Chapter 11 - Long-Term CO2 Storage: Using Petroleum Industry Experience

Abstract

This chapter examines Permian Basin reservoirs where CO2 is being injected for enhanced oil recovery, or where CO2 injection is seriously considered. The focus is the assessment of successes and problems in these projects. There is significant experience and knowledge in the oil and gas industry to separate, compress, transport, inject, and process the quantities of CO2 that are envisioned for CO2 storage. Improvements occur as incentives, time and fluid volumes increase. High-pressure CO2 mobilizes oil, dissolves into brine, and promotes dissolution of carbonates. Brine can become supersaturated with dissolved solids; when pressure drops as it advances through the reservoir precipitants can form. As the volume of injected CO2 increases, significant technological improvements are expected. Monitoring and verification of CO2 flow in geological formations is in the infancy of its development.