasets, we demonstrate that CCS-EOR has the potential to achieve low-carbon oil for certain production periods, which depends on careful engineering design, optimized processing practices, and the availability of robust carbon storage incentives.
Our findings imply that reservoir assets at a stranding risk due to intensive carbon emissions of traditional operations might be revitalized through CO2 injection for both EOR and carbon storage.
Effectively developing tight carbonate reservoir is challenging due to low-permeability, strong heterogeneity, high uncertainty and consequently high cost. This paper focusses on a typical tight carbonate reservoir in Middle East with permeability 0.1 – 1mD with strong heterogeneity, which was not effectively developed over last 15 years, This paper presents a comprehensive development mode that achieved good production and economic performance.
3 different reservoir types are identified based on a novel and comprehensive workflow including seismic data, well logging, mechanics study, production performance, surveillance data etc. Customized development mode including well type, pattern, spacing, MRC design, and stimulation design to improve productivity and extend plateau. In addition, full life cycle development roadmap is established for this reservoir to enhance the EUR.
By successfully implementing this development strategy, single well production rate was increased by 150% by implementing the customized stimulation technologies combined with MRC well. Moreover, UTC was reduced by 21% while the field production rate was increased by 200% in 2 years by implementing this development mode.
This paper offers a case study on optimizing the development strategy for super tight carbonate reservoirs with strong heterogeneity. It also provides a methodology and a reference case for managers and engineers to develop other similar challenging reservoirs.
3 different reservoir types are identified based on a novel and comprehensive workflow including seismic data, well logging, mechanics study, production performance, surveillance data etc. Customized development mode including well type, pattern, spacing, MRC design, and stimulation design to improve productivity and extend plateau. In addition, full life cycle development roadmap is established for this reservoir to enhance the EUR.
By successfully implementing this development strategy, single well production rate was increased by 150% by implementing the customized stimulation technologies combined with MRC well. Moreover, UTC was reduced by 21% while the field production rate was increased by 200% in 2 years by implementing this development mode.
This paper offers a case study on optimizing the development strategy for super tight carbonate reservoirs with strong heterogeneity. It also provides a methodology and a reference case for managers and engineers to develop other similar challenging reservoirs.
Most of CCS projects at oilfields are now through CO2 enhanced oil recovery (EOR). CO2-EOR has been widely used in the past 50 years in the US and elsewhere. The carbon storage incidental to EOR varies with field/reservoir characteristics with about half of injected CO2 retained in oil reservoirs on average. This incidental storage enables the produced oil to be low- or even negative- carbon from a life cycle perspective. The objective of this paper is to conduct a rigorous greenhouse gas assessment on these historical CO2-EOR projects to identify a suite of economic, operational, and geological factors that favor low-carbon oil production.
We revisited 140+ historical CO2-EOR projects and collected data for injection-production rates. We first conducted production history matching through type curve modeling to predict the long-term (>2 hydrocarbon pore volume) performance of both carbon storage and oil production. Then we employed a greenhouse gas emission modeling tool to quantify the carbon footprints associated with major steps of CCS-EOR (from capture, injection, storage, production, processing). The emission modelling was also coupled with an economic assessment model to understand how both economic and technical factors influence the duration of low-carbon oil production for these projects. We also varied operational parameters (e.g., water alternating gas injection ratio) and CO2 source types (natural and industrial CO2) to examine associated influence.
The collections have good coverage of flood types (miscible and immiscible), rock types (carbonate and sandstone), reservoir depth (1200-11950 ft), permeability ranges (0.1-2300 mD), oil viscosity (0.3-260 cp), and other field/reservoir characteristics. Based on the extensive assessment of these projects, we found that low-carbon oil production normally occurred at early period of CO2 injection with the low-carbon duration varying dramatically. This wide variability in duration exhibited a strong dependence on reservoir depth, permeability, gas-oil-ratios, and gas compositions. The duration can be extended through optimizing injection strategies, switching CO2 source types, and selecting surface CO2 separation processes. With the best combinations of these factors, the low-carbon production can be doubled in comparison to the base case.
