Towards a strategic development plan for CO2-EOR in the Vienna Basin. ENOS D6.7 report

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00025798%3A_____%2F21%3A00000215" target="_blank" >RIV/00025798:_____/21:00000215 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/documents/downloadPublic?documentIds=080166e5cdb30e62&appId=PPGMS" target="_blank" >https://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/documents/downloadPublic?documentIds=080166e5cdb30e62&appId=PPGMS</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

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Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Towards a strategic development plan for CO2-EOR in the Vienna Basin. ENOS D6.7 report

Original language description

Within the framework of the H2020 ENOS project an assessment of the CO2 enhanced oil recovery (EOR) potential of the oil fields of the Vienna Basin, spreading across Austria, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia, was conducted. Data on oil field properties, collected from both national geological surveys and oil companies, were analysed using a bespoke model in order to derive potential incremental recovery rates based on CO2 injection. The potential additional recoverable amounts are monetized in order to provide insights on the economic feasibility of the activity. Furthermore, in order to approximate the environmental benefits of the activity, the total amount of CO2 that could be stored in the activity is also provided. In order to provide the foundations for a strategic development plan for the region, this study provides the first overview of the relevant geological, operational, economic and organizational aspects of CO2-EOR and CO2 storage in the Vienna Basin. In addition to the analysis of the incremental recovery rates due to CO2-EOR in the oil fields of the Vienna Basin, an inventory is made of industrial CO2 sources within 70 km of the oil field clusters, and pipeline routes connecting selected sources with sinks are proposed. This process has resulted in the development of two case studies, one in Austria and one in the Czech Republic. Furthermore, a stakeholder analysis and detailed regulatory assessment of CO2-EOR and CCS in the three countries of the Vienna Basin are made. All the three countries of the Vienna Basin have potential for both CO2-EOR and CO2 storage. By far the greatest potential for both EOR and CO2 storage can be found in the Austrian part of the Vienna Basin, in the large Matzen cluster. For the entire basin, the theoretical incremental recovery of additional oil due to CO2 injection has been calculated as of 21 million Sm3 (130 million barrels). The amount of CO2 that would be needed to perform the related CO2-EOR operations and thereafter stored in the depleted fields is estimated to nearly 140 million tonnes. Therefore, from this initial analysis, at least from a theoretical perspective, the potential for CO2-EOR combined with CO2 storage warrants further investigation. Despite this theoretical potential, there are a number of technical, regulatory and economic aspects that need to be highlighted. Some of these challenges are specific to the region, others are applicable to all CCS and CO2-EOR projects. Regarding EOR, there are some technical questions regarding the ability to achieve fully miscible CO2 flooding conditions in the fields of the Vienna Basin, which is considered most favourable for maximum enhanced oil recovery. The presence of many legacy wells across many of the fields can lead to risk management issues that have to be dealt with during permitting. Regarding CO2 capture, there are few sources of potentially ‘low-cost’ CO2 in the region. The bulk of the emissions are either from oil refineries or cements plants, which are generally considered to have high CO2 capture costs. From a regulatory point of view, although CO2-EOR as an industrial activity, and in combination with CO2 storage, is fully legal within EU legislations, there are a few country-specific challenges. A key showstopper is the current prohibition of CO2 storage in Austria. Furthermore, there is little experience in regulating the combined activities of CO2-EOR and CO2 storage under the EU CCS Directive. By advancing the two case studies developed within this analysis, using site-specific data, a better understanding of the technical and financial aspects of potential projects can be developed. Finally, it is recommended to evaluate the suitability of European policy support mechanisms to bridge the current financing gap between the cost of CCS and the incentives given by the EU Emission Trading Scheme.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

O - Miscellaneous

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

10505 - Geology

Project

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Continuities

R - Projekt Ramcoveho programu EK

Publication year

2021

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů