Assessment of the possibility of carbon dioxide utilization for enhanced oil recovery in oil field conditions

UDK: 622.276.6
DOI: 10.24887/0028-2448-2025-4-76-81
Key words: enhanced oil recovery (EOR), CO2 - EOR, carbon dioxide
Authors: V.A. Morenov (Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University, RF, Saint Petersburg); K.V. Shchigolev (Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University, RF, Saint Petersburg)

The article covers the topic of modern energy challenges which demand the development of efficient enhanced oil recovery (EOR) technologies, particularly in the context of growing depleting of conventional reserves and the exploitation of unconventional hydrocarbons. One of the promising solutions is the use of carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery (CO2-EOR) method, which not only increases oil production volumes but also addresses environmental concerns through CO2 capture and storage. This study examines the utilization of CO2 in its various phase states (liquid, gaseous, supercritical), in combination with water and as part of dispersed systems (foams, surfactants, nanoparticles, and other additives). A comparative analysis of their efficiency under diverse geological and operational conditions is presented. It is demonstrated that CO2, due to its unique properties such as solubility, density, and phase transitions, significantly enhances oil recovery. Special attention is given to combined approaches and innovative dispersed systems that improve injection distribution and process efficiency. The article includes modeling results of continuous CO2 injection into a terrigenous reservoir using a case study from the Volga-Ural oil and gas province. The modeling confirms the advantages of CO2 as an EOR agent compared to traditional waterflooding methods (increase in oil recovery factor is of 1,1 %).

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