CO<sub>2</sub> Utilization and Geological Storage in Unconventional Reservoirs After Fracturing

doi:10.1016/j.eng.2025.01.005

PDF(3645 KB)

Engineering ›› 2025, Vol. 48 ›› Issue (5) : 92-106. DOI: 10.1016/j.eng.2025.01.005

Research

Article

CO₂ Utilization and Geological Storage in Unconventional Reservoirs After Fracturing

Jinzhou Zhao^a,b, Lele Wang^a, Bing Wei^a,b,*, Valeriy Kadet^c

Author information +

History +

Abstract

Cyclic injection holds great potential for CO₂ emission reduction coupled with enhanced unconventional oil recovery. There is, however, a lack of a thorough understanding of carbon distribution, migration, and transformation underground over time at the reservoir scale. To address this issue, we conducted a rigorous numerical simulation integrating microseismic events, multi-geomechanics, and multi-geochemistry to represent the complex fracture geometry, rock stress sensitivity, and CO₂-oil-brine-rock interactions. The fluid model, reservoir model, and geochemical reaction kinetics were carefully validated and calibrated using experimental data. The performance of CO₂ utilization and geological storage was comprehensively investigated in terms of changes in oil production, CO₂ storage, carbon distribution, and petrophysical properties. The results indicate that 48.3% of the injected CO₂ was stored stably underground after ten cycles (ten years), with a 3.4% increase in oil recovery. The presence of multiple CO₂ storage forms, such as dissolved in water and mineralized carbonate, impeded CO₂-oil interaction, leading to a 25.9% reduction in the volume of the CO₂-oil mixing zone and a 2.2% decrease in cumulative oil production, albeit with a 7.7% increase in the storage rate. The cyclic injection mode had a significant impact on the migration and transformation of CO₂ in the reservoir. While dissolved CO₂ in oil accounted for over half of the total storage, it had the possibility of being released during production. After ten cycles, 20% of the injected CO₂ (approximately 12 000 t) reached long-term storage in four forms: mineralized carbonate (6%), water-dissolved CO₂ (6%), aqueous ions (4%), and trapped gas (4%). Notably, the non-fracture zone within the stimulated reservoir volume (SRV) served as the primary trapping area for residual gas. This work provides valuable insights into dynamic CO₂ transport and transformation processes under cyclic injection and presents a more comprehensive and precise framework for assessing CO₂ capture, utilization, and storage with enhanced oil recovery (CCUS-EOR) performance in unconventional reservoirs after fracturing.

Keywords

CO₂ utilization and geological storage / Cyclic injection / Unconventional reservoir / Carbon distribution, migration, and transformation / Emission reduction

Cite this article

EndNote

Ris (Procite)

Bibtex

Download citation ▾

Jinzhou Zhao, Lele Wang, Bing Wei, Valeriy Kadet. CO₂ Utilization and Geological Storage in Unconventional Reservoirs After Fracturing. Engineering, 2025, 48(5): 92‒106 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2025.01.005

