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Cement systems that can survive in the CO2 environment are needed in various applications. Examples of these applications include:producers: CO2 in the reservoir is produced along with the hydrocarbons,injectors: CO2 is injected for sequestration and/or enhanced oil recovery, andproducers and injectors: produced CO2 can subsequently be injected for the purpose of enhanced oil recovery/sequestration. However, the carbonation of Portland cement is a well-documented, thermodynamically favorable process. When CO2 or carbonic acid comes in contact with Portland cement, it initially reacts with it to form water-insoluble calcium carbonate. Longer term, the presence of water dissolved with CO2 (or carbonic acid), if allowed to contact the cement sheath, can dissolve the calcium carbonate to bi-carbonate, which then could be displaced if a flow channel were to be present or formed during the life of the well. This can threaten long-term effective zonal isolation. A dual level solution is required to effectively address this challenge. As a first level, the potential for CO2 to enter the cemented annulus and contact the cement sheath is minimized, by placing the cement slurry in the entire annulus, reducing the permeability and endowing the set sheath with the properties necessary to withstand the well events. The second level involves reducing the amount of material in the set cement sheath that is reactive to CO2. This holistic approach has worked well in practice. Both the physical and chemical integrity of the cement sheath is addressed using this approach. Following the design logic described above, a cement system with improved resistance to CO2 environments was created by 1) designing a reduced-permeability cement sheath to withstand well operations with low cement hydration volume shrinkage and 2) optimizing the cement slurry formulation so that its hydration products have a lower amount of materials that are reactive to CO2. This cement system was then tested in the laboratory under expected in situ conditions and optimized for different well situations before placement in the field. The cement systems have been successfully placed in anumber of wells and these wells are all operating as required with no loss of zonal isolation reported. The design approach, laboratory test procedure and results from laboratory and field are presented and discussed in this paper. Introduction Technologies associated with carbon capture and storage (CCS) are coming more and more to the forefront as the world tackles long-term trends for increasing global energy demand coupled with the need to address the challenge of associated CO2 emissions (Fig. 1). In addition, it has been estimated that 40% of the world's remaining gas reserves contain more than 2% CO2. In considering how to deal with CO2 emissions, the scale of the task ahead cannot be underestimated. Global CO2 emissions are projected to rise from less than 20 thousand million tons in 1980, to wells in excess of 30 thousand million tons by the year 2030. CCS is one way in which it is hoped CO2 emissions to the atmosphere can be reduced. Currently four largescale CCS projects are operating around the world, each separating around 1 million tons of carbon dioxide per year from produced natural gas: Sleipner and Snohvit in Norway, Weyburn in Canada (with the carbon dioxide sourced in the United States), and In Salah in Algeria. In considering these numbers it is easy to see that as many as 10,000 Sleipner-sized projects might be required by the year 2030 if CCS were the only method selected to reduce CO2 emissions to 1980 levels.
CO2 geologic-sequestration (GS) via injection wells into suitable subsurface strata is a safe, cost-effective way to mitigate climate change. However, using well cements to zonally isolate CO2 for up to 1,000 years, as required for permanent reservoir storage, may be challenging. Some researchers claim that cement fails when exposed to CO2, leading to potential leakage to the atmosphere or into underground structures that may contain drinking water. Other investigators show cement samples from 30 to 50 year-old wells that have maintained sealing integrity and prevented CO2 leakage, even though some degree of carbonation was found. This paper presents likely reasons for this disparity between research lab test results and actual well performance data, along with best practices to provide efficient cement-based zonal isolation of CO2 storage zones. Also discussed are recent laboratory results from testing cement samples surrounded by formation material treated at two different downhole conditions. In one case, the cement specimens were treated with a 40% humid CO2 at 140°F and 2,000 psi whereas in the second case they were treated with saturated CO2 in water at 200°F and 2,000 psi for various time intervals. Results show that samples of carefully designed cement systems had a mild carbonation without any sign of loss of mechanical or sealing integrity which could lead to zonal isolation failure. A newly-applied laboratory testing method used for decades for other purposes is proposed to determine CO2 sealing performance by cement in a relatively short time period compared to previous methods. In summary, this paper discusses a comprehensive approach that may be taken to help ensure long-term, effective CO2 zonal isolation in new wells, in existing wells (via remedial solutions), and in wells to be plugged and abandoned. Introduction The oil and gas industry has 45 years of safe and effective experience in injecting CO2 for enhanced oil recovery (EOR). That history starts with field tests such as a 1964 (Holm) trial at the Mead Strawn field. In that trial, a "large slug" of CO2 increased oil production from the field as much as 82% compared to the best results achieved in the water flood. Prior to this, conceptual work included the first patent for CO2 EOR technology in 1952 (Whorton). Large scale CO2 EOR projects began in 1972 (Langston) with the SACROC (Scurry Area Canyon Reef Operators Committee) Unit of the Kelly-Snyder Field in West Texas. The SACROC CO2 EOR project is still active today. It is joined by a growing number of commercial projects, including 105 in the USA, seven in Canada, and 12 in other countries (EOR Survey). The overall process technology, operational experience, and regulatory procedures developed for CO2 EOR are field-proven with a great record of successful applications. This outstanding record includes thousands of new wells, previously-drilled wells, and well abandonments that, with a few exceptions, have all used Portland-based cement for CO2 zonal isolation. The exceptions (non-Portland cements for CO2 zones) are an estimated 0.15 % of the total (16,348) of all CO2 EOR wells (EOR Survey). In the United States alone, the EOR Survey reported operations in 15,373 CO2 injection and production wells, more than 3,500 miles of high-pressure interstate CO2 pipelines, and countless miles of flowlines to each well. Current USA production is about 245,000 barrels of oil per day from CO2 EOR projects. Several years ago the IPCC defined the CO2 EOR process as subsurface CO2 storage (also called CO2 geologic-sequestration). In this CCS (carbon capture and storage) process permanent CO2 storage results from CO2 displacing hydrocarbons from reservoir pore spaces and subsequently being trapped or geologically sequestered within the reservoir's porosity. Kinder Morgan recently estimated that 655 million tons of CO2 have been injected, produced, and recycled back into the reservoir in EOR projects over the past 37 years. This average of 17.7 million tons per year is equivalent to the total emissions of approximately four coal-fired, electric power plants of 500 MW capacity each.
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