Subsurface Problems for CO2 Flooding around the Worldwide Operations during

the Last Half Century

Sejong UniversityDepartment of Energy and Mineral Resources Engineering

By

Muslim, Wisup Bae, Seongil Kim, Fiki H, Yonghun Kwon

Outline

CO2 EOR

Methodology

Results

Conclusions

1 • Research Motivation

2 • Research Objective

3 • CO2-EOR

4 • Methodology

5 • Results

6 • Conclusions

Research Motivation

Methodology

Conclusions

Research Motivation

CO2 EOR has increased rapidly in U.S, and it is currently spreading out of the U.S.Required field experiences, but not all the data were publicly available. Several problems during the project cause delay of oil production.No body has conducted a comprehensive research about problems during the project.

Research Objective

Methodology

Conclusions

Research Motivation

Categorize the Problems

Present valuable experiences during the worldwide operations

Serve as guidelines for mitigating the

problems

CO2-EOR

1964

20102014

Journal oil and gas 2010, and 2104

129 Projects

168 Projects

CO2-EOR in the Worldwide

Mead Strawn

CO2-EOR

CO2 injection has grown in the worldwide

Mature technology and successful improved oil recovery

Double impact: oil recovery and reducing green house gas

Several problems become

barrier during the process

CO2 – EOR Advances

Methodology

Screening CO2 papers since 1964 to 2014

Identification of problems

Distinguish the problems based on rock types and

injection types

Results and analysis

Results

USA; 53

China; 6

Canada; 3

Turkey; 2

Brazile; 1Malaysia; 1 Austria; 1 Croatia; 1

Argentina; 1

Abu Dhabi; 1 Vietnam; 1 Trinidad, 1

Country and Fields Distribution

* Oil and Gas Journal, 2014

No Country Numbers %Sample %

1 U.S 136 81% 53 39%2 Canada 6 4% 3 50%

3 China 6 4% 6 100%

4 Trinidad 5 3% 1 20%

5 Brazile 4 2% 1 25%6 Turkey 3 2% 2 67%7 Croatia 3 2% 1 33%

8 Austria 1 1% 1 100%

9 Malaysia 1 1% 1 100%

10Argentina 1 1% 1 100

%

11Abu dhabi 1 1% 1 100

%

12 Vietnam 1 1% 1 100%

  Total 168 100% 72 43%

U.S; 136

Canada; 6

China; 6Trinidad; 5

Brazile; 4Turkey; 3 Croatia; 3 Austria; 1 Malaysia; 1 Argentina; 1Abu Dhabi; 1Vietnam; 1

Results

Problems (50)

No problems

reported

(22)

Fields Review

Sandstone (43)

Carbonate (29)

Fields review based on Rock Type

Miscible (34)

Immiscible (10)

Huff and Puff (6)

Fields problems Based on Mechanisms

Sandstone (28)

Carbonate (22)

Fields problems based on rock type

Results

Corrosion

Early Breakthrough

Scale

Asphaltene Deposition

Paraffin

Problems Type:

Results

Hydrate

High GOR

Injectivity Loss

Sand Production

Results

Total Problems = 84

Hydrate; 4

High GOR; 4

Injectivity Loss; 4

Sand Production, 4

Paraffin, 7

Asphaltene; 11

Scale; 12

Early Breakthrough; 15

Corrosion; 23

Problems Type and Number:

Results

Corrosion; 13

E. Breakthrough; 9

Scale; 6

Paraffin; 5

Sand Production; 4Asphaltene; 4

High GOR; 3

Injectivity Loss, 0Hydrate; 0

Problems Type on Sandstone

Total Problems = 44

Results

Corrosion; 10

Asphaltene; 7

Scale; 6E. Breakthrough; 6

Injectivity Loss, 4Hydrate; 4

Paraffin; 2

High GOR; 1

Sand Production; 0

Problems Type on Carbonate

Total Problems = 40

Results

• Corrosion on subsurface pump (SPE 106575)• Rod failure (SPE 3103)

Corrosion

• Front instability in the reservoir (SPE

22898)• Poor sweep efficiency (SPE 27755)

Early Breakthrough

• Plugging tubing (SPE 26603)• Pumping problem (SPE 24645)

Scale

• Removed film protective from the metal surface

(SPE 15498)Sand Problems

Effect of Problems:

Results

• Choke and tubular plugging (SPE 6747, 14939)Paraffin• SRP and ESP gas locking and (SPE 24928, 27755,

24645)• Shut in production well (SPE 17278)

High GOR• Cannot achieve the injection target (SPE 6390)• Difficulty to maintaining injection pressure

(SPE 5826)

Injectivity Loss

• Plugging tubing string (SPE 24928)• Blocking the wellbore and reduction production

rate (SPE 142665) Asphaltene

Results

Reservoir CharacteristicEarly Breakthrough

High GOR

Sand Problem

Injectivity Loss

Fluid CompositionsScale

Paraffin

Asphaltene Precipitation

Not Related Both of ThemCorrosion

Hydrate

Conclusions

The biggest problem is corrosion.

The problems are divided into three categories:

Related to reservoir characteristic

Related to fluid composition

Not related to both of them

The problems can occur at injection wells, production wells, and in the reservoir.

Thank you!