Videreutvikling av simuleringsverktøy for CO₂ lagring og CO₂-EOR

Background
This project is a direct continuation of work done in the CLIMIT DEMO project “SIMCO₂: Simulation tools for CO₂ storage and CO₂-EOR” (229345) where the main goal was to develop simulation tools for CO₂ storage and CO₂-EOR based on the open simulation code platform OPM ( http://opm-project.org). OPM is again based on the climit-fou project 199978 A numerical CO₂ laboratory. The SIMCO₂ project culminated in two field examples that clearly demonstrated the potential for increased oil recovery based on CO₂ injection while maintaining the CO₂ storage perspective. Parts of the simulation code in OPM have been sufficiently developed and have been tested as a pilot in Statoil from Q1 2017. For the part that includes CO₂ injection, further development and testing will be needed. One of the goals of this project is that the CO₂-EOR part of the simulation code is sufficiently matured to begin a verification process within Statoil

Project description
Simulation tools to be able to study CO₂ storage in combination with EOR will be further developed to be able to cope with the complexity of realistic fields on the Norwegian continental shelf. There is great uncertainty associated with reservoir models, especially in new fields where the underlying geological models are deficient. For a CO₂ case, the reservoir’s impact on the mixture of CO₂ and oil will also be associated with uncertainty. To reduce the risk of decisions, uncertainty can be represented by running multiple simulations on different alternative implementations of the reservoir model.

An important activity in this project will be to prepare the simulator to handle multiple realizations efficiently and robustly. The simulation model used to simulate CO₂ injection in oil fields is based on simplifying assumptions regarding the mixture of CO₂, water and hydrocarbons. New and improved models developed in the CLIMIT projects “Fundamentals of C02-Hydrocarbon Interaction for CO₂ storage with enhanced recovery (EOR / EGR) in offshore reservoirs: modeling, numerical methods and upscaling” (short name CHI, CLIMIT 255510) led by UNI Research CIPR and “Understanding of CO₂ dissolution in oil by convection-driven mixing and wettability alteration” short name UNCOVER 268439) led by IRIS will be implemented in the simulator and tested on field scale models.

The ability to simulate CO₂ injection in relevant fields at NCS is demonstrated with two case studies where the potential for CO₂ storage in combination with EOR is investigated. to further ensure that further development work is relevant to users, an “advisory committee” will be established consisting of active user environments

Project goals (concrete and measurable)
The aim of the project is to develop the necessary simulation tools that can help lay a foundation for a CO₂ injection decision in two fields on the Norwegian continental shelf. To achieve this goal, the simulator must be able to simulate the CO₂-EOR processes with sufficient accuracy, be able to handle uncertainty in the models and be thoroughly tested and verified. A measurable goal is to do two field studies that demonstrate the simulator’s potential as a tool for driving CO₂-EOR decisions. Another measurable measure is that the simulator has been sufficiently tested and verified to qualify for use for CO₂-EOR studies in Statoil or other oil companies.

The potential of the project
Numerical simulations form an important basis for decisions in connection with field development and are necessary to be able to make good decisions. There is great uncertainty associated with the geological models, but by including uncertainty in the simulations, the uncertainty can be measured and the risk reduced. This is especially important for major decisions that a CO₂ injection will necessarily be. Existing simulation tools that tackle the complexity of realistic fields are all commercial. An “open-source” tool provides opportunities to be able to develop and test new CO₂ models adapted to specific fields. An open license also gives researchers from other environments the opportunity to test their solutions to realistic problems. Integration of results from the CLIMIT projects CHI and UNCOVER clarifies the potential of such an open simulator development model. A CO₂-EOR perspective could help strengthen the CCS alternative by providing the necessary financial incentives. Revenues from increased oil recovery will then be able to pay for all or part of the infrastructure that is necessary to implement CO₂ injection at NCS. Simulation tools developed in this project are needed to evaluate CO₂ injection in light of both storage and increased oil recovery.