References

[1] CO₂ emissions in 2023. Report. Paris: International Energy Agency; 2024.
[2] Edouard MN, Okere CJ, Ejike C, Dong P, Suliman MAM.Comparative numerical study on the co-optimization of CO₂ storage and utilization in EOR, EGR, and EWR: implications for CCUS project development. Appl Energy 2023;347:121448.
[3] Hepburn C, Adlen E, Beddington J, Carter EA, Fuss S, Dowell NM, et al.The technological and economic prospects for CO₂ utilization and removal. Nature 2019;575:87-97.
[4] Liu Y, Rui Z.A storage-driven CO₂ EOR for a net-zero emission target. Engineering 2022;18:79-87.
[5] Meng S, Zhang F, Tao J, Jin X, Xu J, Liu H.Carbon storage potential of shale reservoirs based on CO₂ fracturing technology. Engineering.In press.
[6] China carbon dioxide capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) annual report (2021): China CCUS path study. Report. Beijing: Chinese Academy of Environmental Planning; Wuhan: Insitute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing: Administrative Center for China's Agenda 21; 2021. Chinese.
[7] Wei B, Song T, Gao Y, Xiang H, Xu X, Kadet V, et al.Effectiveness and sensitivity analysis of solution gas re-injection in Baikouquan tight formation, Mahu sag for enhanced oil recovery. Petroleum 2020;6:253-63.
[8] Wei B, Gao K, Song T, Zhang X, Pu W, Xu X, et al.Nuclear-magnetic-resonance monitoring of mass exchange in a low-permeability matrix/fracture model during CO₂ cyclic injection: a mechanistic study. SPE J 2020;25(1):440-50.
[9] Yu W, Lashgari HR, Wu K, Sepehrnoori K.CO₂ injection for enhanced oil recovery in Bakken tight oil reservoirs. Fuel 2015;159:354-63.
[10] Jacobs T.Shale EOR delivers, so why won't the sector go big? J Petrol Technol 2019;71(5):37-41.
[11] Ajoma E, Saira ST, Ge J, Le-Hussain F.Water-saturated CO₂ injection to improve oil recovery and CO₂ storage. Appl Energy 2020;266:114853.
[12] Hawthorne SB, Gorecki CD, Sorensen JA, Steadman EN, Harju JA, Melze Hydrocarbon mobilization mechanisms from upper, middle, and lower Bak reservoir rocks exposed to CO2. In: Proceedings of SPE Unconventio Resources Conference; 2013 Nov 5-7; Calgary, AB, Canada. Richards OnePetro; 2013.
[13] Hoffman BT, Reichhardt D.Sensitivity analysis of cyclic gas injection recov mechanisms in unconventional reservoirs. In: Proceedings of SPE/AAPG/ Unconventional Resources Technology Conference; 2020 Jul 20-22; onli Richardson: OnePetro; 2020.
[14] Cronin M, Emami-Meybodi H, Johns RT.Diffusion-dominated proxy model for solvent injection in ultratight oil reservoirs. SPE J 2018;24(2):660-80.
[15] Ma M, Emami-Meybodi H.Multiphase multicomponent transport modeling of cyclic solvent injection in shale reservoirs. SPE J 2023;29(3):1-20.
[16] Tovar FD, Barrufet MA, Schechter DS.Enhanced oil recovery in the Wolfcamp shale by carbon dioxide or nitrogen injection: an experimental investigation. SPE J 2021;26(1):515-37.
[17] Kumar R, Ali SJ, Mathur A.A rigorous workflow for evaluation of huff and recovery efficiency of immiscible and miscible gases in unconventio reservoirs by integrating core tests with NMR and GC analysis. Proceedings of SPE/AAPG/SEG Unconventional Resources Technol Conference; 2020 Jul 20-22; online. Richardson: OnePetro; 2013.
[18] Kim TH, Lee JH, Lee KS.Integrated reservoir flow and geomechanical model to generate type curves for pressure transient responses of a hydraulically-fractured well in shale gas reservoirs. J Petrol Sci Eng 2016;146:457-72.
[19] Zheng S, Sharma M.The effects of geomechanics, diffusion and phase beha for huff-n-puff IOR in shale oil reservoirs. In: Proceedings of SPE Ann Technical Conference and Exhibition; 2020 Oct 26-29; online. Richards vior ual on: OnePetro; 2020.
[20] Hamdi H, Clarkson CR, Ghanizadeh A, Ghaderi SM, Vahedian A, Riazi N, et Huff-n-puff gas injection performance in shale reservoirs: a case study fr Duvernay shale in Alberta, Canada. In: Proceedings of SPE/AAPG/ Unconventional Resources Technology Conference; 2018 Jul 23-25; Houst TX, USA. Richardson: OnePetro; 2018.
[21] Gao C, Jia J, Fan W, Chen S, Hu T, Wang X, et al.Optimization of CO₂ flooding under dual goals of oil recovery and CO₂ storage: numerical case studies of the first-ever CCUS pilot in Changqing oilfield. Geoenergy Sci Eng 2024;240:213063.
[22] Lashgari HR, Sun A, Zhang T, Pope GA, Lake LW.Evaluation of carbon dioxide storage and miscible gas EOR in shale oil reservoirs. Fuel 2019;241:1223-35.
