CO₂ foam retains more CO₂

Project goal

The project goal was to verify the effect of Surfactant Alternating Gas (SAG) injection in oil fields in Texas. This is the use of short, alternating injection cycles of surfactant (soap) and gas in order to generate CO₂ foam deep inside the reservoir.

Onshore fields in Texas have both CO₂ and connected infrastructure available, while operating costs are low. CO₂ expertise in industry is high and the pilot results can be gathered quickly due to the short distances between the wells. This is advantageous in terms of scaling it up for use on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.

An energy transition technology developed at the University of Bergen used CO₂ foam mobility control in combined CO₂ EOR and carbon storage as part of CCUS.

The research findings show the following

The research findings from the laboratory and the field pilot demonstration showed that CO₂ foam:

• retained more CO₂ than normal CO₂ injection
• reduced CO₂ mobility and improved CO₂ ‘cleansing efficiency’ (displacement efficiency)
• produced more oil than regular CO₂ EOR
• improved CO₂ utilisation
• reduced operating costs and increased revenues

Dialogue with stakeholders in relation to the implementation of the innovation

‘These findings use fresh data, but we are already engaged in dialogue with multiple commercial stakeholders in relation to the implementation of the innovation,’ says project leader Arne Graue of the University of Bergen.

He adds that the technology has the potential to enable a sustainable financial framework for industrial participation in carbon storage on the global stage. According to Graue, the technology may help countries with levels of carbon emissions to realise CCUS, with a particular focus on Southeast Asia.

The delivery and mixing of surfactant solution directly to the wellhead at an onshore oil field in Texas.