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Field Implementation and Surveillance of Gas Injection Enhanced Oil Recovery in the Bakken
Jin Zhao, Lu Jin, Nicholas A. Azzolina, Xincheng Wan, Steven A. Smith, Nicholas W. Bosshart, and James A. Sorensen
Jun 2024A series of activities were performed in this study to explore real-time visualization, forecasting, and control methods for improved reservoir surveillance during EOR processes.
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Investigating H2S Occurrence in Bakken Oil-Producing Wells Using Sulfur Isotopes in Gas, Water, and Rock Samples
Alexander V. Chakhmakhchev, Marc D. Kurz, T. Austin McRae, Xue Yu, Arash Abarghani, Darren D. Schmidt, Nicholas A. Azzolina, Bethany A. Kurz, and James A. Sorensen
Jun 2024This work investigated multiple mechanisms that can potentially lead to H2S in the oil production stream of Bakken wells, including TSR, BSR, source rock generation, migration from deeper or shallower formations that contain H2S, and geomechanical mechanisms related to reservoir stimulation work.
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Data-Driven Analysis for Causality of Parent–Child Interactions in the Bakken
Kyoung Min, Alexander V. Chakhmakhchev, Xue Yu, Nicholas A. Azzolina, Darren D. Schmidt, Bethany A. Kurz, and James A. Sorensen
Jun 2023This study 1) evaluates the effect of parent–child interaction on productivity by assessing depletion effects and the impact of different completion designs and 2) investigates how refracturing strategies affect parent–child interactions.
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Developing a High-Efficiency Method for Field-Scale Simulation of a Tight and Naturally Fractured Reservoir in the Williston Basin
Xincheng Wan, Lu Jin, Tao (Todd) Jiang, James A. Sorensen, Chenyu Wu, and Ahmed Merzoug
Jun 2023A novel FDO (fracture and DRV optimization) workflow was proposed in this study to better reproduce the production and water injection history of a tight reservoir with natural fractures in the Williston Basin. Compared to most of the published work in this area, the FDO workflow can significantly improve the simulation efficiency for field-scale simulation models considering the presence of a complex natural fracture network.
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Laboratory Simulations of H2S Generation in the Bakken Petroleum System
Alexander V. Chakhmakhchev, Bethany A. Kurz, Timothy O. Nesheim, David J. Miller, Carol B. Grabanski, Saptashati Biswas, Marc D. Kurz, Nicholas A. Azzolina, and James A. Sorensen
Jun 2023This work focuses on quantifying the H2S generation potential of the Madison Group and Bakken Formation source rocks during the maturation process.
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Completion Optimization in the Bakken Petroleum System Using Data Mining
Alexander V. Chakhmakhchev, Nicholas A. Azzolina, Bethany A. Kurz, Xue Yu, Chantsalmaa Dalkhaa, Justin T. Kovacevich, and James A. Sorensen
Jun 2022Therefore, the primary goal of this study was to identify optimal completion practices using publicly available well completion and production information and applying data-mining techniques that could accommodate nonlinear relationships.
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Experimental Evaluation of Enhanced Tight Oil Recovery Performance by Microbubble CO2 and Microbubble Rich Gas in North Dakota Plays
Yang Yu, Christopher J. Beddoe, Xiqiu Xue, Alexander V. Chakhmakhchev, John A. Hamling, Steven A. Smith, and Bethany A. Kurz
Jun 2022This study effort was undertaken to 1) provide a first-of-a-kind evaluation of a microbubble CO2 enhanced oil recovery (EOR) technique for application in tight unconventional plays, 2) compare the performance of microbubble CO2 injection with continuous-phase CO2 injection for Red River EOR applications in North Dakota, and 3) investigate the effectiveness and feasibility of microbubble EOR by using a rich gas mixture in low-permeability formations to assess microbubble rich gas EOR performance relative to microbubble CO2 EOR performance.
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Investigation of Produced Gas Injection in the Bakken for Enhanced Oil Recovery Considering Well Interference
Lu Jin, Bethany A. Kurz, Mojtaba Ardali, Xincheng Wan, Jin Zhao, Jun He, Steven B. Hawthorne, Aldjia Boualam Djezzar, Yang Yu, and Donald Morris
Jun 2022To better evaluate the feasibility of applying produced gas injection for EOR in the BPS (Bakken petroleum system) under realistic constraints, a series of field data analyses, modeling/simulations, and experimental activities were performed in this study to fulfill the following two objectives: 1. Design a pilot test to evaluate the technical feasibility of increasing oil production through EOR from the Bakken pool utilizing produced gas while accounting for well interference effects. 2. Investigate a variety of HnP strategies to improve gas injection and oil production performance, as well as maximize achievable EOR benefits with a limited volume of gas that is available on-site.
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Refracturing in the Bakken – An Analysis of Data from Across North Dakota
Chantsalmaa Dalkhaa, Nicholas A. Azzolina, Alexander V. Chakhmakhchev, Bethany A. Kurz, James A. Sorensen, Charles D. Gorecki, and John A. Harju
Jun 2022This presentation will summarize work conducted by the Energy & Environmental Research Center, in close coordination with the state of North Dakota and several Williston Basin oil and gas operating companies through a research program called the Bakken Production and Optimization Program (BPOP), and will cover 1) a review of the wells that have been refractured in the North Dakota portion of the Bakken petroleum system (BPS), 2) an evaluation of production performance of the refractured wells, 3) an assessment of refracturing economics, and 4) an assessment of the potential economic impact of a broad refracturing program applied throughout the BPS.
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Statistical Analysis of the Petrophysical Properties of the Bakken Petroleum System
Aimen Laalam, Habib Ouadi, Ahmed Merzoug, Abderraouf Chemmakh, Aldjia Boualam, Sofiane Djezzar, Ilyas Mellal, and Meriem Djoudi
Jun 2022This paper aims to generate permeability-porosity data-driven models for the Bakken formation, representing an unconventional reservoir within the Williston Basin in the US, using 426 core data with a wide range of porosity and permeability.
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Completion Design Evolution for Saltwater Disposal Injection Wells in the Bakken Play
Darren D. Schmidt, Jeffrey W. Bader, Ashleigh Day, and Mark Bohrer
Jul 2021Disposal of produced water is a critical component of unconventional oil development. The significant increase in Bakken production over the past decade in concert with the expansion of saltwater disposal wells geographically, places new demands on the storage reservoir. Development has spurred investigations of the reservoir and well performance.
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Laboratory Investigation of CO2 Injectivity and Adsorption Potential Within the Bakken Formation
Steven A. Smith, Bethany A. Kurz, James A. Sorensen, Christopher J. Beddoe, Blaise A.F. Mibeck, Alexander Azenkeng, Steven B. Hawthorne, and Charles D. Gorecki
Jul 2019To assess CO2 injectivity and storage potential within the organic-rich shales and middle member of the Bakken Formation, a series of laboratory tests were performed.
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Laboratory Studies of Rich Gas Interactions with Bakken Crude Oil to Support Enhanced Oil Recovery
Steven B. Hawthorne, James A. Sorensen, David J. Miller, Charles D. Gorecki, John A. Harju, and Gordon Pospisil
Jul 2019Lab studies are being conducted to determine the effect of different rich gases on their potential to enhance Bakken crude oil recovery. These include measuring the MMP of Bakken crude oil with different candidate gas injectants and measuring the hydrocarbon composition in the “miscible” phase generated by crude oil/injectant exposures.
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Unconventional Rock Requires Unconventional Analysis: Methods for Characterization
Shane K. Butler, Alexander Azenkeng, Blaise A.F. Mibeck, Bethany A. Kurz, and Kurt E. Eylands
Jul 2019Advanced image analysis techniques were applied to better understand and quantify factors that could affect CO2 storage in the Bakken Formation, with an ultimate goal of improved method development to estimate CO2 storage potential of unconventional reservoirs.
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Field Test of CO2 Injection in a Vertical Middle Bakken Well to Evaluate the Potential for Enhanced Oil Recovery and CO2 Storage
James A. Sorensen, Lawrence J. Pekot, José A. Torres, Lu Jin, Steven B. Hawthorne, Steven A. Smith, Lonny L. Jacobson, and Thomas E. Doll
Jul 2018In 2017, an injection test was conducted in a vertical well completed in the Middle Member of the Bakken Formation. The objectives of the field test were to quantitatively determine the injectivity of an unstimulated Bakken reservoir and the ability of injected CO2 to mobilize oil.
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Multiscale Modeling to Evaluate the Mechanisms Controlling CO2-Based Enhanced Oil Recovery and CO2 Storage in the Bakken Formation
José A. Torres, Lu Jin, Nicholas W. Bosshart, Lawrence J. Pekot, James A. Sorensen, Kyle J. Peterson, Parker W. Anderson, and Steven B. Hawthorne
Jul 2018This work presents the main findings of a research project conducted to integrate well logs and advanced laboratory- based data from Bakken core samples into geocellular and simulation models at multiple scales. The objective of this effort was to improve the accuracy of modeling approaches for predicting potential incremental oil production through carbon dioxide (CO2)-based enhanced oil recovery (EOR) in unconventional tight oil reservoirs and to evaluate the ability of organic-rich shales to store CO2 and, possibly, produce incremental oil.
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The Influence Organics on Supercritical CO2 Migration in Organic-Rich Shales
Bethany A. Kurz, James A. Sorensen, Steven B. Hawthorne, Steven A. Smith, Hamed Sanei, Omid Ardakani, Joel Walls, Lu Jin, Shane K. Butler, Christopher J. Beddoe, and Blaise A.F. Mibeck
Jul 2018This work describes a series of laboratory-based tests to evaluate the efficacy of CO2 for EOR and to better understand the controlling mechanisms of CO2 permeation in Bakken rock samples.
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Extraction of Oil from the Bakken Shales with Supercritical CO2
Lu Jin, Steven B. Hawthorne, James A. Sorensen, Bethany A. Kurz, Steven A. Smith, Loreal V. Heebink, Nicholas W. Bosshart, José A. Torres, Chantsalmaa Dalkhaa, Charles D. Gorecki, Edward N. Steadman, and John A. Harju
Jul 2017Results from 20 samples showed that supercritical CO2 enables extraction of a considerable portion (15%–65%) of the hydrocarbons from the Bakken shales within 24 hours. The results may be used to improve modeling and forecasting the effects of CO2 enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and suggest the possibility for increasing ultimate recovery, and possibly CO2 storage, in some areas of the Bakken Formation.
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CO2 Enhanced Oil Recovery Life Cycle Analysis Model (Rev. 2)
Nicholas A. Azzolina, Wesley D. Peck, John A. Hamling, Charles D. Gorecki, Scott C. Ayash, Thomas E. Doll, David V. Nakles, and L. Stephen Melzer
Oct 2016In “How green is my oil?” by Azzolina et al., the authors presented an integrated life-cycle model for CO2-EOR where the CO2 is sourced from a coal-fired power plant. The model was developed entirely in Microsoft Excel® to improve transparency and provide a useful tool for other practitioners. This model is an updated version of the model from the article. The cells have been unlocked so they can be modified.
Azzolina, N.A., Peck, W.D., Hamling, J.A., Gorecki, C.D., Ayash, S.C., Doll, T.E., Nakles, D.V., and Melzer, L.S., 2016, How green is my oil? a detailed look at greenhouse gas accounting for CO2-enhanced oil recovery (CO2-EOR) sites: International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, v. 51, p. 369–379. DOI: /10.1016/j.ijggc.2016.06.008.
Acknowledgment: This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory under Award Number DE-FC26-05NT42592.
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A Systematic Investigation of Gas-Based Improved Oil Recovery Technologies for the Bakken Tight Oil Formation
Lu Jin, Steven B. Hawthorne, James A. Sorensen, Bethany A. Kurz, Lawrence J. Pekot, Steven A. Smith, Nicholas W. Bosshart, Alexander Azenkeng, Charles D. Gorecki, and John A. Harju
Aug 2016In this work, we systematically studied the feasibility of various EOR options for the Bakken Formation based on detailed reservoir/rock characterization, fluid analysis, and gas extraction investigation.
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The Use of Advanced Analytical Techniques to Characterize Micro- and Nanoscale Pores and Fractures in the Bakken
James A. Sorensen, Bethany A. Kurz, Steven A. Smith, Joel Walls, Michael Foster, and Bob Aylsworth
Aug 2016Results provide previously unavailable insight on nanoscale fracture apertures, intensity and orientation; pore throat mineralogy and connectivity; rock matrix characteristics, mineralogy, and organic content; and calculated absolute permeability in the vertical and horizontal direction. These results are being integrated into laboratory and modeling research activities to determine the fundamental mechanisms controlling fluid transport in the Bakken, which will support EOR scheme design and estimation of CO2 storage potential in tight oil formations.
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Characterization and Evaluation of the Bakken Petroleum System for CO2 Enhanced Oil Recovery
James A. Sorensen, Jason R. Braunberger, Guoxiang (Gavin) Liu, Steven A. Smith, Steven A. Hawthorne, Edward N. Steadman, and John A. Harju
Jul 2015Application of the findings to the U.S. Department of Energy methodology for estimating CO2 EOR and storage capacity suggests that 4 Bbbl (billion barrels) to 7 Bbbl of incremental oil could be produced from the Bakken, resulting in a net storage of 1.9 to 3.2 billion tons of CO2.
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Full-Scale Test Evaluation of a Multielement Sorbent Trap Sampling Method for Halogen and Trace Metal Emissions
John H. Pavlish and Jeffery S. Thompson
Aug 2012The Energy & Environmental Research Center’s (EERC’s) Center for Air Toxic Metals® (CATM®) has developed a multielement sorbent trap (ME-ST)-based method as an alternative to EPA Methods 29 and 26A that greatly simplifies on-site sampling and recovery and allows overnight shipping to a laboratory for analysis.
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The Interactions of SO2 and SO3 on a Carbon Sorbent and Their Impact on Mercury Capture
Edwin S. Olson, Charlene R. Crocker, Jenny Sun, Katie Hill Brandt, Grant E. Dunham, and John H. Pavlish
Aug 2006Recent experiments with SO3 added to a synthetic flue gas exhibit unique and somewhat unexpected mercury capture behavior for various simulated flue gas compositions. As predicted by the EERC model, results showed that the more acidic SO3 component is able to increase the initial reactivity of the carbon surface, an effect similar to that shown for HCl.
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Determination of Organomercury Compounds from Microbiologically Mediated Mercury Release Exeriments Using Gas Chromatography with SPME Sample Introduction after Borethylation, Boropropylation, or Borophenylation
David J. Hassett, Loreal V. Heebink, and Erick J. Zacher
Aug 2004The Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) has developed a method of sampling gas streams and headspace gas for determination of dimethyl mercury and methyl mercuric chloride.