TY - THES

T1 - H2S and CO2 injection - learnings from Canadian experience

AU - Holy, Ralf Werner

N1 - embargoed until null

PY - 2008

Y1 - 2008

N2 - OMV has found gas reservoirs producing a considerable amount of CO2 and H2S in Austria and Romania, and is willing to reduce emissions by storing those acid gases in the subsurface. Since 1989, the Canadian oil and gas industry has done a considerable amount of pioneering work in the domain of acid gas subsurface storage in Alberta and British-Columbia. The aim of this thesis was to synthesize all the information and results gained out of Canadian studies concerning acid gas (CO2 and H2S) injections, in order to present guidelines for successful injection operations and issues that still need to be addressed in the future. Possible geological storages are depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs, saline aquifers, and in some cases unmineable coal beds. Acid gas properties are very well understood concerning their handling from the surface facilities to the well and the physical phenomena taking place in the subsurface. Unfortunately geochemical reactions between the acid gases and the formation are very complex and difficult to track, and studies concerning those reactions are still in the early stage. No incidents have been reported to date and acid gas injection seems to be a safe manner to dispose of CO2 and H2S. After nearly 20 years of experience, this technology is not anymore in the experimental phase in Canada, but constitutes a well developed engineering task concerning the design of operations and materials used, leakage prevention and safety. By the end of 2006 more than 6 million tons of acid gas (approximately 3.5 Mt CO2 and 2.5 Mt H2S) have been injected into deep saline aquifers or depleted reservoirs in western Canada. Nevertheless, the injection into saline aquifers might represent an issue, since subsurface monitoring is not required in Canada. The fate of the acid gas plume in the aquifer is not known with sufficient certainty, which could lead to problems concerning public acceptance in Europe. Issues that still need to be addressed in the future are permeability changes associated with acid gas/mineral reactions, effects related to the probable dehydration near the injection well, and the stability of well materials.

AB - OMV has found gas reservoirs producing a considerable amount of CO2 and H2S in Austria and Romania, and is willing to reduce emissions by storing those acid gases in the subsurface. Since 1989, the Canadian oil and gas industry has done a considerable amount of pioneering work in the domain of acid gas subsurface storage in Alberta and British-Columbia. The aim of this thesis was to synthesize all the information and results gained out of Canadian studies concerning acid gas (CO2 and H2S) injections, in order to present guidelines for successful injection operations and issues that still need to be addressed in the future. Possible geological storages are depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs, saline aquifers, and in some cases unmineable coal beds. Acid gas properties are very well understood concerning their handling from the surface facilities to the well and the physical phenomena taking place in the subsurface. Unfortunately geochemical reactions between the acid gases and the formation are very complex and difficult to track, and studies concerning those reactions are still in the early stage. No incidents have been reported to date and acid gas injection seems to be a safe manner to dispose of CO2 and H2S. After nearly 20 years of experience, this technology is not anymore in the experimental phase in Canada, but constitutes a well developed engineering task concerning the design of operations and materials used, leakage prevention and safety. By the end of 2006 more than 6 million tons of acid gas (approximately 3.5 Mt CO2 and 2.5 Mt H2S) have been injected into deep saline aquifers or depleted reservoirs in western Canada. Nevertheless, the injection into saline aquifers might represent an issue, since subsurface monitoring is not required in Canada. The fate of the acid gas plume in the aquifer is not known with sufficient certainty, which could lead to problems concerning public acceptance in Europe. Issues that still need to be addressed in the future are permeability changes associated with acid gas/mineral reactions, effects related to the probable dehydration near the injection well, and the stability of well materials.

KW - Sequestrierung Injektion H2S CO2 Kanada Gesetzgebung

KW - acid gas H2S CO2 sequestration injection Regulations

M3 - Master's Thesis

ER -