[23] Bao X, Amaya AF, Aguilera R.Life cycle assessment of improved oil recovery while helping to achieve net zero emissions from shale reservoirs. SPE J 2024;29(1):554-73.
[24] Ning Y, Tura A.Economic and operational investigation of CO₂ sequestration through enhanced oil recovery in unconventional reservoirs in Colorado, USA. Geoenergy Sci Eng 2023;226:211820.
[25] Rui Z, Zeng L, Dindoruk B.Challenges in the large-scale deployment of CCUS. Engineering 2025;44:17-20.
[26] Lu X, Jordan KE, Wheeler MF, Pyzer-Knapp EO, Benatan M.Bayesian optimization for field-scale geological carbon storage. Engineering 2022;18:96-104.
[27] Nghiem L, Shrivastava V, Kohse B, Hassam M, Yang C.Simulation and optimization of trapping processes for CO₂ storage in saline aquifers. J Can Petrol Technol 2010;49(8):15-22.
[28] Wang X, Yang H, Huang Y, Liang Q, Liu J, Ye D.Evolution of CO₂ stor mechanisms in low-permeability tight sandstone reservoirs. Engineering In press.
[29] Ershadnia R, Wallace CD, Hajirezaie S, Hosseini SA, Nguyen TN, Sturmer DM, et al.Hydro-thermo-chemo-mechanical modeling of carbon dioxide injection in fluvial heterogeneous aquifers. Chem Eng J 2022;431:133451.
[30] Wang F, Ping S, Yuan Y, Sun Z, Tian H, Yang Z.Effects of the mechanical response of low-permeability sandstone reservoirs on CO₂ geological storage based on laboratory experiments and numerical simulations. Sci Total Environ 2021;796:149066.
[31] Ramadhan R, Promneewat K, Thanasaksukthawee V, Tosuai T, Babaei M, Hosseini SA, et al.Geomechanics contribution to CO₂ storage containment and trapping mechanisms in tight sandstone complexes: a case study on Mae Moh Basin. Sci Total Environ 2024;928:172326.
[32] Pearce J, Raza S, Baublys K, Hayes P, Firouzi M, Rudolph V.Unconventional CO₂ storage: CO₂ mineral trapping predicted in characterized shales, sandstones, and coal seam interburden. SPE J 2022;27(5):3218-39.
[33] Hu T, Rui Z.Carbon migration and phase distribution patterns in CO₂ geological utilization and storage. Nat Gas Ind 2024;44(4):56-67.
[34] Yu K, Cao Y, Qiu L, Sun P.The hydrocarbon generation potential and migration in an alkaline evaporite basin: the Early Permian Fengcheng Formation in the Junggar Basin, northwestern China. Mar Petrol Geol 2018;98:12-32.
[35] Wang L, Wei B, You J, Pu W, Tang J, Lu J.Performance of a tight reservoir horizontal well induced by gas huff-n-puff integrating fracture geometry, rock stress-sensitivity and molecular diffusion: a case study using CO₂, N 2and produced gas. Energy 2023;263:125696.
[36] WinProp user's guide. Calgary: Computer Modeling Group Ltd.; 2021.
[37] Li YK, Nghiem LX.Phase equilibria of oil, gas and water/brine mixtures from a cubic equation of state and Henry's law. Can J Chem Eng 1986;64(3):486-96.
[38] Bethke C.Geochemical reaction modeling. New York City: Oxford University Press; 1996.
[39] GEM user's guide. Calgary: Computer Modeling Group Ltd.; 2021.
[40] Jia W, Xiao T, Wu Z, Dai Z, McPherson B. Impact of mineral reactive surface area on forecasting geological carbon sequestration in a CO₂-EOR field. Energies 2021;14(6):1608.
[41] Tian W, Lu S, Huang W, Wang W, Li J, Gao Y, et al.Quantifying the control of pore types on fluid mobility in low-permeability conglomerates by integrating various experiments. Fuel 2020;275:117835.
[42] Xu T, Yue G, Wang F, Liu N.Using natural CO₂ reservoir to constrain geochemical models for CO₂ geological sequestration. Appl Geochem 2014;43:22-34.
[43] Beckingham LE, Mitnick EH, Steefel CI, Zhang S, Voltolini M, Swift AM, et al.Evaluation of mineral reactive surface area estimates for prediction of reactivity of a multi-mineral sediment. Geochim Cosmochim Ac 2016;188:310-29.
[44] Palandri JL, Kharaka YK.A compilation of rate parameters of water-min interaction kinetics for application to geochemical modeling. Reston: Geological Survey; 2004.
[45] Kharaka YK, Gunter WD, Aggarwal PK, Perkins EH, DeBraal JD. SOLMINEQ.88; a computer program for geochemical modeling of water-rock interactions. Reston: U.S. Geological Survey 1988.
[46] Wilke CR, Chang P.Correlation of diffusion coefficients in dilute solutions. AIChE J 1955;1(2):264-70.
[47] Coats KH.An equation of state compositional model. SPE J 1980;20(5):363-76.
[48] Land CS.Calculation of imbibition relative permeability for two-and three-phase flow from rock properties. SPE J 1968;8(2):149-56.

Funding

^*E-mail address: bwei@swpu.edu.cn (B. Wei).