Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Oil Operations (ADCO) has initiated an enhanced oil recovery project that will test the injection of carbon dioxide (CO2) into pilot wells in a carbonate reservoir in the MENA region of Abu Dhabi. Praxair Gulf Industrial Gases LLC, an Abu Dhabi-based subsidiary of Praxair Inc, is supplying the required CO2 and injection operations under a contract with Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (MASDAR).
The pilot began operations in the fourth quarter of 2009. A continuous supply of 60 tons per day (1.2 million standard cubic feet per day) of CO2 is being provided to ADCO and is being injected into one of the pilot wells.
“Praxair is very pleased to have been selected by MASDAR for this project,” said Eduardo Menezes, president of Praxair Europe. “Carbon capture and storage, with the added benefits of enhanced oil recovery, is one of the potential solutions that will allow fossil fuels to continue to be used while protecting the environment.”
Praxair has been helping oil producers increase extraction and efficiency with carbon dioxide and nitrogen injection systems for more than 30 years. Praxair’s largest enhanced oil recovery project to date involves two plants that deliver 6,800 tonnes of nitrogen per day to Pemex in southern Mexico.
In an exclusive interview with ArabianOilandGas.com ADCO’s general manager, Abdul Munir Al Kindy said that carbon sequestration and use in EOR projects could play an ever-increasingly important role in ADCO’s onshore development programmes.
“If we can technically assert the value of CO2 in terms of enhanced oil recovery then we may start a much wider EOR scheme at one of our major fields by 2016,” revealed Al Kindy.
The general manager says that whilst the technical challenges and commercial viability issues of EOR projects remain significant, the way the company is formed with key stakeholder partners means it has access global experience and knowledge when it comes to understanding of CO2 injection projects.
“One of the significant contributions which our major oil company partners make to ADCO is the input of technology, so between our stakeholder partners we can tap a wealth of experience and knowledge when it comes to CO2 injection. These partnerships have been quite effective in terms of shaping and contributing to our objectives and programs.”
Whilst many firms around the world are dabbling with carbon sequestration and storage, Al Kindy says the work being done at ADCO is helping the company consolidate a regional leadership role in developing and executing CO2 related EOR projects – actually increasing production.
“The application of CO2 has proven its worth in fully depleted reservoirs and sandstone formations, but some of the projects we have in our portfolio and in our sights will mean injection during the early stage of a big field’s life. We don’t really know exactly how the field will react because there are a lot of variables including porosity, geology et cetera.”
Al Kindy hinted that a wider supply issue may develop fruitful relationships within Abu Dhabi’s own borders, and form part of a carbon masterplan. “Of course, the commercial aspect of establishing a carbon supply partner needs to be examined very closely, but I think we will have a lot of interesting opportunities to work with Masdar.”
