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Title: Large CO 2 Storage Volumes Result in Net Negative Emissions for Greenhouse Gas Life Cycle Analysis Based on Records from 22 Years of CO 2 -Enhanced Oil Recovery Operations

Abstract

Emissions were documented in a greenhouse gas emission life cycle analysis of 22 years of CO2-enhanced oil recovery (CO2-EOR) operations for a site in the Northern Michigan Basin, U.S. At the site, CO2 was cycled through a series of 10 carbonate reef structures 1500-2000 m deep in the subsurface. The CO2 mobilized oil in the reefs, and the operator produced 294 321 metric tons (2 290 000 barrels) of oil with CO2-EOR at the site from 1996 to 2017. In the process, a total of 2 089 000 metric tons of CO2 were stored in the deep rock formations, which is a very large volume for CO2-EOR applications of this scale. The life cycle analysis accounted for greenhouse gas emissions related to CO2 capture, compression, pipeline transport, CO2 injection, oil processing, CO2 recycle, dehydration, fugitive emissions, construction, land use, well drilling, oil transport, oil refining, hydrocarbon product combustion, and other processes. The analysis was based on site-specific operational records such as natural gas usage, drilling records, and system flow metering. Altogether, the upstream CO2 capture, “gate-to-gate” CO2-EOR operations, and downstream fuel product refining/combustion had total emissions of 1 929 443 metric tons of CO2 equivalent. Thus, the life cycle analysismore » showed -159 907 metric tons of CO2 equivalent net balance for the CO2-EOR system for 1996-2017. The CO2-EOR system obtains CO2 from a gas processing facility that separates CO2 from natural gas produced in the area, and the CO2 would be otherwise vented to the atmosphere. A ready source of CO2 that allowed a large volume of associated CO2 storage, compressors that run on natural gas, a small pipeline distribution network, highly contained reservoirs, and government incentives to encourage CO2 storage also contributed to the lower CO2 emission balance when compared to other CO2-EOR life cycle studies. While this site had many favorable factors to result in net negative emissions, it provides an example of managing CO2-EOR operations and optimizing associated CO2 storage to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions.« less

Authors:
ORCiD logo [1];  [1];  [1]
+ Show Author Affiliations
  1. Battelle, 505 King Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43201, United States
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, OH (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Fossil Energy (FE)
OSTI Identifier:
1616636
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1804050
Grant/Contract Number:  
FC26-0NT42589; FC26-05NT42589
Resource Type:
Published Article
Journal Name:
Energy and Fuels
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Name: Energy and Fuels Journal Volume: 34 Journal Issue: 3; Journal ID: ISSN 0887-0624
Publisher:
American Chemical Society
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
42 ENGINEERING; 04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS; Energy & Fuels; Engineering

Citation Formats

Sminchak, Joel R., Mawalkar, Sanjay, and Gupta, Neeraj. Large CO 2 Storage Volumes Result in Net Negative Emissions for Greenhouse Gas Life Cycle Analysis Based on Records from 22 Years of CO 2 -Enhanced Oil Recovery Operations. United States: N. p., 2020. Web. doi:10.1021/acs.energyfuels.9b04540.
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Sminchak, Joel R., Mawalkar, Sanjay, & Gupta, Neeraj. Large CO 2 Storage Volumes Result in Net Negative Emissions for Greenhouse Gas Life Cycle Analysis Based on Records from 22 Years of CO 2 -Enhanced Oil Recovery Operations. United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.9b04540
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Sminchak, Joel R., Mawalkar, Sanjay, and Gupta, Neeraj. Tue . "Large CO 2 Storage Volumes Result in Net Negative Emissions for Greenhouse Gas Life Cycle Analysis Based on Records from 22 Years of CO 2 -Enhanced Oil Recovery Operations". United States. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.9b04540.
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@article{osti_1616636,
title = {Large CO 2 Storage Volumes Result in Net Negative Emissions for Greenhouse Gas Life Cycle Analysis Based on Records from 22 Years of CO 2 -Enhanced Oil Recovery Operations},
author = {Sminchak, Joel R. and Mawalkar, Sanjay and Gupta, Neeraj},
abstractNote = {Emissions were documented in a greenhouse gas emission life cycle analysis of 22 years of CO2-enhanced oil recovery (CO2-EOR) operations for a site in the Northern Michigan Basin, U.S. At the site, CO2 was cycled through a series of 10 carbonate reef structures 1500-2000 m deep in the subsurface. The CO2 mobilized oil in the reefs, and the operator produced 294 321 metric tons (2 290 000 barrels) of oil with CO2-EOR at the site from 1996 to 2017. In the process, a total of 2 089 000 metric tons of CO2 were stored in the deep rock formations, which is a very large volume for CO2-EOR applications of this scale. The life cycle analysis accounted for greenhouse gas emissions related to CO2 capture, compression, pipeline transport, CO2 injection, oil processing, CO2 recycle, dehydration, fugitive emissions, construction, land use, well drilling, oil transport, oil refining, hydrocarbon product combustion, and other processes. The analysis was based on site-specific operational records such as natural gas usage, drilling records, and system flow metering. Altogether, the upstream CO2 capture, “gate-to-gate” CO2-EOR operations, and downstream fuel product refining/combustion had total emissions of 1 929 443 metric tons of CO2 equivalent. Thus, the life cycle analysis showed -159 907 metric tons of CO2 equivalent net balance for the CO2-EOR system for 1996-2017. The CO2-EOR system obtains CO2 from a gas processing facility that separates CO2 from natural gas produced in the area, and the CO2 would be otherwise vented to the atmosphere. A ready source of CO2 that allowed a large volume of associated CO2 storage, compressors that run on natural gas, a small pipeline distribution network, highly contained reservoirs, and government incentives to encourage CO2 storage also contributed to the lower CO2 emission balance when compared to other CO2-EOR life cycle studies. While this site had many favorable factors to result in net negative emissions, it provides an example of managing CO2-EOR operations and optimizing associated CO2 storage to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions.},
doi = {10.1021/acs.energyfuels.9b04540},
journal = {Energy and Fuels},
number = 3,
volume = 34,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Feb 25 00:00:00 EST 2020},
month = {Tue Feb 25 00:00:00 EST 2020}
}
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Publisher's Version of Record
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.9b04540
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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

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Practical Metrics for Monitoring and Assessing the Performance of CO2-EOR Floods and CO2 Storage in Mature Reservoirs
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journal, June 2015

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CO2 recycling accounting and EOR operation scheduling to assist in storage capacity assessment at a U.S. gulf coast depleted reservoir
journal, October 2013

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Life Cycle Inventory of CO 2 in an Enhanced Oil Recovery System
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Achieving ~1 Million Metric Ton CO2 Stored; Measurement and Accounting for Net CO2 Injection in a CO2-EOR Complex
journal, January 2019

  • Mawalkar, Sanjay; Burchwell, Andrew; Gupta, Neeraj
  • SSRN Electronic Journal
  • DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.3366040

CO2/EOR and Geological Carbon Storage Resource Potential in the Niagaran Pinnacle Reef Trend, Lower Michigan, USA
journal, January 2013

Testing for Large-scale CO2-enhanced Oil Recovery and Geologic Storage in the Midwestern USA
journal, January 2014

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