Performance assessment of CO2-enhanced oil recovery and storage in the Morrow reservoir

Abstract

This paper presents a performance assessment methodology for CO2 enhanced oil recovery (EOR) in partially depleted reservoirs. A three dimensional heterogeneous reservoir model was developed for evaluating the CO2-EOR performance of in the Farnsworth Field Unit (FWU), Ochiltree County, Texas. The model aided in improved characterization of prominent rock properties within the Pennsylvanian-aged Morrow sandstone reservoir. Seismic attributes illuminated previously unknown faults and structural elements within the field. A laboratory fluid analysis was tuned to an equation of state and subsequently used to predict the thermodynamic minimum miscible pressure. Datasets including net-to-gross ratio, volume of shale, permeability, and burial history were used to model initial fault transmissibility based on Sperrevik model. An improved history match of primary and secondary recovery was performed to set the basis for a CO2 flood study. The performance of the current CO2 miscible flood patterns were subsequently calibrated to historical production and injection data. Several prediction models were constructed to study the effect of recycling, addition of wells and/or new patterns, water alternating gas cycles and optimum amount of CO2 purchase on incremental oil production and CO2 storage in the FWU. The history matching study successfully validated the presence of the previously-undetected faults within FWU that were seen in the seismic survey. The analysis of the various prediction scenarios showed that recycling a high percentage of produced gas, addition of new wells and a gradual reduction in CO2 purchase after several years of operation would be the best approach to ensure a high percentage of recoverable incremental oil and sequestration of anthropogenic CO2 within the Morrow reservoir.