qatar carbonates and carbon storage research …...carbonates) not sufficient to guide decision...

Qatar Carbonates and Carbon Storage Research Centre:Status update after three years of fundamental research

Nasser al-Mohannadi and Jurgen Foeken

Qatar Petroleum Research and Technology CentreDoha, Qatar

Overview

2

• research partnership between QP, Shell, QSTP and

Imperial

• expand fundamental research

• providing improved tools for carbon sequestration

• steer fundamental research by samples / data /

observations from sequestration studies

• build local capacity (currently 5 Qatari PhD students)

• transferring knowledge and technology

QP, Shell and QSTP

Objectives

3

Targeted research over 10 years and $70 million

Aim: Improve Oil Recovery and Carbon Storage in Carbonate Reservoirs

The Strategy:- Characterise & understand the Qatari reservoirs in depth- Develop state-of-the art reservoir multiphase flow simulators- Use to design optimum CO2 storage and oil & gas recovery processes- Validate with ‘Field-scale Laboratory’

Long-term fate of CO2

4

Qi et al, 2009

Challenges

Site selection- reservoir, seal- fundamental understanding of

subsurface geology

Injection and plume movement- Multiphase flow- Reactive flow- Capillary Trapping- Dissolution Trapping

Monitoring- storage management/regulation

5

Fundamental Carbonate Reservoir & Seal (Project 1)

Reconstruct the sequence stratigraphic framework of Qatari reservoirs using outcrop

analogues in Oman

Identify predictive geological rules and appropriate physical, chemical and mechanical

properties of fractured carbonate reservoirs (including fracture related digenesis / dolomite

bodies) and the in situ fluids

Emphasising fieldwork and state-of-the-art equipment (Clumped Isotope)

6 Papers, 26 conference presentations

Research results

6

Reservoir pore/fracture scale physics and chemistry (Project 2)

Experimental flow data at reservoir conditions of scCO2 in porous media (especially

carbonates) not sufficient to guide decision makers.

Expand understanding of phase equilibrium, viscosity, interfacial tension, diffusion at

reservoir conditions involving scCO2 / brine / hydrocarbons

Unique linkage of molecular-pore-core scale experiments and modelling

Emphasis on state-of-the-art experimental measurements (9 HTHP rigs, planning HTHP

rel.perm with in-situ monitoring) to validate models

27 Papers, 48 conference presentations

Research results

7

Research results

Integrated simulator for carbonate reservoirs(Project 3)

Integrated Methodology and Simulator tools

Apply new tools for CO2 predictive modeling, fractured reservoirs, finite elementadaptive meshing and geochemical modelling

Incorporate the detailed reservoir and fluid characterizations and underpinning physicsand chemistry developed in Projects 1 and 2 into an integrated reservoir simulatorcustomised to Qatari reservoirs

Use the simulator/simulation technology to design and optimize new improved recoverystrategies and CO2 sequestration operations

4 Papers, 6 conference presentations

Capacity building

8

Qatari nationals conducting PhD studies at ICL

QCCSRC establishing a presence in Qatar

Move of lab equipment to QSTP; start 2013 with move of HPHT interfacial tension rig,expanding in years after

Conclusions

9

Acknowledgements: Iain McDonald, Program manager QCCSRC, for support inpreparing publication

$70 million, 10 year research partnership between Qatar Petroleum, Shell, QatarScience and Technology Park and Imperial College London; one of the largest sciencedriven coordinated academic-industry collaborations

50 academic staff, postdoctoral researchers and PhD students engaged

program addresses the key science and engineering challenges for the safe andpermanent storage of CO2 in carbonate reservoirs, as well as delivering enhance oiland gas production

research focus is on carbonate reservoir characterisation in relevant outcrops, rock-fluid- CO2 interactions and multiphase flow experiments under reservoir conditionslinked to complimentary simulation and modelling advances

knowledge and technology transfer is a critical foundation to the partnership