Re-using depleted hydrocarbon fields for CO2 storage

Depleted hydrocarbon fields represent attractive storage options for CO2. Their attractiveness arises from the presence of a proven trap, the knowledge about the field from the production period and the potential opportunity to re-use production assets for the injection of CO2. The fields also offer challenges, such as those related to legacy wells and to the low reservoir pressure after production. This presentation focuses on the impact of low depletion pressures on feasible injection rates in either existing or new wells. The conditions in the reservoir and the phase of the CO2 during injection (gas phase, liquid phase) determine the operational window of a well. In some cases, a well can have a minimum flow rate, below which the conditions in the well may lead to well integrity risks. While such results impact the design of a storage operation in a depleted field and also the development of a storage network, they also point the way towards tuning well designs to meet  CO2 supply profiles. 

Speakers

Research Scientist Filip Neele

Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO)