Carbon dioxide enhanced hydrocarbon recovery methods coupled with underground hydrogen storage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12359539-B2
Application number	US-202318355304-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 19, 2023
Priority date	Jul 19, 2023
Publication date	Jul 15, 2025
Grant date	Jul 15, 2025

Abstract

Hydrocarbon extraction may be coupled with subterranean hydrogen storage. For example, a method of hydrocarbon extraction and hydrogen storage may include: introducing carbon dioxide into a subterranean formation via one or more injection wells, the subterranean formation containing hydrocarbons and optionally water; mobilizing at least a portion of the hydrocarbons in a hydrocarbon-bearing zone of the subterranean formation with the carbon dioxide; after mobilization with the carbon dioxide, producing the hydrocarbons from the hydrocarbon-bearing zone of the subterranean formation via one or more production wells; introducing hydrogen to the subterranean formation via the one or more injection wells, the hydrogen displacing the carbon dioxide downward in the subterranean formation; storing the hydrogen in the subterranean formation above the carbon dioxide; and producing at least a portion of the hydrogen from the subterranean formation via the one or more production wells, the one or more injection wells, or any combination thereof.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
introducing carbon dioxide into a subterranean formation via one or more injection wells, the subterranean formation containing hydrocarbons and water, wherein the water is present in the subterranean formation in a water-bearing zone below the hydrocarbon-bearing zone;
mobilizing at least a portion of the hydrocarbons in a hydrocarbon-bearing zone of the subterranean formation with the carbon dioxide;
after mobilization with the carbon dioxide, producing the hydrocarbons from the hydrocarbon-bearing zone of the subterranean formation via one or more production wells;
introducing hydrogen to the subterranean formation via the one or more injection wells, the hydrogen displacing the carbon dioxide downward in the subterranean formation and promoting production of at least a portion of the water as the carbon dioxide is displaced downward;
storing the hydrogen in the subterranean formation above the carbon dioxide; and
producing at least a portion of the hydrogen from the subterranean formation via the one or more production wells, the one or more injection wells, or any combination thereof.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the carbon dioxide is introduced to the subterranean formation above the hydrocarbon-bearing zone.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the carbon dioxide is introduced as carbon dioxide gas, a carbonated aqueous fluid, or any combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen is introduced to the subterranean formation as a gas or as a foam.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more injection wells comprise an at least partially horizontal section extending above the hydrocarbon-bearing zone.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen is stored for 0.1 months to 36 months.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating electricity using a hydrogen fuel cell with at least a portion of the hydrogen produced from the subterranean formation.

8. A method comprising:
introducing carbon dioxide gas into a subterranean formation via one or more injection wells, the carbon dioxide gas being obtained via carbon capture from an oxy-fuel combustion of a supplied hydrocarbon and a supplied oxygen, and the subterranean formation containing hydrocarbons and optionally water;
mobilizing at least a portion of the hydrocarbons in a hydrocarbon-bearing zone of the subterranean formation with the carbon dioxide gas;
after mobilization with the carbon dioxide gas, producing the hydrocarbons from the hydrocarbon-bearing zone of the subterranean formation via one or more production wells;
introducing hydrogen gas into the subterranean formation via the one or more injection wells, the hydrogen gas displacing the carbon dioxide gas downward in the subterranean formation;
storing the hydrogen gas in the subterranean formation above the carbon dioxide gas; and
producing at least a portion of the hydrogen gas from the subterranean formation via the one or more production wells, the one or more injection wells, or any combination thereof,
wherein the supplied hydrocarbon comprises at least a portion of the hydrocarbons produced from the hydrocarbon-bearing zone of the subterranean formation, and/or
wherein the supplied oxygen is obtained as a byproduct of water electrolysis.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein at least a portion of the hydrogen introduced into the subterranean formation is obtained as a byproduct of the water electrolysis.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the water electrolysis is powered, at least partially, with electricity generated using a hydrogen fuel cell with at least a portion of the hydrogen produced from the subterranean formation.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
generating electricity using a hydrogen fuel cell with at least a portion of the hydrogen produced from the subterranean formation.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the carbon dioxide gas is introduced to the subterranean formation above the hydrocarbon-bearing zone.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the hydrogen is introduced to the subterranean formation as a gas or as a foam.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the one or more injection wells comprise an at least partially horizontal section extending above the hydrocarbon-bearing zone.

15. The method of claim 8 , wherein the hydrogen is stored for 0.1 months to 36 months.

16. The method of claim 8 , wherein water is present in the subterranean formation in a water-bearing zone below the hydrocarbon-bearing zone, and introducing the hydrogen to the subterranean formation promotes production of at least a portion of the water as the carbon dioxide gas is displaced downward.

17. A method comprising:
introducing carbon dioxide into a subterranean formation via one or more injection wells, the subterranean formation containing hydrocarbons and optionally water;
mobilizing at least a portion of the hydrocarbons in a hydrocarbon-bearing zone of the subterranean formation with the carbon dioxide;
after mobilization with the carbon dioxide, producing the hydrocarbons from the hydrocarbon-bearing zone of the subterranean formation via one or more production wells;
introducing hydrogen to the subterranean formation via the one or more injection wells, the hydrogen displacing the carbon dioxide downward in the subterranean formation;
storing the hydrogen in the subterranean formation above the carbon dioxide;
producing at least a portion of the hydrogen from the subterranean formation via the one or more production wells, the one or more injection wells, or any combination thereof; and
generating electricity using a hydrogen fuel cell with at least a portion of the hydrogen produced from the subterranean formation.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein water is present in the subterranean formation in a water-bearing zone below the hydrocarbon-bearing zone, and introducing the hydrogen to the subterranean formation promotes production of at least a portion of the water as the carbon dioxide gas is displaced downward, and
wherein the carbon dioxide is obtained via carbon capture from an oxy-fuel combustion of a supplied hydrocarbon and a supplied oxygen, and wherein:
the supplied hydrocarbon comprises at least a portion of the hydrocarbons produced from the hydrocarbon-bearing zone of the subterranean formation, and/or
the supplied oxygen is obtained as a byproduct of water electrolysis during generation of hydrogen.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the carbon dioxide is obtained via carbon capture from an oxy-fuel combustion of a supplied hydrocarbon and a supplied oxygen, and wherein:
the supplied hydrocarbon comprises at least a portion of the hydrocarbons produced from the hydrocarbon-bearing zone of the subterranean formation, and/or
the supplied oxygen is obtained as a byproduct of water electrolysis during generation of hydrogen.

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Gao Jun
• Kwak Hyung T
• Al-Qasim Abdulaziz S
• Alyousef Ali

Classifications

• E21B43/168

  Injecting a gaseous medium · CPC title

• E21B43/255

  including the injection of a gaseous medium as treatment fluid into the formation · CPC title

• E21B43/166

  Injecting a gaseous medium; Injecting a gaseous medium and a liquid medium (CO2 injection E21B43/164; steam injection E21B43/24) · CPC title

• B65G5/005

  in porous layers · CPC title

• E21B41/0064 Primary

  Carbon dioxide sequestration (storing fluids in porous layers B65G5/005) · CPC title