Identification of potential CO2 leakage pathways and mechanisms in oil reservoirs using fault tree analysis

Yanqing Wang, Liang Zhang, Shaoran Ren, Bo Ren, Bailian Chen and Jun Lu

Greenhouse Gases: Science and Technology, 2020, vol. 10, issue 2, 331-346

Abstract: Geological storage of CO2 technologies has become an important and effective way to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions, especially when it is combined with CO2 enhanced oil recovery (EOR), which can not only trap CO2 but also enhance oil recovery. However, the risk of CO2 leakage has always been a prominent issue. In this paper, the mechanisms and pathways of CO2 leakage during geological storage in oil reservoirs were analyzed using fault tree analysis (FTR). Besides, monitoring technologies were discussed and deployed in a CO2 EOR demonstration project. The analysis results showed that the sealing failures of oil producer and CO2 injector wells, like well cement failure and casing failure, are the main reasons for the CO2 leakage, which has been observed in the oil field monitoring project. The monitoring results indicated that there is no large‐scale CO2 leakage, while relatively high and abnormal CO2 concentration in soil gas near some wellbores are observed, which indicates there is some leakage of CO2 through incomplete cement ring and well casing string. FTR results provide guidelines for monitoring and preventing of CO2 leakage during geological storage in oil reservoirs. The near‐surface monitoring methods, especially the soil gas monitoring technologies, can effectively detect the leakage of CO2, and are a proper method for CO2 leakage monitoring. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Date: 2020
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:wly:greenh:v:10:y:2020:i:2:p:331-346

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