Carbon storage in oil reservoirs is the most tangible option for CCUS. Through robust assessment on carbon performance of historical CO2-EOR projects with reliable reservoir datasets, we demonstrate that CCS-EOR has the potential to achieve low-carbon oil for certain production periods, which depends on careful engineering design, optimized processing practices, and the availability of robust carbon storage incentives.
Our findings imply that reservoir assets at a stranding risk due to intensive carbon emissions of traditional operations might be revitalized through CO2 injection for both EOR and carbon storage.
We revisited 140+ historical CO2-EOR projects and collected data for injection-production rates. We first conducted production history matching through type curve modeling to predict the long-term (>2 hydrocarbon pore volume) performance of both carbon storage and oil production. Then we employed a greenhouse gas emission modeling tool to quantify the carbon footprints associated with major steps of CCS-EOR (from capture, injection, storage, production, processing). The emission modelling was also coupled with an economic assessment model to understand how both economic and technical factors influence the duration of low-carbon oil production for these projects. We also varied operational parameters (e.g., water alternating gas injection ratio) and CO2 source types (natural and industrial CO2) to examine associated influence.
The collections have good coverage of flood types (miscible and immiscible), rock types (carbonate and sandstone), reservoir depth (1200-11950 ft), permeability ranges (0.1-2300 mD), oil viscosity (0.3-260 cp), and other field/reservoir characteristics. Based on the extensive assessment of these projects, we found that low-carbon oil production normally occurred at early period of CO2 injection with the low-carbon duration varying dramatically. This wide variability in duration exhibited a strong dependence on reservoir depth, permeability, gas-oil-ratios, and gas compositions. The duration can be extended through optimizing injection strategies, switching CO2 source types, and selecting surface CO2 separation processes. With the best combinations of these factors, the low-carbon production can be doubled in comparison to the base case.
Carbon storage in oil reservoirs is the most tangible option for CCUS. Through robust assessment on carbon performance of historical CO2-EOR projects with reliable reservoir datasets, we demonstrate that CCS-EOR has the potential to achieve low-carbon oil for certain production periods, which depends on careful engineering design, optimized processing practices, and the availability of robust carbon storage incentives.
Our findings imply that reservoir assets at a stranding risk due to intensive carbon emissions of traditional operations might be revitalized through CO2 injection for both EOR and carbon storage.
Chenji Wei
Speaker
Deputy Director of the Development Planning Department
Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development, PetroChina
China
Effectively developing tight carbonate reservoir is challenging due to low-permeability, strong heterogeneity, high uncertainty and consequently high cost. This paper focusses on a typical tight carbonate reservoir in Middle East with permeability 0.1 – 1mD with strong heterogeneity, which was not effectively developed over last 15 years, This paper presents a comprehensive development mode that achieved good production and economic performance.
3 different reservoir types are identified based on a novel and comprehensive workflow including seismic data, well logging, mechanics study, production performance, surveillance data etc. Customized development mode including well type, pattern, spacing, MRC design, and stimulation design to improve productivity and extend plateau. In addition, full life cycle development roadmap is established for this reservoir to enhance the EUR.
By successfully implementing this development strategy, single well production rate was increased by 150% by implementing the customized stimulation technologies combined with MRC well. Moreover, UTC was reduced by 21% while the field production rate was increased by 200% in 2 years by implementing this development mode.
This paper offers a case study on optimizing the development strategy for super tight carbonate reservoirs with strong heterogeneity. It also provides a methodology and a reference case for managers and engineers to develop other similar challenging reservoirs.
3 different reservoir types are identified based on a novel and comprehensive workflow including seismic data, well logging, mechanics study, production performance, surveillance data etc. Customized development mode including well type, pattern, spacing, MRC design, and stimulation design to improve productivity and extend plateau. In addition, full life cycle development roadmap is established for this reservoir to enhance the EUR.
By successfully implementing this development strategy, single well production rate was increased by 150% by implementing the customized stimulation technologies combined with MRC well. Moreover, UTC was reduced by 21% while the field production rate was increased by 200% in 2 years by implementing this development mode.
This paper offers a case study on optimizing the development strategy for super tight carbonate reservoirs with strong heterogeneity. It also provides a methodology and a reference case for managers and engineers to develop other similar challenging reservoirs.
