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Title: Environmental and Operational Performance of CO2-EOR as a CCUS Technology: A Cranfield Example with Dynamic LCA Considerations

Abstract

This study evaluates the potential of carbon dioxide-enhanced oil recovery (CO2-EOR) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions without compromising oil production goals. A novel, dynamic carbon lifecycle analysis (d-LCA) was developed and used to understand the evolution of the environmental impact (CO2 emissions) and mitigation (geologic CO2 storage) associated with an expanded carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) system, from start to closure of operations. EOR operational performance was assessed through CO2 utilization rates, which relate usage of CO2 to oil production. Because field operational strategies have a significant impact on reservoir engineering parameters that affect both CO2 storage and oil production (e.g., sweep efficiency, flood conformance, fluid saturation distribution), we conducted a scenario analysis that assessed the operational and environmental performance of four common and novel CO2-EOR field development strategies. Each scenario was evaluated with and without stacked saline carbon storage, an EOR/storage combination strategy where excess CO2 from the recycling facility is injected into an underlying saline aquifer for long-term carbon storage. The dynamic interplay between operational and environmental performance formed the basis of our CCUS technology analysis. The results showed that all CO2-EOR evaluated scenarios start operating with a negative carbon footprint and, years into the project, transitionedmore » into operating with a positive carbon footprint. The transition points were significantly different in each scenario. Water-alternating-gas (WAG) was identified as the CO2 injection strategy with the highest potential to co-optimize EOR and carbon storage goals. The results provide an understanding of the evolution of the system’s net carbon balance in all four field development strategies studied. The environmental performance can be significantly improved with stacked storage, where a negative carbon footprint can be maintained throughout the life of the operation in most of the injection scenarios modelled. This information will be useful to CO2-EOR operators seeking value in storing more CO2 through a carbon credit program (e.g., the 45Q carbon credit program in the USA). Most importantly, this study serves as confirmation that CO2-EOR can be operationally designed to both enhance oil production and reduce greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.« less

Authors:
; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Fossil Energy (FE)
OSTI Identifier:
1493096
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1525484
Grant/Contract Number:  
FE0024433; FC26-05NT42590
Resource Type:
Published Article
Journal Name:
Energies
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Name: Energies Journal Volume: 12 Journal Issue: 3; Journal ID: ISSN 1996-1073
Publisher:
MDPI AG
Country of Publication:
Switzerland
Language:
English
Subject:
58 GEOSCIENCES; CO2-EOR; geologic carbon sequestration; CCUS; co-optimization; carbon balance; LCA

Citation Formats

Núñez-López, Vanessa, Gil-Egui, Ramón, and Hosseini, Seyyed. Environmental and Operational Performance of CO2-EOR as a CCUS Technology: A Cranfield Example with Dynamic LCA Considerations. Switzerland: N. p., 2019. Web. doi:10.3390/en12030448.
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Núñez-López, Vanessa, Gil-Egui, Ramón, & Hosseini, Seyyed. Environmental and Operational Performance of CO2-EOR as a CCUS Technology: A Cranfield Example with Dynamic LCA Considerations. Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.3390/en12030448
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Núñez-López, Vanessa, Gil-Egui, Ramón, and Hosseini, Seyyed. Thu . "Environmental and Operational Performance of CO2-EOR as a CCUS Technology: A Cranfield Example with Dynamic LCA Considerations". Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.3390/en12030448.
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@article{osti_1493096,
title = {Environmental and Operational Performance of CO2-EOR as a CCUS Technology: A Cranfield Example with Dynamic LCA Considerations},
author = {Núñez-López, Vanessa and Gil-Egui, Ramón and Hosseini, Seyyed},
abstractNote = {This study evaluates the potential of carbon dioxide-enhanced oil recovery (CO2-EOR) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions without compromising oil production goals. A novel, dynamic carbon lifecycle analysis (d-LCA) was developed and used to understand the evolution of the environmental impact (CO2 emissions) and mitigation (geologic CO2 storage) associated with an expanded carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) system, from start to closure of operations. EOR operational performance was assessed through CO2 utilization rates, which relate usage of CO2 to oil production. Because field operational strategies have a significant impact on reservoir engineering parameters that affect both CO2 storage and oil production (e.g., sweep efficiency, flood conformance, fluid saturation distribution), we conducted a scenario analysis that assessed the operational and environmental performance of four common and novel CO2-EOR field development strategies. Each scenario was evaluated with and without stacked saline carbon storage, an EOR/storage combination strategy where excess CO2 from the recycling facility is injected into an underlying saline aquifer for long-term carbon storage. The dynamic interplay between operational and environmental performance formed the basis of our CCUS technology analysis. The results showed that all CO2-EOR evaluated scenarios start operating with a negative carbon footprint and, years into the project, transitioned into operating with a positive carbon footprint. The transition points were significantly different in each scenario. Water-alternating-gas (WAG) was identified as the CO2 injection strategy with the highest potential to co-optimize EOR and carbon storage goals. The results provide an understanding of the evolution of the system’s net carbon balance in all four field development strategies studied. The environmental performance can be significantly improved with stacked storage, where a negative carbon footprint can be maintained throughout the life of the operation in most of the injection scenarios modelled. This information will be useful to CO2-EOR operators seeking value in storing more CO2 through a carbon credit program (e.g., the 45Q carbon credit program in the USA). Most importantly, this study serves as confirmation that CO2-EOR can be operationally designed to both enhance oil production and reduce greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.},
doi = {10.3390/en12030448},
journal = {Energies},
number = 3,
volume = 12,
place = {Switzerland},
year = {Thu Jan 31 00:00:00 EST 2019},
month = {Thu Jan 31 00:00:00 EST 2019}
}
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Journal Article:
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Publisher's Version of Record
https://doi.org/10.3390/en12030448
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Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 26 works
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Figures / Tables:

Table 1 Table 1: Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from previous lifecycle analysis (LCA) studies on carbon dioxide-enhanced oil recovery (CO2-EOR), from oil field sites to end product combustion.
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Works referenced in this record:

Reducing Carbon Dioxide Emissions with Enhanced Oil Recovery Projects:  A Life Cycle Assessment Approach
journal, March 2001

  • Aycaguer, Anne-Christine; Lev-On, Miriam; Winer, Arthur M.
  • Energy & Fuels, Vol. 15, Issue 2
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Uncertainty Quantification for CO2 Sequestration and Enhanced Oil Recovery
journal, January 2014

Update of Industry Experience With CO2 Injection
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Analysis of CO 2 storage mechanisms at a CO 2 -EOR site, Cranfield, Mississippi : Original Research Article: Analysis of CO
journal, January 2018

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  • DOI: 10.1002/ghg.1754

Implications of Water-Alternate-Gas Injection, for Profile Control and Injectivity
conference, April 2013

Carbon Balance of CO2-EOR for NCNO Classification
journal, July 2017

Life-cycle Assessment of Carbon Dioxide Capture for Enhanced Oil Recovery
journal, June 2008

Life-Cycle Analysis of CO 2 EOR on EOR and Geological Storage through Economic Optimization and Sensitivity Analysis Using the Weyburn Unit as a Case Study †
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Static and dynamic reservoir modeling for geological CO2 sequestration at Cranfield, Mississippi, U.S.A.
journal, October 2013

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Carbon Dioxide Flooding As An Enhanced Oil Recovery Process
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Impact of field development strategies on CO2 trapping mechanisms in a CO2–EOR field: A case study in the permian basin (SACROC unit)
journal, May 2018

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  • International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, Vol. 72
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.ijggc.2018.03.002

Evaluating the Climate Benefits of CO 2 -Enhanced Oil Recovery Using Life Cycle Analysis
journal, June 2015

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  • Environmental Science & Technology, Vol. 49, Issue 12
  • DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5b00700

Effect of Heterogeneity on Fluid-Injectivity Loss During Water-Alternating-Gas Injection in the Scurry Area Canyon Reef Operators Committee Unit
journal, May 2017

  • Saneifar, Mehrnoosh; Heidari, Zoya; Linroth, Mark
  • SPE Reservoir Evaluation & Engineering, Vol. 20, Issue 02
  • DOI: 10.2118/175064-PA

Opportunities for Using Anthropogenic CO 2 for Enhanced Oil Recovery and CO 2 Storage
journal, March 2013

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  • Energy & Fuels, Vol. 27, Issue 8
  • DOI: 10.1021/ef302040u

Life Cycle Inventory of CO 2 in an Enhanced Oil Recovery System
journal, November 2009

  • Jaramillo, Paulina; Griffin, W. Michael; McCoy, Sean T.
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  • DOI: 10.1021/es902006h

Co-optimization of CO 2 -EOR and storage processes in mature oil reservoirs : Original Research Article: Co-optimization of CO
journal, August 2016

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  • Greenhouse Gases: Science and Technology, Vol. 7, Issue 1
  • DOI: 10.1002/ghg.1618
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    Figures / Tables found in this record:

    Table 1 (p. 2)table
    Figure 1 (p. 4)figure
    Figure 2 (p. 6)figure
    Figure 3 (p. 6)figure
    Table 2 (p. 8)table
    Figure 4 (p. 9)figure
    Figure 5 (p. 9)figure
    Figure 6 (p. 10)figure
    Figure 7 (p. 11)figure
    Table 3 (p. 11)table
    Figure 8 (p. 12)figure
    Figure 9 (p. 12)figure
    Table 4 (p. 13)table
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