Origin, distribution, and CO2 EOR and CO2 storage resource assessment of selected residual oil zone fairways in the Illinois Basin

Abstract

Residual Oil Zones (ROZs) are volumes of rock with low, largely immobile, oil saturations that provide opportunities for low carbon intensity oil production via carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery (CO2-EOR) and associated CO2 storage. Oil shows of varying degree have been observed throughout the Illinois Basin (ILB). This work is the first to assess these shows as ROZs.In the ILB, the distribution of ROZ fairways and prospects is controlled by the geologic setting and oil migration history of the basin. ILB ROZ fairways that are stratigraphically proximal to the source rock are generally widespread whereas fairways developed in formations with a greater thickness of intervening strata are more discrete, an indication of influence from fault systems and fracturing associated with major structures. Within these fairways, 41 ROZ prospects were defined across three formations (Tar Springs Sandstone, Cypress Sandstone, Carper Sandstone) containing a best estimate (P50) of five billion barrels (bbls) of original oil in place (OOIP). For context, this volume is 35% of the estimated 14.1 billion bbls of OOIP in the conventional reservoirs in the ILB. In comparison to the Permian Basin, the ILB ROZ OOIP volume is 20% of the estimated 25 billion bbl of ROZ OOIP within a nine-county area of the San Andres Formation.The CO2-EOR resource of the ILB ROZ prospects exceeds 518 million bbls of oil using CO2 injection via pattern flooding. Associated CO2 storage is estimated to be 411 million tonnes of CO2. This study builds on past efforts to establish the CO2-EOR and associated CO2 storage resource potential of the ILB and presents a methodology that can be used to assess ROZ resources in other parts of the world.