Feasibility of

Enhanced Gas Recovery

with CO2 injection
Filip Neele & Ton Wildenborg
TNO
9th CO2GeoNet Open Forum, May 20-22 2014 Venice, San Servolo Island

I will talk about

Oil and gas production in the Netherlands
EGR as an end-of-field life measure
EGR potential
Conclusion

9th CO2GeoNet Open Forum, May 20-22 2014 Venice, San Servolo Island

NL target for gas production:

30 bcm/yr by 2030

Dutch consumer level

30/30 ambition

Reserves Groningen

Undiscovered resources
Potential resources
Reserves small fields

9th CO2GeoNet Open Forum, May 20-22 2014 Venice, San Servolo Island

Hypothesis on
EGR potential NL onshore gas fields
GIIP of fields (r.f.>0.5) 580 bcm
EGR potential 30 60 bcm (@ 5-10% of GIIP)

9th CO2GeoNet Open Forum, May 20-22 2014 Venice, San Servolo Island

EGR worldwide
Many papers on EGR, but very
few projects
Examples of EGR projects
K12-B (offshore, Netherlands)
CO2 as drive gas
CO2 separated from produced
gas
Test site for EGR
De Wijk (onshore, Netherlands)
N2 as drive gas
N2 produced in dedicated
separation plant
Commercial project

9th CO2GeoNet Open Forum, May 20-22 2014 Venice, San Servolo Island

Feasibility & potential EGR in NL gas fields

Two (offshore) fields studied: one gas field, one
condensate-rich field
Approach / EGR scenario
Use only existing wells (some wells to be converted to
injectors)
Start EGR after end of conventional production
Injected volume = produced volume (pressure
maintenance)
Compare N2 to CO2

Modelling sequence

1. History match of reservoir model

2. Modelling EGR scenarios (injectors, volumes, timing)

Study only considers feasibility EGR on basis of

reservoir and wells
No analysis (yet) of cost
9th CO2GeoNet Open Forum, May 20-22 2014 Venice, San Servolo Island

Results
Gas field
If no or very little co-production of drive gas is allowed:
Additional gas production not significant
If drive gas is allowed in produced gas
Additional volumes order of 1% GIIP wit cut-off
[CO2] = 10%
No preference of either CO2 or N2 (low pressure cases)

Condensate field
Additional recovery of condensate of the order of 1%
No significant results for gas production

Results depend on gas quality requirements and gas

treatment cost
Not investigated yet
9th CO2GeoNet Open Forum, May 20-22 2014 Venice, San Servolo Island

Discussion & Conclusion

Study (of two fields) of feasibility and potential of EGR
in NL gas fields
Limited scope for EGR
Order of magnitude of additional production is 1%

However:
Sensitivity analysis not sufficient to explain contrasting
expectations for the De Wijk field (10% additional
recovery expected)
Feasibility study to be extended with cost analysis

At this moment, potential for EGR appears to be

limited
Potential of EGR to kick-start CCS (offshore) also limited

9th CO2GeoNet Open Forum, May 20-22 2014 Venice, San Servolo Island

Feasibility of Enhanced Gas Recovery with

CO2 injection

This project was supported by

Total E&P Nederland
GDF Suez E&P Nederland
EBN

9th CO2GeoNet Open Forum, May 20-22 2014 Venice, San Servolo Island

NL Oil & Gas production

Mature Hydrocarbon
region
First oil discoveries 1943
452 fields discovered
265 in production
Groningen largest gas
field (~ 2900 bcm)
4 Gas buffer locations

9th CO2GeoNet Open Forum, May 20-22 2014 Venice, San Servolo Island

Recovery factor NL gas fields

GRIP vs.
conventionele recovery factor
NL onshore gasvelden
GRIP (m rd.Nm 3)
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
0,00

0,20

0,40

0,60

0,80

1,00

recovery factor (ultim ate, conventional)

GRIP = Gas Remaining In Place

9th CO2GeoNet Open Forum, May 20-22 2014 Venice, San Servolo Island

EGR as end-of-field-life measure

Factors that determine feasibility of EGR
(after CSLF, 2013)
Size of field / volume gas remaining in place after
production
Absence of aquifer drive
Placement of existing wells
Drive gas availability
Allowance for co-production of drive gas (gas quality
requirements)
Cost of adapting facilities to handling additional gas
stream

http://www.cslforum.org/publications/documents/
CO2UtilizationOptions_Phase2FinalReport.pdf

EGR projects?
Absence EGR projects
No business case to be made reasons could include:
High recovery factors volume remaining often too
small
EGR not always an option in case of low recovery
factor
Cost of converting facilities too high
Drive gas not available

Potential for EGR in NL gas fields to be investigated

The De Wijk field suggests high potential
No studies yet been done on wider scale

This study: Provide broader basis for assessing

potential EGR in NL
9th CO2GeoNet Open Forum, May 20-22 2014 Venice, San Servolo Island

Reservoir model images

Dry gas field in K6 Block

Condensate gas field in F3 Block

9th CO2GeoNet Open Forum, May 20-22 2014 Venice, San Servolo Island