Moving Permian Basin Technology to the Gulf Coast:The Distribution of CO2 EOR Potential in Gulf Coast
Reservoirs
Mark H. Holtz, Vanessa Núñez López, and Caroline L. Breton, Derik Woods, Shrivatsan Lakashminisharihan
Development of a CO2 Market in the Gulf Coast
Outline
• Technical inputs for market study Residual oil saturation “is there a target” CO2 EOR Recovery “ can we get it”
Summary of published literature BEG simulation studies, Dimensionless quick look screening model
and full 3D
• Delineating the market Development database Devised a screening scheme Determined algorithms for calculating EOR resource potential
and CO2 Storage• Market development:
– First contact with Gulf Coast oil operators • Summary
Bureau of Economic Geology
Residency of CO2 in an EOR Flood
CO2 dissolved in water
CO2 dissolved in residual oil
CO2 as separate residual phase
CO2
CO2 dissolved in produced oil
Rock Grain
Rock Grain
Rock Grain
Formation of Residual Saturation
• Moore and Slobod, 1956– Pore Doublet model
Capillary force holds nonwetting phase in larger pore
Formation of Residual Saturation
• Oh and Slattery, 1976– Snap-off model
Capillary force cause nonwetting phase to snap-off into pore
Aspect ratio =Pore radius
Pore throat radius
Reported Residual Oil Saturation in Gulf Coast CO2 EOR Pilots
Reservoir
Quarantine Bay
Timbalier Bay
Weeks Island
Port Neches
Little Creek
Bay St. Elaine
Paradis
Residual oil to water (fraction)
0.38
0.29
0.22
0.3
0.21
0.1 to 0.4
0.26
Bureau of Economic Geology
Development of a Non-wetting Phase Saturation Prediction Method
y = -0.3136Ln(x) - 0.1334
R2 = 0.8536
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6Porosity (fraction)
Res
idu
al n
on
-we
ttin
g p
ha
se s
atu
rati
on
(fr
acti
on
)
Gas Residual saturation to water (fraction)
Frio Barrier bar
Log. (Gas Residual saturation to water(fraction))
N = 143
Frio (Port Neches field)
Bureau of Economic Geology
Recovery Efficiencies of Gulf Coast Sandstone CO2 EOR Pilots
Company Reservoir Flood type
Recovery factor (%
of OOIP)
Texaco Paradis Miscible Gravity Stable 15
Gulf/Chevron Quarantine Bay WAG 17
Chevron Timbalier Bay Gravity stable 23
Shell Weeks Island S Reservoir Gravity stable 15
Denbury Little Creek Miscible CO2 17
Bureau of Economic Geology
Outline
• Technical inputs for market study Residual oil saturation “is there a target” CO2 EOR Recovery “ can we get it”
Summary of published literature BEG simulation studies, Dimensionless quick look screening model
and full 3D
• Delineating the market Development database Devised a screening scheme Determined algorithms for calculating EOR resource potential
and CO2 Storage• Market development:
– First contact with Gulf Coast oil operators • Summary
Bureau of Economic Geology
GCCC Simulation Studies
Quick Look Dimensionless Recovery Model
GEM Simulator – 2D model
Bureau of Economic Geology
Innovative method for increasing reliability of CO2 usage and CO2 EOR volumetrics honoring reservoir dataDerek Woods, GCCC student and Dr. Larry Lake, UT PE
Simulation Groups from Varying Reservoir Parameters
LL kzH kx
R
o okrg ookro g
M
o
okrw ookro w
M
tanL
HN coso
gH g
PN
oiSorwS orgS
/pD pP P MMP/
injD injP P MMP
Bureau of Economic Geology
Simulation Results Predict Oil Recovery per Volume CO2 Injected
Results with New Groups
0.00
0.10
0.20
0.30
0.40
0.50
0 0.5 1 1.5 2
tD
Frac
tion
OO
IP R
ecov
ered
Bureau of Economic Geology
Pore volumes of CO2 injected,
GCCC Reservoir Simulation• Gillock Frio example• Frio barrier strandplain sandstone, strucuraly
complex• Research questions
– how much CO2 for a two well test? What is the total volume recoverable and CO2 use for this field?
Bureau of Economic Geology
Outline
• Technical inputs for market study Residual oil saturation “is there a target” CO2 EOR Recovery “ can we get it”
Summary of published literature BEG simulation studies, Dimensionless quick look screening model
and full 3D
• Delineating the market Development database Devised a screening scheme Determined algorithms for calculating EOR resource potential
and CO2 Storage• Market development:
– First contact with Gulf Coast oil operators • Summary
Bureau of Economic Geology
MethodologyData Development
• Sources of Data Texas: Atlas of Major Texas Oil Reservoirs, Atlas of
Major Texas Gas Reservoirs, Railroad Commission of Texas, others
Louisiana : TORIS database, Louisiana Geological Survey
Alabama and Mississippi : Alabama Geologic Survey as a part of SECARB
Bureau of Economic Geology
Decision Flow Path for Play Determination
Postdepositional Physochemical EventsPostdepositional Physochemical Events
Postdepositional diagenesisPostdepositional diagenesis
Tectonic overprintTectonic overprint
Geologic Province & Sub ProvinceGeologic Province & Sub Province
Geologic StratigraphyGeologic Stratigraphy
Depositional SystemDepositional System
Geologic Play
LithologyLithology Trap TypeTrap TypeHydrocarbon & Drive TypeHydrocarbon & Drive TypeHydrocarbon & Drive TypeHydrocarbon & Drive Type
Bureau of Economic Geology
MethodologyBureau of Economic Geology
Oil-reservoir database
Has reservoirbeen waterflooded?
Minimummiscibility pressure
(depth, temp., pressure,oil character)
Does reservoir havewater- drivemechanism?
No
Rejected
No
Rejected
No
Rejected
No
Yes
Unknown
Yes
Yes No
Candidate reservoirs
Candidate forsecondaryrecovery
Reservoir depth> 6000 ft
Cumulativeproduction> 1 MMSTB
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
DECISION TREEFOR SCREENING
CANDIDATERESERVOIRS
Screening Oil Reservoirs: Determine the Miscible CO2 EOR Candidates
Bureau of Economic Geology
3207
130 156 208
873
120 40 350
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
Texas Louisiana Mississippi Alabama
Nu
mb
er o
f R
eser
voir
s
Total Reservoirs
Candidate Reservoirs
130
156
208
120
40 35
0
50
100
150
200
250
Louisiana Mississippi Alabama
Nu
mb
er o
f R
eser
voir
s
Total Reservoirs
Candidate Reservoirs
CO2 Sequestration Capacity in Miscible Oil Reservoirs along the Gulf Coast
Bureau of Economic Geology
Oil Price Quality Correction
• West Texas Intermediate price used as a basis for comparison for Gulf Coast oil prices
• Data Base contains 5 years of monthly data with WTI prices, API gravities, and Gulf Coast operators oil prices
• Developed algorithm to calculate the oil price per reservoir in our database as a funtion of WTI and API
)54.8528.0(100
_ APIWTI
priceGulfCoast
WTIMin %95.88 WTIMax %67.99
55.3Variance
Bureau of Economic Geology
Outline
• Technical inputs for market study Residual oil saturation “is there a target” CO2 EOR Recovery “ can we get it”
Summary of published literature BEG simulation studies, Dimensionless quick look screening model
and full 3D
• Delineating the market Development database Devised a screening scheme Determined algorithms for calculating EOR resource potential
and CO2 Storage• Market development:
– First contact with Gulf Coast oil operators • Summary
Bureau of Economic Geology
Market Development; Operator Contact
• WTGS presentation: Moving Permian Basin Technology to the Gulf
Coast: the Geologic Distribution of CO2 EOR Potential in Gulf Coast Reservoirs • Phone calls and email• Site visits• Seminar: Reserve Growth Potential from CO2
Enhanced Oil Recovery Along the Gulf Coast– Emailed to PTTC contact list– Flyers handed out at SPE Galveston and Midland
CO2 conferences– Posted on PTTC and BEG web sites
Bureau of Economic Geology
Summary• Technical innovations have been developed• A large potential for reserve growth lies along the Gulf
Coast through the application of CO2 miscible enhanced oil recovery.
• Results indicate that there is the potential for approximately 4.7 BSTB of addition oil reserves.
• Texas contains the greatest oil CO2 EOR potential with a target of over 3 BSTB.
• The largest resource lies in Frio Formation;– Barrier/Strandplain Sandstones,– Frio Fluvial/Deltaic Sandstones,– Frio Deep-Seated Salt Domes
• Numerous operators believe CO2 EOR could add reserves to their Gulf Coast assets.
Bureau of Economic Geology