Long-term simulation of the Snøhvit CO2 storage

Estublier, Audrey; Lackner, Alf Sebastian

doi:10.1016/j.egypro.2009.02.106

Cited by 34 publications

(13 citation statements)

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“…With this approach, we aim to reveal the impact of Pliocene-Pleistocene glaciations on hydrocarbon remigration and leakage from the Snøhvit and Albatross fields, which could serve as the analogue for de-risking of petroleum prospects in the Barents Sea. The results will also have implications for CO 2 capture and storage efforts and associated risks at Snøhvit field [8,32]. …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, these promising discoveries challenged previous theories of hydrocarbon prospectivity and occurrences, as most discoveries in the Barents Sea have been dominated by gas. In the last decade, the main exploration efforts focused on the Hammerfest Basin (Figure 1), in particular on the Snøhvit field [7][8][9][10], shown in Figures 1 and 2. Multiple hydrocarbon leakage anomalies, paleo fluid contacts [11], under-filled structures and dominance of gas over oil demonstrate a complex history of fill-spill and leakage of hydrocarbons in the area [12][13][14][15][16][17].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Role of Faults in Hydrocarbon Leakage in the Hammerfest Basin, SW Barents Sea: Insights from Seismic Data and Numerical Modelling

2017

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Hydrocarbon prospectivity in the Greater Barents Sea remains enigmatic as gas discoveries have dominated over oil in the past three decades. Numerous hydrocarbon-related fluid flow anomalies in the area indicate leakage and redistribution of petroleum in the subsurface. Many questions remain unanswered regarding the geological driving factors for leakage from the reservoirs and the response of deep petroleum reservoirs to the Cenozoic exhumation and the Pliocene-Pleistocene glaciations. Based on 2D and 3D seismic data interpretation, we constructed a basin-scale regional 3D petroleum systems model for the Hammerfest Basin (1 km × 1 km grid spacing). A higher resolution model (200 m × 200 m grid spacing) for the Snøhvit and Albatross fields was then nested in the regional model to further our understanding of the subsurface development over geological time. We tested the sensitivity of the modeled petroleum leakage by including and varying fault properties as a function of burial and erosion, namely fault capillary entry pressures and permeability during glacial cycles. In this study, we find that the greatest mass lost from the Jurassic reservoirs occurs during ice unloading, which accounts for a 60-80% reduction of initial accumulated mass in the reservoirs. Subsequent leakage events show a stepwise decrease of 7-25% of the remaining mass from the reservoirs. The latest episode of hydrocarbon leakage occurred following the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) when differential loading of Quaternary strata resulted in reservoir tilt and spill. The first modeled hydrocarbon leakage event coincides with a major fluid venting episode at the time of a major Upper Regional angular Unconformity (URU,~0.8 Ma), evidenced by an abundance of pockmarks at this stratigraphic interval. Our modelling results show that leakage along the faults bounding the reservoir is the dominant mechanism for hydrocarbon leakage and is in agreement with observed shallow gas leakage indicators of gas chimneys, pockmarks and fluid escape pipes. We propose a conceptual model where leaked thermogenic gases from the reservoir were also locked in gas hydrate deposits beneath the base of the glacier during glaciations of the Hammerfest Basin and decomposed rapidly during subsequent deglaciation, forming pockmarks and fluid escape pipes. This is the first study to our knowledge to integrate petroleum systems modelling with seismic mapping of hydrocarbon leakage indicators for a holistic numerical model of the subsurface geology, thus closing the gap between the seismic mapping of fluid flow events and the geological history of the area.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Role of Faults in Hydrocarbon Leakage in the Hammerfest Basin, SW Barents Sea: Insights from Seismic Data and Numerical Modelling

2017

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“…This case deals with StatoilHydro's Snøhvit natural gas field and liquid natural gas (LNG) facility in northern Norway. Gas production began at Snøhvit in 2007 and Co 2 storage in April 2008 (Estublier and Lackner, 2009). At full capacity, 700 000 t of Co 2 is expected to be stored per year.…”

Section: The Snøhvit Projectmentioning

confidence: 99%

Carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration in deep saline aquifers and formations

Rosenbauer

Thomas

2010

Developments and Innovation in Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Capture and Storage Technology

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“…The produced gas from Snøhvit is processed into liquefied natural gas at the Melkoya plant, on the coast. The natural gas contains 5–8% CO 2 that needs to be reduced before the liquefaction process takes place [ Estublier and Lackner , ]. The separated CO 2 is transported back to the field, reinjected, and stored underground in an adjacent block to the north, separated from the producing block by a major fault.…”

Section: The Snøhvit Fieldmentioning

confidence: 99%

Probabilistic geomechanical analysis of compartmentalization at the Snøhvit CO₂ sequestration project

2015

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Pressure buildup caused by large-scale CO 2 injection is a key concern during a carbon sequestration project. Large overpressures can compromise seal integrity, reactivate faults, and induce seismicity. Furthermore, pressure buildup is directly related with storage capacity. In this work we study the geomechanical response to CO 2 injection at Snøhvit, to understand the potential for fault reactivation, leakage, and contamination of the producing interval through bounding faults. Furthermore, we evaluate the potential contribution of a structural component to reservoir compartmentalization. We combine simplified analytical models, based on critically stressed fracture theory and a Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion, with a rigorous sensitivity analysis. Large stress uncertainties are present and reflected in the modeling results. It was found that under the most likely stress state the faults are fairly stable and caprock hydrofracturing would be expected before fault reactivation. In most of the analyzed cases, the critical pressure perturbation needed for reactivation is above 13 MPa, which was the limiting pressure increase before reaching the fracture pressure. Faults were found to be~20% less stable when considering variations in S Hmax orientation. In those cases, fault reactivation could be expected before caprock failure if injection continued. However, if the pressure increase did reach the critical values for seal failure estimated under the worst case (and least likely) stress state, no indication of such failure can be observed in the measured pressure response. Finally, the potential role of a structural component in the compartmentalization and fluid migration is difficult to assess due to the stress state uncertainty.

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Long-term simulation of the Snøhvit CO2 storage

Cited by 34 publications

References 1 publication

Role of Faults in Hydrocarbon Leakage in the Hammerfest Basin, SW Barents Sea: Insights from Seismic Data and Numerical Modelling

Role of Faults in Hydrocarbon Leakage in the Hammerfest Basin, SW Barents Sea: Insights from Seismic Data and Numerical Modelling

Carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration in deep saline aquifers and formations

Probabilistic geomechanical analysis of compartmentalization at the Snøhvit CO₂ sequestration project

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Long-term simulation of the Snøhvit CO2 storage

Cited by 34 publications

References 1 publication

Role of Faults in Hydrocarbon Leakage in the Hammerfest Basin, SW Barents Sea: Insights from Seismic Data and Numerical Modelling

Role of Faults in Hydrocarbon Leakage in the Hammerfest Basin, SW Barents Sea: Insights from Seismic Data and Numerical Modelling

Carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration in deep saline aquifers and formations

Probabilistic geomechanical analysis of compartmentalization at the Snøhvit CO2 sequestration project

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Probabilistic geomechanical analysis of compartmentalization at the Snøhvit CO₂ sequestration project