CO2 injection and storage—Coupling pipeline network, wellbore, and reservoir models

The underground storage of carbon dioxide (CO2) requires building, sizing, and coupling the reservoir and distribution network (pipelines and wells) models. Independent designs of the pipeline network, well, and reservoir models do not account for the effects one system has on the others. Coupling the different models is necessary to effectively design the full system. This paper discusses a methodology of jointly optimizing the pipeline network, well, and storage systems. This method uses simple and fast models instead of fully coupled, complex, and integrated models. It is thus applicable in the early phases of projects, when system parameters are not fully characterized (i.e., for scenario building and sensitivity analysis). Two different projects are examined: a single well with a short pipeline and multiple wells with a long pipeline. These cases can be adapted to offshore or onshore conditions. Although vertical wells were considered for this study, the same methodology can be easily extended to deviated and horizontal wells. Depending on conditions, the constraints that will dominate the full system may come from either the reservoir model or the pipeline network and well models.